Review: Marcello’s Pizza-Grill Corleone Pizza, Trenton, NJ

Among the new pizzerias with pies worth seeking out, many are crafting Neapolitan-style pies. But as the Pizza Renaissance goes along, I'm seeing a wider variety of styles including rectangular pan-baked pies like the Detroit pizza at Via 313 in Austin and the Roman al taglio slices at Alice Cucina Romana in Philly.

Another relative newcomer with a rectangular pie is Marcello’s Pizza-Grill, whose name would never suggest anything beyond typical fast-food pizza. But the suburban Trenton location is one clue that you need some serious chops to sell a unique pizza here in the heart of Trenton tomato pie country. 

The owner of Pizza-Grill is Marcello Mandreucci, a Sicilian immigrant and veteran restaurant owner in the region.

Take-out only at Pizza-Grill.com

Marcello has a wonderful story of how he came to recreate the "Corleone style" Sicilian pizza of his youth - I encourage you to read the review and story by Rich Pawlak at Edible Jersey, HERE. 

Marcello's first stop in America, Bordentown NJ

Based on that insider scoop, I made it a point to stop for this unique pie when passing through Trenton. It's take-out only, with no real space to sit and eat inside.

What is a Corleone style pizza? It looks like a Sicilian pizza, but I found the dough to be light and airy yet crisp -- much like that found in the Philly-style tomato pies offered at bakeries. 

The Corleone, garnished with two fresh basil leaves

Don't confuse a Trenton tomato pie, which is essentially a pizza with the chunky tomatoes laden over top the cheese, with a Philly tomato pie, which is more like a Sicilian pizza with no cheese beyond a dusting of Parmesan. Click HERE for a primer on tomato pie.

Marcello uses only Italian tomatoes, Sicilian oregano, Sicilian olive oil, and a secret blend of three cheeses. What he's achieved in this Corleone pie, though, is balance. 

That crust has a surprisingly delicate texture and flavor, and it would be overwhelmed by the payload of red sauce and dense mozzarella found on a typical Sicilian pizza.

Light and airy crust

This was a pie of perfect proportions; crust, cheese, and sauce in ideal balance. I was delighted to see that the pepperoni topping I ordered was the "spicy cup" style that curls when it bakes, and it added the right notes of salty and savory. 

Multi-tiered rotating oven can take 20 pies at once

The only way to improve this pie would be to offer it with real chunks of Italian sausage that cook on the pie.

They typical experience with Sicilian pizza is that I'm full after one or two slices. Here, I confess I wolfed down four of these feathery delights. 

Under the hood of the Corleone

This pie is not as hearty and umami-rich as a Detroit pizza or the thick pillowy squares at Rize Pizza (Broomall and West Chester, PA), but it brings a lot of old-world satisfaction in a lighter and balanced way. No pizza lover near Trenton should miss the Corleone pizza.