At The Sauce Pizzeria in Oceanport, there are different sauces for different pies
New Jersey is home to thousands of pizzerias. According to New Jersey's Best magazine, on average, there is at least one within a 4-mile radius of every home in the state. So what makes one stand out from the rest?
At The Sauce in Oceanport, it's co-owner Jason Enger's pursuit of the perfect dough, baking creative pizzas in seasoned pans, and tailoring the sauce to fit the pizza.
"We have different sauces for different pies," said Enger of Red Bank, who with Edward Haran of Tinton Falls and Antonio Carrillo of Red Bank opened The Sauce in the former Federico's on Main in Oceanport in October. "Each sauce is designed for the specific pie it's being used for."
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The upside-down pizza (cheese first, then sauce), for example, gets a thicker sauce that holds its shape when Enger spoons it on in a spiral. His Gemini pizza, with fresh and shredded mozzarella, has a sweeter tomato sauce he calls Dolce.
The pizzas come in sizes from 10 to 22 inches, and in styles like bar pies, Detroit, Sicilian and square ($10 to $29.50).
Enger learned to make pizza as a teen working at Riccardo's Pizza & Italian Restaurant in the Browns Mills section of Pemberton Township in Burlington County. He started as a grill chef and driver, "learning the ins and outs," he said, then put what he learned to use at Luigi's Famous Pizza in the Lincroft section of Middletown.
"He had such great ideas for doing something new," said Haran, who was a fan of Enger's pies as a customer before they became business partners. "He was always trying new things."
Since opening The Sauce, a few pies have proven to be customer favorites, Haran said, including the Jersey Devil Sicilian. The pizza is an upside-down pie that begins as a rectangle of dough — these are individually wrapped and proofed "to the exact temperature I want," Enger said.
"We spend a great deal of time trying to get that perfect combination of airiness and crispiness," he added.
"The amount of different kinds of flour we tried...," Haran added, laughing.
The Jersey Devil is topped with thinly sliced fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, a generous amount of "cup and char" pepperoni that curl and crisp in the oven, and extra-virgin olive oil around the edge of one of Enger's meticulously seasoned pizza pans.
The pans, he said, "give us that caramelized, cheesy, crispy edge.
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Once baked, The Jersey Devil gets a drizzle of Mike's Hot Honey.
Other specialty pies include the Nacho Libre, a taco pie with mozzarella, ground beef, nacho chips and queso; a Margherita on semolina crust; and the Truffle Chicke, with mozzarella cheese and breaded chicken tossed in truffle oil.
"We keep things pretty simple, pretty traditional," Enger said. "At the same time, we add our own unique flair."
Go: 281 E. Main. St., Oceanport; 732-440-4447, thesaucepizzeria.com.
Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to sgriesemer@gannettnj.com, follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jersey Shore restaurants: The Sauce Pizzeria serves specialty pies
