New Jersey’s pizza scene suffered a major blow when one of the state’s best pizzerias closed early last year. But pizza-lovers now have another chance to eat what was once ranked New Jersey’s No. 1 pie.
Pizza Crime, formerly of Haddonfield, is serving its beloved pizza at Four Humours Distilling in Philadelphia every Friday from 6 p.m to 9 p.m.
Owner and chef Arnab Maitra said he is excited for the opportunity to serve his pies again after taking a year-long hiatus from the business. Pizza Crime’s residency at Four Humours began March 7.
“I’m fortunate because I used to be a chef in Philly and I have a lot of friends in the city that are allowing me to use their space to make my pizzas,” Maitra told NJ Advance Media. “Philly is the origin of my pizza story so it feels nice to be back.”
The pizza chef spent 15 years working in Philadelphia restaurants before opening his own spot in downtown Haddonfield in 2020. Pizza Crime’s signature “Pepper-Jawni,” a Neapolitan-style pepperoni pie, claimed the No. 1 spot on NJ.com’s ranking of New Jersey’s 101 greatest pizzas in 2023.
A ‘#1 Pizza Pepper-Jawny’ with pepperoni, fresh mozzarella and Sicilian oregano at Pizza Crime on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023, in Haddonfield, NJ.Joe Lamberti | For NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
The “Pepper-Jawni” headlines the list of pizzas Maitra is churning out at Four Humours on a weekly basis. Margherita, four-cheese and weekly specialty pies are also available.
As a major Pizza Crime fan who was heartbroken when it closed, I gladly made the trip across the Delaware River to see if the pie lived up to my memories.
Even though Maitra is now making the pies in a mobile pizza oven instead of the wood-fired oven he used in South Jersey, I am happy to report there has been no decline in quality. The 10-inch pie is still a hit — with crispy pepperoni cups, melty fresh mozzarella and a delicious, charred crust.
The dough is influenced by another popular New Jersey pizzeria: Porta. Maitra worked as a chef at Porta during its opening months in Philly back in 2018.
Pizza Crime plans on making the rounds this spring and summer with multiple pop-ups, Maitra said. Catering events and another weekly Philadelphia residency are in the works as well.
The pizza brand will also make a return to the Garden State to be featured at New Jersey farmers markets. It’s a fitting return, considering Pizza Crime got its start at the Haddonfield Farmers Market in the summer of 2018.
“I’ll definitely be in Jersey this year,” Maitra, a Scotch Plains native said. “I’ve got to represent.”
Pepper-jawni from Pizza Crime. (Christopher Burch | NJ Advance Media)Christopher Burch
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Christopher Burch can be reached at cburch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @SwishBurch. Find NJ.comon Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips/.