Rising star among NJ pizza joints is expanding to Jersey Shore

How do you get a South Jersey guy like our own Dennis Malloy to make the trek all the way to Morris County for a slice of pizza? By being darn good, that’s how. The pics you see of Coniglio’s in this article are from Dennis, and he’s had a lot of company in discovering this place.

Coniglio’s Old Fashioned opened in Morristown only three years ago. Most restaurants at that point are still trying to find their footing and become viable. This pizza place has not only taken off and built a solid customer base, but it’s also already expanding. Owner Nino Coniglio has announced he’s opening a second location at the shore in Asbury Park.

Now, first a few things about Coniglio’s. It’s not strictly pizza alone. You can grab anything from a salad or sandwich, chicken or eggplant parmigiana, and they even do breakfast items.

Oh, you want to satisfy a sweet tooth with a little dessert? They have you covered.

The new Coniglio’s opening at 629 Mattison Avenue in Asbury Park will have a more limited menu at first, as well as limited hours. Eventually though they’d like to take over the whole 123-year old building they’re moving into and acquire a liquor license and open a rooftop bar.

No one should be surprised at the success. Nino Coniglio worked at many pizza joints in Brooklyn where he grew up and he developed a passion for it. He became a world champion pizza maker in 2005 winning the title at the World Pizza Championships in Salsomaggiore Terme, Italy. He then went on to win the championship a total of 10 times.

Nino's talent for pizza-making caught the attention of the Food Network. He was invited to compete in the popular cooking competition show, "Chopped" where he earned the title of Chopped Champion.

Nino Coniglio hopes to be open by the end of the year but no exact date is yet available.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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