“There are countless pizzerias in Central Jersey, but Pete Lombardi still managed to make his stand out from the rest. Lombardi took a pizza consulting course in Naples, Italy, where he studied with Master Pizzaiolo Enzo Coccio, the founder of the Neapolitan Pizza Chef Society. Coccio schooled Lombardi in making a true Neapolitan pie, from the making and handling of the dough, the choosing of ingredients and the proper technique of using a wood-fired oven. There was even a lesson on the history of Neapolitan pizza,” reported MyCentralJersey.com.
“The Edison resident had worked in several restaurants, some belonging to his family and others that are corporate-owned. He knew he wanted to own a restaurant, but only if it was authentic and different from any other pizzeria. So he bought a 26-foot moving truck on eBay and invested $90,000 retrofitting it with a kitchen and a 900-degree wood-fired oven.The Lombardi Pizza Co. opened for business last summer and on most days when the weather is good, Pete and his truck can be found at lunchtime parked behind Executive Plaza, next to the 7-Eleven on Lafayette Avenue near Menlo Park Mall. Word of mouth quickly spread about his delicious, 13-inch pies, made to order in about 90 seconds, garnering Lombardi quite a lot of repeat customers.”
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