Panko Pizza in Middletown is one of New Jersey’s newest pizzerias, having opened only in February. But despite its youth, the Central Jersey shop is paying homage to a century-old pizzeria by serving one of the more unique pies you’ll find in this pizza-obsessed state.
While Panko Pizza’s signature feature is a layer of panko breadcrumbs at the bottom of the pie for added crunch, they’re adding an ingredient even more obscure atop the pizza: mustard. The spicy condiment is an homage to Papa’s Tomato Pies in Robbinsville, which has been open for more than 111 years — owner Nick Azzaro claims it is the oldest continuously running pizzeria in the country to be owned by the same family.
READ MORE: Inside Papa’s, home of the original Jersey mustard pie
Francis Garcia owns Panko Pizza along with Lions, Tigers and Squares in New York and Artichoke Pizza with locations in New York City as well as several in New Jersey. Garcia was first introduced to the mustard pie while working on a TV show called “Pizza Cuz” on The Cooking Channel back in 2013, when an episode took place at the old Papa’s location in Chambersburg, Trenton.
Garcia cooked alongside owner Nick Azzaro, and he was sold.
“I got to spend the whole frickin’ day and night with them. It was a busy Friday night and the mustard pie, they were ordering it like crazy,” Garcia told NJ Advance Media this week. “I made a mustard pie with them, and I didn’t think I was really going to like it — but I loved it. It reminded me of a good slice of pizza and a pretzel at the same time. And I fell in love with it.”
Garcia has made the mustard pie for himself since then, and even snuck a variation of it onto the menu at Lion, Tigers and Squares — his Detroit-style pizza spot in Manhattan. When he opened Panko Pizza in February, he knew it was time to pay respects to Papa’s with a permanent pizza on the menu.
“It’s of course an homage to Trenton,” Garcia said. “It’s something people like, and it’s not something that you can get everywhere. And it’s something that I really enjoy.”
You indeed cannot get the mustard pie everywhere. I’ve scoured the Garden State’s pizza scene for years and haven’t found it anywhere but at Papa’s. But I’ve been making the trek to Robbinsville ever since that first spicy slice, as the unlikely combo of sweet tomatoes and spicy mustard is truly one of the best pies in the state — the ninth-best, according to NJ.com’s latest pizza rankings.
So the idea of being able to get a mustard pie filled me with excitement and anxiety at the same time. One one hand, New Jersey loves when homage is paid. On the other, paying homage can go very wrong. Something as specific and peculiar as mustard on pizza can go very wrong.
Luckily, Panko Pizza gets the mustard pie very right.
Panko Pizza’s version of the mustard pie looks different than Papa’s, namely because Garcia cubes his cheese rather than shredding it. And unlike at Papa’s, the cheese goes on after the sauce. Typical for nearly every pizzeria, but against the grain of Trenton tomato pies, where the sauce is ladled on last.
The brown mustard spread below the cheese and sauce is apparent, meant to be seen and smelled. A spicy kick hits your nose before you even taste the pie, and one bite confirms its presence. Garcia says he uses even more mustard than Papa’s, but it still strikes a nice balance with the sweet sauce. Just like Papa’s, the ketchup-and-mustard sensation from a cheeseburger is somehow achieved on a slice of pizza.
Is this as good as the Papa’s Tomato Pies version? No, but this says more about Papa’s than it does about Panko. Though this new joint does the mustard pie justice, capturing the essence of Papa’s signature pizza while putting its own spin on the dish — namely the added crispness from the panko crust.
You should still make the trip to Robbinsville to try the original mustard pie. But it’s safe to say Panko cuts the mustard.
Related coverage:
• NJ.com pizza trail, stop 9: America’s oldest tomato pies still cut the mustard
• New Jersey’s 101 greatest pizzas, ranked
• Trenton’s famed Papa’s Tomato Pies to be featured on Cooking Channel’s ‘Pizza Cuz’
• The 21 new Jersey Shore restaurants you need to try for summer 2024
• Next time you visit this iconic N.J. pizza spot, go for the mustard pie
Stories by Jeremy Schneider
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Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com and followed on Twitter at @J_Schneider and on Instagram at @JeremyIsHungryAgain.