It was the weekend and time to finally try S. Egidio in Ridgewood. It’s a small Italian restaurant serving Neapolitan-style pizza, salads, imported salumi & cheese, antipasti, pasta, and homemade desserts. The owners aim to provide guests with an authentic Italian experience.
As soon as you walk in, you see the counter and pizza oven imported from Naples. Reservations are not accepted, so put your name on the list. We hung out nearby while we waited for a table. It wasn’t too long before we sat down. The space is small and the tables are very close together.
While waiting, it was great to see them working behind the counter putting together the antipasti, salads, slicing the cured meats, and topping the pizzas.
I ordered an Aranciata, a refreshing but not too sweet Italian sparkling orange beverage.
The pizzas arrived fresh out of the wood-fired oven. Each one is cooked at 900 degrees and topped with their homemade mozzarella and a variety of other fresh ingredients.
The Capricciosa is topped with san marzano tomatoes, fior di latte, mushrooms, artichokes, olives, prosciutto cotto, and basil. The crust was light and airy with a few charred areas, which is why Neapolitan-style pizza is so good. The bottom was very thin and the middle of the pie was a bit moist making it a meal fit for a fork and knife. It actually was softer than I expected. It would not hold up very well if you picked it up with your hands.
The Fiamma had san marzanos, fior di latte, ‘nduja, soppressata piccante, and spicy chile infused honey. The toppings were very flavorful and I loved the combination of the sweet honey, spicy soppressata, and ‘nduja – a spicy, spreadable pork salumi from Italy. Again it was very soft in the middle, more than other Neapolitan pizzas I’ve tried, but it was still good.
We almost finished an entire pie each, but we had to try dessert. Their popular Nutella Calzone sounded really good, but we saved it for another time.
The Pistachio Gelato was excellent. The small glass was filled with custard gelato, chocolate, and pistachio gelato topped with praline pistachios.
I ordered the Panna Cotta. The molded vanilla cream was topped with chocolate shavings and artisanal marmalade. Creamy and mildly sweetened. It was a satisfying choice.
A yummy pizza dinner at S. Egidio. Check, please!
S. Egidio
17 N Broad Street
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
(201) 389-3525
Website