After our miserably failed pizzeria excursion, Justin and I were dying to stop in Pizzeria Giove. I had been to this place a few times before probably over a year ago, and never with Justin. The place is – on a nice day – within walking distance of our home, so we really wanted to love it…
Thank God, this pizzeria blew the awful memory of Campania out of our taste buds and gave us hope, once again. Pizzeria is a rising star on Staten Island, and I expect them to have continued huge success and notoriety. First, here’s a look at their tremendous menu:
Justin and I had a glass of wine each, and decided to first do the Caesar salad, just to compare it to Campania.
It was a really good, but very basic salad – I guess exactly what you’d expect from a pizzeria.
Next, we did the baked clams – a standard favorite of Justin and myself:
Delicious, buttery, amazing… we sopped up the sauce with our bread.
On to the main events:
We decided to go with two personal size pizzas: one red (the Paris pizza) and one white (the Re pizza). OMG. These pizzas were seriously to die for. While it was nearly impossible to choose a favorite, I think the Paris was mine. The pancetta wasn’t so visible on the pie, but the flavor was soaked in to each and every bite. Justin preferred the Re, with an outrageous sausage and herbed cheesiness that was really unforgettable.
As usual, I saved room for dessert, and went with the hazelnut ice cream truffle:
Delicious with a fudge-filled center.
Maybe I wouldn’t go to Pizzeria Giove for a plain pizza (I am a loyal fan of Joe and Pat’s for a standard pie). But for anything specialty, this place could easily compete against some of Manhattan’s most distinguished pizza restaurants. The service was great, and the ambiance was friendly and comfy and casual. Pizzeria Giove is everything I wanted and expected Campania to be, and it’s in walking distance – a major score for Justin and I! I’m giving them a solid four star Baconboozer rating.