Porta

We wouldn't typically think of the Jersey shore for anything but your most basic boardwalk pizza, but during a recent conference, we visited Porta in Asbury Park. The ambiance is hip and funky, with long biergarten style tables and steampunk industrial interior. The ovens are wood-burning and beautiful so we were cautiously optimistic that they might be able to serve up a good tasting pizza. It also doesn't hurt that the building is an old garage with large doors opening to outside seating one block away from the ocean.

Our server assured us she could eat an entire Margherita herself, so we took the plunge and ordered two pizzas. While we waited, a beautiful dough emerged from the oven and we observed as it was carefully divided, top from the bottom, and thoroughly spread with Nutella before the top was replaced. So, yeah — looks promising.

Larger than expected, our pizzas arrived — one plain, one meatball. The crust is the star with the fresh mozzarella a close second. The dough was more chewy than crispy, but did not sink under the spare toppings. It has an extremely pleasant texture and was a joy to eat. The fresh cheese was mild and had just the right elasticity. The San Marzano tomato sauce was almost a non-factor, serving simply as a palette for other flavors. This is a pizza that demands some spice.

The meatball version was dreamy — light and fluffy meatballs provided all the flavor needed for the simplicity of the pizza. There were other fascinating options on the menu (with several vegan, vegetarian, and meat selections) so a return trip is definitely in order! But neither of us was able to devour and entire pizza, so make sure you plan accordingly.