Talula's Pizza (and bread), Asbury Park

As discussed on another thread, Talula’s has become one of my most favorite spots in AP… the vibe is a bit more hipster than some normally go for (lots of wood, some communal tables, VERY loud), but OMG, the pizza. And the meatballs. And the salads.

The owners are a husband and wife team who came to AP from Brooklyn. They started out as breadmakers, which explains why every carb bite in the place is fantastic. They know what to do/not do with dough! They’re using ingredients from very local sources, have a board that’s updated with the names of purveyors, and change the menu seasonally (if not more often). They torture me via Instagram with their lunch sandwich specials while I’m at work out of the area, and they also offer brunch. There’s a good mix of (what I call) regular items but they also cater to vegetarians, vegans, and those on gluten-free diets, so if you have a few…er…PICKY friends (as I do), everyone will leave happy!

My absolute favorite pizza (as in, I can never seem to order a different one) is The Beekeeper’s Lament: hot soppressata w honey. Don’t knock it 'til you try it, and @joonjoon will back me up on that one! I recently went with two friends and they ordered the (then new) eggplant parm pie and a white pie with fresh thyme and roasted end-of-season tomatoes. To. Die. For. TONS of really fresh (as in, not bitter) garlic on the eggplant one, and just insanely fresh flavors on the other. This time of year, they’re doing hatch chile pies, so for those of you who are fans, GET THERE SOON. Their meatballs are also fantastic, and come with a few pieces of toast. Full bar, and if you’re into shrubs and other unusual cocktails (and beer), you’ll be happy.

It’s also one of the few places down here where I’ve had some consistently good service and have even seem the same staff members off season, which seems rare.

The place is consistently packed and weekends are especially busy, and I don’t think they take reservations, but don’t quote me on that.

Check it out and try telling me you’ve had better pizza (and where)! http://talulaspizza.com
(Shhh…don’t tell the Porta folks, but if I had to rank them, Talula’s would be #1 to their #2 in that department; Porta will always win on octopus, though… :heart_eyes:)

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They do something similar at Paulie Gees in Brooklyn. It’s surprisingly good.

Any details? If there is one thing I can’t stand it’s a tough meatball. Also tomato sauce, or no? Lots of garlic, or kind of normal?

Meatballs are pretty smoky tasting if I recall. I’m a big fan of the ricotta. Order it every time.

Yes! The ricotta is delicious too. The meatballs are very definitely in a bowl of tomato sauce…the better to eat with that yummy bread!

The website says they take reservations for parties of 6 or more. Not that it matters to me since no matter how terrific the food might be, I avoid restaurants with hideously high noise levels like the proverbial plague.

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Man now I’m jonesin for some sweet n spicy pizza.

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You know CJ should be interested in that hot sopress 'za. He is a sopress freak !!!

BOGO pizzas are back on Mondays…eat-in only

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I would go for the cheap gin and jams

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That reminds me of my last trip

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What the…??? In all my years in gin mills I have yet to encounter a Gin and Jam!!! Care to explain the attraction here?

Gin, lemon juice and simple syrup with a teaspoon of your favorite jam for added flavor. Nothing wrong with that.

In my best old man voice, “I thought I’d seen it all”.

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