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Bread And Salt Is Worth The Journey To Jersey City
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Scott Lynch
Published Aug 6, 2019
Modified Aug 6, 2019
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Scott Lynch / Gothamist
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By
Scott Lynch
Published Aug 6, 2019
Modified Aug 6, 2019
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Our latest installment of Quick Bites brings us to... Jersey City!
THE VIBE
Rick Easton is generally acknowledged to be one of the premier bakers of our time, with a James Beard nomination and a beloved bakery in Pittsburgh, called Bread and Salt, amongst the bullet points on his resume. Since moving to New York in 2016, he's done a pop-up at Berg'n that lasted a few months (it was mostly pizza; it was all excellent), taught his buddy Brooks Headley how to make the focaccia for Superiority's now-legendary Focaccia Fridays, and in late June, he opened his first solo restaurant in the area, a pizza place once again called Bread and Salt.
The catch? It's in Jersey City. And not even in downtown, next-to-the-PATH Jersey City. Nope, Bread and Salt is up on a stretch of Palisade Avenue with almost no other restaurants or retail around. To get there you take the PATH to Hoboken, then hop on the light rail for one stop, or walk about 15 to 20 minutes, or use one of those Lime electric scooters. There's a long flight of stairs involved, too, which takes you up and over what a sign calls "Ground Hog Territory." The journey is worth it.
Bread and Salt is a bare bones sort of place—it used to be Pizza Vitta, if you're familiar with the area—with zero decor and seating for about 30 at a series of nondescript wooden tables. Easton could probably fit a few more, but several area families told me they really appreciate that there's room for their strollers. The whole front of the restaurant can open up to the street, garage-door style, but it was kept rolled down both times I ate there.
The pizza ovens and prep area are toward the back, behind the ordering counter. The day's menu is posted here as well, and you have to look into the case to see which of Easton's pizzas are currently available. Basically, it's a good idea not to be too emotionally invested in a specific dish or type of slice before arriving, because there's no guarantee it'll be there. It also seems as if the posted business hours are more of an estimate than anything else—on both of my visits last weekend it opened about a half hour late. Perhaps this will change when Easton hires a few more people to help him get ready every day.
THE BITES
The most important thing to know about Bread and Salt is that the pizza is phenomenal. Easton engages in all kinds of bread obsessions and complicated practices (three-day fermentation, developing his own personal wheat crop with a farmer friend in Pennsylvania), and the love and energy he puts into his craft is evident in the end result. The crust is brilliant, simultaneously airy, crisp, and chewy, salty with a bit of tang and sweetness. And he's not about to ruin things by half-assing the toppings either.
The Rossa, which seems to be the first pie out of the oven each night, is a goddamn miracle, a stunningly rich and complex creation using only bread, tomato sauce, and a pinch of oregano. It's one of the best things I've eaten this year. The basic Margherita is stellar as well, with blobs of first-rate mozzarella and whole leaves of farm-fresh basil. And my third tomato-infused slice, Cherry Tomato with Pesto, was equally delicious. This would be a good place to note that right now Easton gets a lot of his produce from some of the best farmers at the Union Square Greenmarket. Even the fungi on the Mushroom slice has a star pedigree, and the Zucchini slice, laden with squash cut thin and lengthwise, explodes with flavor.
But pizza is only the starting point at Bread and Salt. Get the platter of Meatballs, thick with more of that superb tomato sauce (and more of that superb bread) if you're craving some protein. The Caponata avoids all of the usual eggplant pitfalls—the vegetable itself is both firm and tender, and the vinegary sauce doesn't overwhelm—and the Bread, Butter, and Anchovy is like a small slice of heaven if you like those three things. The Cucumber Melon Soup was a bit lackluster (and meagerly portioned), but if the Watermelon Salad is on the menu when you go, order it immediately. With its cubes of crazy-juicy red and yellow fruit studded with dill, mint, pickled things, and chili oil, this dish nails that magical balance of sweet, savory, and spicy.
Easton sometimes makes doughnuts, and the crunchy sugar-coated, Tristar Strawberry Jam-filled brioche one I had was a thing of beauty. Also lovely: Easton's Cassata al Forno, which is a Sicilian cake that's really mostly about the creamy ricotta and chocolate filling.
THE VERDICT
Absolutely go to Bread and Salt, and soon, however long and however many modes of transportation it takes you. So much creativity, time, skill, and care go into all the food here, and it's a fun, comfortable place to spend some time and gorge on multiple courses and sing along to the classic rock deep cuts playing at just the right volume. I could eat here three or four nights a week and not get bored.
Bread and Salt is located in Jersey City at 435 Palisade Avenue, between Hutton and Griffith Streets, and is open (approximately) on Wednesday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday. No booze, but feel free to bring your own. (@breadandsaltbakery)
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bread and salt
jersey city
pizza
quick bites
Scott Lynch
Photojournalist, food writer, preschool receptionist. Love NYC.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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