End of the era...

It is with much sadness & a bit of exhaustion that I write this post today.  Because I have eaten pizza far and wide and NOTHING ON THIS PLANET WILL EVER COMPARE TO MY CULT-LIKE DEVOTION TO DELORENZO'S TOMATO PIES IN TRENTON, NJ.  So upon hearing that the Hudson Street location would be closing it's doors for good today after 65 years, we knew we had to make one last pilgrimage... 

Sure, they will still be selling pies at their Robbinsville location, but nothing can ever come close to the old school 'traditions' at the tiny, 12 booth (and ONE table for 6) Trenton location.  No menus, no credit cards, no bathrooms, pizza sliced with an knife at all strange angels.  It's all part of its charm. 

I can't even count how many times I've been here in my lifetime.  I don't think I even had any OTHER pizza from anywhere else until I was about 13J  I'll be spoiled by it foreverJ

So last night, we bundled up against the 25 degree weather and headed out for one last Saturday night on Hudson Street.  We just didn't know how much of an ordeal it would actually be!!!!J  We knew we were in trouble when we rolled up at 5:25 and the line already stretched AROUND. THE. BLOCK.   (no pictures...in fear of angering the 'mob' of folksJ)

So what time did our pies finally hit the table??????  READY??????????????? 

9:50pm. 

No, for real.

Ready for even MORE insanity???  The line stretched to include about 20 more people BEHIND our group...and yet we were the lucky ones who JUST managed to squeak in the door before they called in a COP to LOCK THE DOOR and send everyone else behind us away empty handed.  INSANE, right????????  I can't even imagine the fuming that went on outside that door!

There's not much in life I'll wait over 4 hours for.  But for one last bite of my childhood favorite??  Well, some things in life are JUST that good.  Don't even ASK me what they do to make these pies special.  I couldn't even tell you.  It's like the magic lies in the simplicity....and the magic elves that they just MUST have in those ovens of theirs to create the charred, yet super delicate crust.

Pardon my blurry pictures...as I believe I was taking pictures with one hand and shoving pizza in my mouth with the otherJ  After a morning of 2 & 1/2 hours of yoga and a can of soup about 10 hours prior...I had just about reached the point of delirium by the time the pies arrivedJ hehehehehhehehee.... 

But it was all worth it.  Sighhhhhh...I'll miss you Delorenzo's.  Hudson Street will always be part of my pizza-loving heart and NO pies on the planet will ever be your counterpart.  It was truly a classic.

*And who else could say they have the cache of being the LAST patrons served there on a Saturday night???  Wohoooooooo...that's history, baby!J

Hope you guys are having a great weekend!