The Best of Gloucester Township: Pizza

I'm a guy who likes tradition. The longer something is there, the better it is.

The stories, the people, the memories, the nuances that make a place special—aside from the menu and decor, these are the things that help make a restaurant unique.

One of the things that surprised me most was that many of the pizza shops I visited during my tour were places that have been in business for more than 15 years. I admire that. There's something to be said for a shop that produces a quality product, builds a solid customer base, and thrives in an ever-expanding market.

So I guess it's a bit of a surprise then that No. 2 on my countdown is one of the newest pizza places in the township—.

Villa Russo, located in between Glen Oaks Liquors and Edlen's Meats on Chews Landing Road, opened on Dec. 26, 2010, but in only six months of operation has perfected the art of the pizza. 

They offer a wide variety of speciality pizzas, but I somehow managed to stay the course and sample only a plain slice. 

Like many of the other places I visited, Villa Russo offered friendly and fast service in a clean shop. 

Villa Russo isn't an ideal spot for a sitdown dinner, but did offer a bit more space and seating than some of the other shops I visited.

Still, what made Villa Russo standout was the quality of their slice—loved the quality and crunch of the crust, the amount of cheese and grease was just right, and the sauce was outstanding. 

I've found pizza to be a bit more difficult to write about than some other foods, simply because there's only so much you can say about dough, sauce and cheese, so maybe it all seems a bit redundant after awhile. 

I'll tell you, though, when I bit down on a slice of Villa Russo's pizza, I said to myself, "Damn. This is good." 

And I think that's about as telling of a statement as I can make.

So if you've yet to check out Villa Russo, I suggest you give it a shot.

Villa Russo Pizzeria

1164 Chews Landing Rd.
Clementon, NJ 08021-2806
856-258-2360

Editor's Note: This article is part of an ongoing feature highlighting writer Bob Wankel's favorite foods in Gloucester Township. Bob will rate a food item (this week, pizza) he has recently tried at a township establishment, with an article appearing each day till we reach his No. 1 pick. Disagree with Bob's rankings? Feel free to tell us all about it in the comments.