I guess I didn't tell anyone, but we went to visit Bianca in NJ for Easter. Sleeping arrangements aren't the best, but I enjoy coming up here

Mostly because of all the NYC adjacent food XD

The grocery stores here have all the normal American, Mexican, French, and Italian cheeses...and also Arab cheese, Syrian, Lebanese, Russian, Indian, etc. The variety is astonishing, and being on a shitty eedneck peninsula, we don't have anything like any of this, so it's a real treat to bring some back.

Like both stores we went to had Greek spinach pies and cheese spirals.

You can't find that at home.

Not to mention all the pizzarias. The plan for a month and a half has been to have pizza for Easter since we're introducing gluten tomorrow.

Sadly, both Vinni's and Anthony's are closed tomorrow. Because of course they are, they're Italian Catholics. But a couple others are open, so I guess we'll have some atheist pizza!

Mom just started talking about wanting a nice dinner out, but like mmm. I think the only really unique places that aren't chains are going to be in the city, especially if she wants Georgian, but we're super not about that, it costs like $15 just to go through the tunnel.

Anyway. That's what's been up. Driving driving driving and collecting snacks we can't get at home.

Got a Groupon for Manhattan Bagel, they might be open tomorrow. I just found out Panera owns them D:

Well, panera owns Panera, Caribou, and Einstein, and Einstein owns Manhattan (and Bruegger's and Noah's)

Enjoy your atheist pizza!!!

Lol thank you! I'm sure it'll be just as good as God fearing pizza, especially after two months of NO PIZZA.

It's expensive, but I'm seriously considering a Junior's cheesecake, too.....

Went to the Eparchy of Passaic for church this morning and took a selfie with Jesus

were headed to the cathedral when suddenly, WHAT'S THAT

I had no idea we were that close

the cathedral

them Kip's Castle and a good view of Manhattan and Jersey City

Mom and Bianca stole an office chair from the dumpster.

IT'S. PIZZA TIME.

At the Goodwill and we don't have room for more cups, but

It's really cute. I might.

Just carrying it around for now.

lol just can't get away from MD

OH SNAP. Not only is NY pizza no longer the bread, it isn't even SECOND best, and not only that, the best is in

NEW JERSEY LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

I found the Food and Wine article, and even though NY pizza ranks third, which is still pretty good out of ten, it was SO salty toward NY. "what New York's pizza culture might look like, forced to exist outside of the spotlight" ouch

"like so much else in New York, it feels like the outcome has everything to do with money." RUDE.

"Long before the pandemic, New York's aggressive self-belief in its own pizza had started to seem a little dated."

/scream

This is a riot, though. I guess our Easter pizza was the best in the country.

I discovered something else about the pizzas, too. NYC is like a half hour away. I thought that this close to the city, the pizzas would be the same, right?

WRONG.

NYC pizza is famous for being floppy. And they say they get that from the water. And obvs....municipal water is going to be different state to state. Even just a half hour away. And yes! Our pizza did not roll up like a supple, soft NY slice. It cracked. Just a little. .

NJ pizza also has sweeter sauce, which I noticed yesterday before Mary started looking up the differences

I forgot how bad NJ roads are oh no

WE ARE HOME! :>