While a feature writer and "View From the Center" (center of the state of New Jersey, that is) columnist for Hitzel's Restaurant Magazine, one of the things I did per column was drive a distance from our Bloomfield, New Jersey home and try to find an eatery that was unfamiliar to me and, perhaps, unknown to our readership. If I found one and dined there, the establishment selected would then be highlighted in my column. Fun stuff, and I am resurrecting that method in this blog. You see, there are gems large and small out there that I discover and am happy to write about. So, consider Pizza Station (3043 Route 23, Oak Ridge, New Jersey, 973-697-2222, www.pizzastation.biz), a tiny pizzeria restaurant which we discovered on a recent Saturday evening. Located on the highway's center island in a somewhat "sleepy" area, don't blink and miss it. If you select the right booth in the tiny dining area, you may even get to play a great selection of songs from the adjoining jukebox. First, the questionable, in kind. My wife saw on the menu a calamari fra diavolo with pasta entrée ($11.00) which tempted her. However, not a fan of spicy, hot sauce, she asked our server, Cassidy, that it be made with marinara sauce, and light sauce at that. What arrived at our table was indeed calamari fra diavolo (see the first photo below). My wife alerted the server, who apologized for the error, and then asked the kitchen team what could be done. She returned and told us that the dish just couldn't be changed; we'd have to pay for it and, if we wished, order something else. Perhaps that's eatery policy, but this in way baffled me. My wife asked for her dish to be prepared a certain way and it wasn't. Should that not require the entrée being returned to the kitchen and being prepped to her liking, and paying just for the new entrée? Anyway, I came up with a solution: I switched entrees with my wife and I enjoyed -- and I mean that - the pictured below calamari fra diavolo. Sauce, calamari, and pasta all perfect! My meal, which became my wife's, was a very good penne with meat sauce ($11.00). I note here that for the price paid, quality and portion size far exceed cost, and more on that in a few moments. The great thing about meals the Sears family has while dining out is they are shared. So, even though I relinquished the above to my wife, I did enjoy a decent portion of it. Daughter Stefanie selected chicken ala vodka with pasta ($11.00), another serving of quality. Once again, consider the portion size and price. This was worth the 35 minute drive. And speaking of the portions, all three entrée remainders were taken home and were still being devoured on Sunday and Monday. The issue with the miscommunication with the first entrée aside, Pizza Station was a nice discovery and dining experience. It's comfortable eatery with good service (thank you, Cassidy) with really good food. The sign above, which appropriately hangs on one of the Pizza Station dining room walls, says it all.
Steve
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January 2023
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