Latest visit: Jan 2015
First visit: Jan 2014
I've been aware of Chelsea Pizza for many years, as reviews and comments alike praised their authentic New Jersey styled pizza. In fact, they first opened in 2009 about a year after getting this blog started. I'd intended on heading west to their Keller location for what seems forever, but there was always some reason why I didn't. At first they were dinner only, which was inconvenient since Mrs. RJG typically doesn't want pizza for dinner. Then by the time they did open for lunch, their website menu didn't indicate they had pizza by the slice, and I didn't feel compelled to order a whole pie.
So it was a month ago while Mrs. RJG and I were dining at the Cafe Italia on Hwy 26 that I noticed Chelsea Pizza had opened a new location right next door. I found out they were open for lunch, and they had pizza by the slice, so it was indeed time for me to finally try it. So I finally wandered over recently for a lunch, and had two slices - one cheese and one sausage. The slices are very generous, slightly larger than a traditional portion from an 8 cut pie. The crust was slight crispy, but not very pliable, so there would be no folding down the middle and inhaling. The crust was also fairly uniform, indicating that it may have not been hand tossed. A traditional NY pizza place will have the pies out for viewing, and you point at what you want, but at Chelsea there was nothing on display, they just went to the back and a few minutes later showed up with pizzas on a plate. That's certainly fine with me, but I had no visibility on how they make their pizzas. The flavor of the crust, again, wasn't anything noteworthy. The tomato sauce was not distinctive either, but pleasant. The cheese was wonderfully gooey, and the sausage they use are the crumbles rather than anything homemade.
What's the verdict? Definitely a fine pizza, but not overwhelmingly positive. Hence, the 3.0 rating which basically means I'll eat there willingly again, but I have no intention of seeking out for regular visits. Thumbs up, but not outstanding.
So it was a month ago while Mrs. RJG and I were dining at the Cafe Italia on Hwy 26 that I noticed Chelsea Pizza had opened a new location right next door. I found out they were open for lunch, and they had pizza by the slice, so it was indeed time for me to finally try it. So I finally wandered over recently for a lunch, and had two slices - one cheese and one sausage. The slices are very generous, slightly larger than a traditional portion from an 8 cut pie. The crust was slight crispy, but not very pliable, so there would be no folding down the middle and inhaling. The crust was also fairly uniform, indicating that it may have not been hand tossed. A traditional NY pizza place will have the pies out for viewing, and you point at what you want, but at Chelsea there was nothing on display, they just went to the back and a few minutes later showed up with pizzas on a plate. That's certainly fine with me, but I had no visibility on how they make their pizzas. The flavor of the crust, again, wasn't anything noteworthy. The tomato sauce was not distinctive either, but pleasant. The cheese was wonderfully gooey, and the sausage they use are the crumbles rather than anything homemade.
What's the verdict? Definitely a fine pizza, but not overwhelmingly positive. Hence, the 3.0 rating which basically means I'll eat there willingly again, but I have no intention of seeking out for regular visits. Thumbs up, but not outstanding.
1/26/14 (new entry); 1/31/15
