Faccia Luna

Faccia Luna

Target: Trenton Tomato Pie
App: Carciofi Dip
Drink: Coca Cola and a Water
Damage to Wallet: (For Two) Around 26 Bucks

Guest of Honor: My Girlfriend Colleen

This entry began as a post race date with my girlfriend in Arlington, Virginia. She was in high spirits after cutting 1:10 off her previous personal record for a 5k race. She had an idea for dinner along the lines of ‘a great Italian place that’s a little bit of a hike’. Why not, I asked myself innocently.

After we made base camp at five thousand feet we made the final climb to the summit where Faccia Luna can be found. My attempts to hire a local Sherpa had failed and with it any hope of riding a burro to the peak. Note; stop trusting recreational marathoners on matters of walking distance.

When we arrived I was immediately rewarded upon my first glance at the menu. A Trenton Tomato Pie was one of the options in the pizza category. The blog was about to invade the realm of pizza, not through the familiar roads of New York or Chicago, but through the back alleys of Trenton. I was excited beyond words. Time has remedied this issue. Doing the first pizza installment on a Trenton Tomato Pie is like hiring Tim Wakefield to coach your little league pitchers, tossing him the ball, and saying ‘I didn’t hire you to teach the kids fastballs Tim, stick to the fluff.’

The restaurant itself looked great. Bright, cheerful and energetic without being too loud. Service was exceptional, with our waiter taking the time to compliment our order. A nice touch that I enjoyed a bit too much. It was an excellent start to our dinner.

App: Carciofi Dip

From what I gathered from the menu this was spinach and artichoke dip minus the spinach. It came out still bubbling and it was delicious. Other than the objections from a certain cartoon sailor I could find no fault in the dish. The bread was still warm and the dip itself was plenty creamy thanks to a liberal application of cheese. The artichokes were tasty and plentiful. Overall this was a great appetizer.

Target: Trenton Tomato Pie

A Trenton Tomato Pie is a relatively thin crust round pizza with the sauce served over the cheese. It is rare outside of its hometown in New Jersey and it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. This particular pie opted for provolone cheese and I ordered my half with mushrooms.

The crust was excellent, strong enough to support knife and fork eating or allowing for the slice to be picked up by hand. It was slightly chewy, and in conjunction with the provolone, it provided a sturdy but delicious base to the pie.

The cheese layer was awesome. It adhered perfectly to the crust, adding to the chewiness that was already there. The provolone also added a bit of bite to the taste, a depth of flavor sometimes missing in mozzarella only pizzas. The cheese was a factor in every bite that included sauce, and that allowed the two to interact throughout the entire meal.

If not for the bite of the cheese, the sauce might have been a little sweet. However these two working together meant that the dance of tangy cheese and sweet sauce never overwhelmed each other. It was hard to describe just how good this pizza was.

The simple mushroom topping was approved by the waiter, who advised against anything complicated. In retrospect I agree. This pizza is too good to hide behind a complex flavor topping. Pick one or two and go with it.

This was my first Trenton Tomato Pie. It amazes me that this style of pizza is still relatively unknown. If you can find one, try it. If it is half of the pizza that this was it will have been worth it.

Drink: Coca Cola and a Water

Served quickly, refills came without any wait.

Damage to Wallet: (For Two) Around 26 Bucks

A steal. We brought two slices home for breakfast the next day. An affordable date option that is both filling and delicious.

Final Verdict: Absolutely try this place. They have three locations, and if you find yourself near one go. Thank me later.

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