Papa's Tomato Pies is a historic pizzeria selling Trenton tomato pies in New Jersey. It was founded by Giuseppe "Joe" Papa in 1912 on South Clinton Avenue in Trenton, New Jersey.[1][2] Papa's is the oldest family owned and longest continuously operating pizzeria in the United States,[3] as well as the second oldest pizzeria in the United States after Lombardi's Pizza (Lombardi's closed for a decade from 1984 to 1994 and was reopened under new management).[4][5]
| Papa's Tomato Pies | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1912 |
| Owner(s) | Nick Azzaro |
| Previous owner(s) | Giuseppe "Joe" Papa |
| Head chef | Nick Azzaro |
| Food type | Italian |
| Street address | 19 Robbinsville-Allentown Road |
| City | Robbinsville |
| State | New Jersey |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 08691 |
| Country | United States |
| Website | Papa's Tomato Pies |
History
edit
Papa's Tomato Pies was established by Giuseppe "Joe" Papa in 1912 on South Clinton Avenue in Trenton. Before opening his own restaurant, Papa learned the trade from Joe's Tomato Pies, which opened in 1910, and closed in the late 1980s.[1]
A few years after opening, it moved to Butler Street[2] and in 1945, the restaurant moved to 804 Chambers Street where it would remain until 2013.
During the 1950s and 1960s Papa's would remain open until 3 am serving late workers and patrons who just left local bars.[1] Joe Papa's daughter, Teresa "Tessie" Papa, and her husband Dominik "Abie" Azzaro, eventually took over operations in the 1960s.[2]
In 2013, Papa's moved to Robbinsville-Allentown Road in Robbinsville, New Jersey.[6] Papa's is currently operated by Joe Papa's grandson, Nick Azzaro, a third generation Italian-American. Azzaro has been making pizza for over fifty years and has worked for Papa's since he was 14.[5]
Papa's is also known for its signature mustard pie, which features a thin layer of spicy brown mustard under the cheese and sauce.[7]
Ratings
editIn 2010, Papa's won the Munchmobile Pizza Patrol awards for the six best pizzas in New Jersey, winning the Award of Excellence.[8]
In 2012, Papa's was ranked one of the 35 Best Pizzas in America.[9]
See also
edit- De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies
- Antica Pizzeria Port'Alba, oldest pizzeria in the world
References
edit- ^ a b c Jill P. Capuzzo (2010-01-12). "The Original". NJ Monthly.
- ^ a b c "History of Papa's Tomato Pies". Mack's Truck of Wisdom. 2008. Archived from the original on 2014-03-19. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
- ^ Breslouer, Lee (2015-06-24). "The 21 Oldest Pizzerias in America". Thrillist. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
- ^ Nick Fox (2011-07-27). "Trenton Pizzeria Stakes Claim to Being the Nation's Oldest". New York Times.
- ^ a b Joel Rose (2011-08-15). "For Slice Of Fame, Pizzerias Spar Over 'Oldest' Title". NPR.
- ^ Mike Davis (2013-08-26). "Papa's Tomato Pies opens in Robbinsville after 101 years in same Trenton neighborhood". NJ.com.
- ^ Jeremy Schneider (2023-08-02). "NJ.com pizza trail, stop 9: America's oldest tomato pies still cut the mustard". NJ.com.
- ^ Peter Genovese (2010-01-29). "Pizza Patrol names best pizza in New Jersey". NJ.com. Retrieved 2014-03-17.
- ^ The Daily Meal (2012-09-18). "Best pizzas in America 2012". Fox News. Archived from the original on September 19, 2012.