During his last trip back home, the Snob’s alter ego, Music City Mike, was once again lucky enough to see a house concert at Live @ Drew’s in Ringwood, NJ. This time, it was the gritty but sometimes tender songs of New York City’s Jesse Malin & the St. Mark’s Social.  Jesse rocked the house that night.  Here’s a clip.

Bringing food to share is always a part of the pre-show pleasantries at Drew’s. This time out, the pizza-loving host, who led me to the “Grandma Pie” at Ringwood Pizza last fall, directed me to Sunnyside’s Bar and Grill in Sloatsburg, NY.   Heading out early that Sunday afternoon with a view of the late January snow atop the hills of Northern Jersey, I crossed the border into New York State. There, I found Sloatsburg about 15 minutes north of Drew’s joint in Ringwood.

Sunnyside’s is a stand-alone historically marked building on a two-lane road running through this small town.  There is quite a legend about the place, and many famous celebs have dined there since 1928. The front door opened into a sparkling mahogany-laced barroom which led to a full dining room off to the left.

Opening the box of the large cheese pie ($12.50) that I pre-ordered, I was slammed by its sheer beauty and enticing smell. Piping hot, I didn‘t wait but sacrificed burning the roof of my mouth. I bit into a world of delight:  This pizza was incredibly delicious!  Sunnyside’s pie was thin and crisp with a rich, bold tomato sauce akin to vodka sauce. The cheese was fresh and flavorful, boosted by a light touch of Romano. Holding my slice up, its crispness allowed it to stand at a full attention as I crunched every bite. The cheese and sauce were both lightly applied and came to an abrupt and perfect halt at the thin end crust.

I unashamedly delivered my pizza two slices short to Drew’s kitchen placing it atop a few Grandmas from Ringwood that some others had brought. I quickly grabbed another Sunnyside slice and mingled amongst the crowd meeting some new and old faces. By the time I got back to the kitchen, the Sunnyside pie was gone! I grabbed up a slice of Grandma Pie, and Drew and I chatted up the wonders of his latest pizza discovery. He told later me that there were actually six pizza joints in tiny Ringwood.  I sure hope my future trips back home will coincide with his house concert schedule.

While more adventures are sure to await me in Ringwood, Sloatsburg’s Sunnyside pizza is remarkable!

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ***** Sets the Standard

Sunnyside’s Bar & Grill
245 Orange Turnpike
Sloatsburg, NY 10974
845-753-2519
www.sunnysidesbarandgrill.com