We're number 1! Wait.... No, we're number 1!

I love you NPR, oh yes I do.... yesterday on All Things Considered, NPR covered the Nutley pizza war! Woohoo! Nutley! I lived in Belleville, Nutley's neighbor to the south for three years. And Liana and I frequently ordered from Ritacco Brothers on Washington Ave. Mmmm.... Ritacco's.

I can't speak to Michael's Pizza or Ralph's for that matter. So, allow me to explain. Every year, there is the Jaycees Pizza Challenge in Nutley. For those of you unfamiliar with the fabulous Nutley, it is a relatively small, mostly working and middle class town in northern Essex County, wedged between Route 3 and Route 21. And there are an awful lot of folks of Italian ancestry there. Houses are small, yards are neat (and quite a few have a plastic Virgin Mary), and the food is very good. In fact, one of my favorite NJ restaurants, American Bistro, is the neighbor of Ritacco Brothers, which is involved in this pizza war.

Okay, so this year, during the pizza challenge, newcomer Michael's won by 5 votes. And Ralph's demanded a recount. After the closed door tally and recount, Ralph's was declared the winner. Then there's a question of whether Ritacco's decided not to participate, or was actually kicked out. There's lots of name calling and people aren't talking to each other.

It's a great story - read about it here in the Star-Ledger. Only in a Jersey paper will you find this written: "Alas, in a town where so many last names end in a vowel, pizza is considered worth fighting about." Seriously, though, if pizza isn't worth fighting over, what is? What is???

And Li, I'm curious about Ralph's now. Let's order from them next time.