In the old days, I always preferred Sal's over the others in CP.  That is at least when the original Sal was still around.  Sal then passed it on to a relative and the pizza was still great.  After that, it went downhill and today the pizza is terrible, but the place still holds a special place in my heart.  After all, I am a Ria Boy through-and-through!  Pepe

Thirty two years after leaving N.J, I have FINALLY found a good pizza place!.  Guess where the owner is from, "Hey how YOU doin?".  The place (Nino's) is packed on Monday nights.  'Looks like a scene from Bada Bing.  The pizza is cheesy, crispy crust, fold in half, dripping oil.  You wouldn't even think of getting a topping on it and ruining it.  Now I want pizza. 

Hey Rich,  it's always important to remember your roots; it keeps you humble. 

Roots:  one of my earliest memories of of my mom walking me "up the avanue" when i was about 3 or 4 years old.  we stopped at Sal's for a slice, and maybe it was my first slice EVER!!!  how can i go back on that and ever betray my first slice.

well, Vinnie's is certainly better now as well as many others.  but i'll be a Ria Boy forever...

Pepe

A slice and a coke...25 cents!

Sal's was the only place to get great pizza. 25 cents got you a slice and a coke. I work in Paramus and a few years ago i was in an Italian deli/pizzera called Italian touch. There was this older man making pizza's when he turned around it was the original owner of Sal's from Cliffside. He came out of retirement to help his friend's business. We talked about the day's when I would walk from Epiphany school to get a slice. He still made a great pie. Thanks Sal ,you are one of a kind.

My family on Columbia Avenue loved Sal's too. Our favorite was the mussels in sauce which today would be called "mussels marinara", eh, Richie? I loved those booths. We sat for hours and they never threw us out, just said it was time to go home for dinner!

I used to get a slice everytime on the way home after I went to the Swift's Sisters dancing school for lessons near Terie's.

There was another pizza joint on Palisades Avenue near the pharmacy near Columbia.

It was a lame family owned attempt to make pizza. We used to go there from junior high @ # 4. We had a hard time getting a booth because the family was so extended that they took up the whole place.

I remember how Noel and Roz Fox did not like cheese on pizza. Every lunch, when we arrived, they had the tomatoe pie (without cheese) ready for them.

Boy, did they get off the hook.

SLICE OF PIZZA  15 cents!

Regina

I've never found pizza as good as Sal's, especially in California.  I just heard of a place in Rocklin, CA called Gaetano's (maybe it's Frank's ) which we're going to try out.  I was a Ria girl; my hang out.  I went on many a delivery with my high school boyfriend.

Janice!  My husband is from Queens, so he knows good pizza too.  We're constantly on the lookout for a decent slice -- there are a few that come close (plain cheese - no ham or pineapple), but none can compare to Sal's (even my hubby agrees).

There's a pizza place in Marina Del Rey that I discovered when I first moved here that is really good - later, I found out it was owned by Mr. Colagreco's (the supt of schools in CP) son, Tony!!!  Small world... right!!!  And truth is, he'd better know good pizza...  But I guess that's a long drive from where you are in NoCal.

I remember you and your boyfriend would come into the Peanut Bar when he wasn't delivering...  I played many games of pool with him - he always kicked butt, but I got to be pretty good too.

Funny where life takes us.

Wow!  Glad I found this site! Does anyone have an Idea who I am?

How narcissistic - LOL

Really - culturally we were spoiled, growing up where we did.  A pizzeria on every corner and if the pie was no good they didn't last.

Bakeries all over the place and yeah Pep Wolf's was the better of the two.

And as we matured - bagels...    Ever try to get bagels down south...

Not only bakeries and pizzerias, but we also had the Acme, A&P, the pork store, Catanzaro Fish Market, bunches of Italian delis, including a branch of Fiore's for a while, etc., etc...my mother used to send me the butcher that was next to Sal's for veal cutlets ($1.00 per pound in those days I recall).

Hey, even the food in the high school cafeteria was great!

"In Cliffside, no one went hungry"

Frankie...welcome to the CHPS website. see you at the reunion!

Pep

 
Frank Santorella wrote:

Don't forget the french fries at the Grantwood Diner, next to the a&P in the brown paper bag with all the grease junior high lunchtime when were still allowed out!

Hey Frank

Who could forget you and those sunglasses or the time you kept jumping out o Mr. Fabiano's classroom. It took the third time for him to catch you jumping out.

Sal did have good pizzia but in my travels L'Italia in Stanton, Va and Laurel Pizzeria, Laurel DE is just as good.

wayne Ridpath wrote:

Frank,

Do you mean the Sawmill in Seaside Park?

Alot of people from NJ, PA and Md reitre to DE. We rank 47th in state taxes. We got the trotters in Harrington and the slots. We are close to OC and have great beaches. We have Nascar in Dover and motorcross in Georgetown. And not to mention the drag racing in Delmar.

To bad Callahans closed its doors. Great place for hot dogs.

Wayne

Callahan's should have gone employee ownership when they had the chance.  It would have been a great opportunity for the roaches.  LOL

Wayne. What do you know about motocross?

Frank,

Motorcross bike racing as you are riding in your pic.

They race for trophies and money.

Wayne

PS sunglasses wasn't the prescription ones you wore?

Pizza?   Man, we just came back from Canada on the bikes.   Cheticamp,Cape Breton is heaven. But, BIG BUT!,  twice I stopped for lunch and ate what they called pizza.

It was the poorest excuse of pizza...and Tom Hortons donuts... Garbage

I'm ripe to move out of Jersey, but what am I going to eat?  Pep, If I move out of state please plan on long visits or do mail order.

_SAL'S HAD OR HAS EXCELLENT SLICES,,,BUT,,SINCE 1962 _MONETTI'S ON ANDERSON AVE IN _FAIRVIEW ALSO HAD EXCELENT SLICES,,,I BELIEVE THEY R GONE,,AND IF U EVER VISIT _{NEW HAVEN  CT},,WORLD RENOWN   '_{''' PEPE'S'''}  IS IN STRONG CONTENTION,, _{BRICK OVEN} HAS BEEN BURNING 110 YEARS,,,AND THE OWNER SAYS BACK IN THE DAY,,,''' in italy",,THIS IS THE WAY TO BAKE A PIZZA,,,,I'VE BEEN AROUND THE COUNTRY,,,AND SOME FOREIGN,,,,EAST COAST AMERICA,,,,,NJ NY CT,,,,NO BODY,,,,,,I SAID  NOOOOO   BODDD Y,,COMPARES TO SOME OF THE GREAT PIZZERIA ESTABLISHMENTS,,,,

I still say La Itiala's in Staunton, Va and  Laurel Pizzeria in Laruel, De comes closet to Sal's.

people down south cook good ribs,,,grits,,,chicken,,,as a matter of fact i ordered a slice of pizza once in Beaufort SC,,,,and the young man asked piece of what ,,,,@#$%^&*(,,,love somebody