If pizza were music, it would be the Jersey culinary equivalent of Don McLean's "American Pie." The loss for those anywhere in the Elizabeth area was unthinkable.
Santillo's Brick Oven Pizza has been part of Elizabeth for well over 100 years. Lou Santillo first opened in 1918, about a mile away from where it would eventually reside on Broad Street. After 39 years, it would move to its current location.
But that current location had been out of business since January due to a fire.
Lou's grandson and current owner, Al Santillo, has been trying to get it reopened and has even received some help from pizza guru Dave Portnoy.
To keep busy until that happens, Al has done some pop-ups, making his famous Santillo's pies out of other pizza joints here and there, thanks to the kindness of fellow pizza makers.
Al did a series of Santillo Sundays pop-ups at Conglio's Old Fashioned in Morristown some months back. For the first time since those ended, he's announced another pop-up happening Nov. 11.
It will take place at Casano's Pizza Parlor in Rutherford. For six hours, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 11, Santillo's fans can support Al and get a taste of his legendary pie.
According to NJ.com, Santillo will be limited to serving up 12-inch round pies with pepperoni and sweet Italian sausage available as toppings plus his signature 1964 pizza with mozzarella and Romano cheese.
Casano's is the pizza shop where Santillo already had a relationship by having his Goldbelly operation there, which he uses to ship his pizza across the country.
When you move out of Jersey, what's one of the biggest things you miss? Exactly. The pizza. Just as locals in the Elizabeth area have been missing the Broad Street location since the fire, rest assured, Al is rebuilding.