Pete & Elda's Bar and Carmen's Pizzeria

     It's that time of year for football again and where is a better place to catch some games than Pete & Elda's Bar and Pizzeria in Neptune City. Pete & Elda's offers tons of tvs and daily specials to enjoy while your watching your favorite teams battle it out head to head. On a recent Monday night a few friends and I decided to head over to Pete & Elda's to catch the game and eat some yummy grub. Once we arrived I was pleased to find out there was only a few minutes wait for a table. With such a great reputation, amazing pizza and a laid back establishment Pete & Elda's usually demands a large crowd, but we were lucky.

     Before we even sat down we all decided on sharing a couple appetizers and pizzas. I can not fathom going to Pete & Elda's and not ordering the pizza..It's that good! It has been quite some time since my last visit and I wanted to browse the menu to re familiarize myself and look for any new items. Besides their famous pizza P&E offers an extensive bar style menu. They have a ton of appetizers such as mussels marinara, fried ravioli, breaded mushrooms served with a horseradish dipping sauce and of course their famous plump and juicy Buffalo wings served boneless or bone in. Pete & Elda's is such a great spot to grab a seat at the bar, order a couple pitchers of beer, have a smorgasbord of appetizers and enjoy some football fun. For those with more of an appetite P&E has a number of Italian specialties such as Baked Ziti, Chicken Parmigiana, Stuffed Shells, and Fettuccine Carbonara, to name a few. On the lighter side, or even for lunch, there is a list of delicious burgers and sandwiches to pick from, like a turkey or roast beef club, pepper and egg sandwich, cheese steak or even a fried flounder sandwich. Such a vast variety so take your pick!   
     While my friends and I planned our attack we started off with some refreshments, an ice cold pitcher of Miller Lite and two glasses of the house pinot noir. I know what your thinking and yes, wine goes very well with pizza! We shared an order of the fried zucchini sticks, a plate of the golden crispy calamari and a large antipasto. The appetizers were perfectly prepared and more than enough for the four of us to share. The fried zucchini were my favorite! The zucchini was thinly sliced and breaded just enough that you could enjoy the crisp crust but still savor the tender veggie inside. And the tangy horseradish sauce really complimented the crunchy salty treat. Since the pizza is made so thin you can eat more than the average so we decided to get two large pizzas with an assortment of toppings. I am usually a veggie topping lover on my pizza, however there is something so crispy and delicate about P&E pizza that I did not want to spoil it with any additions. Just plain was perfect for me! The simplicity of P&E pizza is what has kept patrons coming back for years.
     Next time your in the area give P&E a shot. Whether your favorite sports team is playing or you just want some GREAT pizza head on over to Pete & Elda's. And if your feeling really daring take the pizza challenge...Eat a WHOLE pie and get a free Pete & Elda's T-shirt! After one visit you'll see where their great reputation comes from!