Dave Portnoy has made his way back to Hoboken to check out one of the newest pizza spots, The Pizza Shop, which replaced Delfino's.

Portnoy seemed surprised that the owners, Ray Falco and Justin Avila, had only been making pizza for 6 months. His exact words after taking a few bites "what's to say, I love this pizza, I wish I didn't know they just learned how to make this six months ago. You can do that? You're not born with it? You don't have to get in the gym for 30 years?"

Portnoy describes the pizza as super crispy, thin, and tasty, and he gave it a final rating of 8.2, which on Portnoy's scale is high.

I spoke with owners Ray Falco and Justin Avila in March right before they opened. Check out our conversation:

After 34 years of being in business, Delfino's in Hoboken closed their doors. Owners Frank Biancamano and Delfino Biancamano decided to close shop because they were ready to retire.

Taking over the space will be first-time restaurant owners Ray Falco and Justin Avila. I got the opportunity to speak with Ray about their two restaurant concepts, The Pizza Shop + Flour, that will be taking over the Delfino's space and opening March 2.

How did you guys feel about Delfino's closing?

"We understand the impact Delfino’s had within the neighborhood and are honored and grateful to have the opportunity to be opening a restaurant in such a historic location. This was my local pizzeria growing up and upon hearing the news that Delfino’s was closing, it really hit home.”

"I spent a lot of time in these walls and created a lot of fond memories here. My grandpa was the fire captain of the Hoboken Fire Department and he had been coming here since Delfino's opened. As soon as the news broke, Justin and I reached out to Frank and Del to see what options were on the table."

Delfino's Before Closing Google Maps
Delfino's Before Closing Google Maps
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"When they told us they were retiring, we immediately reached out to our realtor Steven Torres who got the ball rolling. To our surprise, we were the first to inquire about taking over the space and we jumped on it. They created something special in this neighborhood and we couldn’t be more excited to create new memories and experiences here."

Ray Falco and Justin Avila looking at the new storefront, Photo Courtesy of The Pizza Shop and Flour
Ray Falco and Justin Avila looking at the new storefront, Photo Courtesy of The Pizza Shop and Flour
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How will the restaurant be set up and what will you guys offer?

"The Pizza Shop will be to-go and delivery only and Flour will have an open kitchen, is BYOB, and the cuisine will be pasta driven-new American. The dining room for Flour will be more of an intimate setting.”

"Our chef consultant started his career working for the pasta guru, Michael White with Marea group and most recently worked at the renowned restaurant Carbone in NYC. We are working directly with independent and local farmers, wheat growers, flour millers, and mushroom foragers. By building these relationships we are able to have access to the freshest ingredients possible and help support as many local establishments as we can."

Photo Courtesy of The Pizza Shop and Flour
Photo Courtesy of The Pizza Shop and Flour
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"For our pizzas, we are using organic freshly milled flour from upstate New York, Jersey Girl cheeses and organically grown tomatoes from California. Our whole concept starts with one simple idea: sourcing the best ingredients we can get our hands on and not screwing them up."

Photo Courtesy of The Pizza Shop and Flour
Photo Courtesy of The Pizza Shop and Flour
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Do you have any goals for yourselves and for the restaurant?

"This will be our first restaurant for both of us. I was born and raised in Hoboken one block from this location, so this neighborhood has a special place in my heart. I've been working in the restaurant industry in Hoboken for the past 15 years and Justin has been working here for the past few years as well. Funny enough, our families are both from the same little village in Italy and it’s been our dream to open a restaurant together."

Ray Falco and Justin Avila looking at the new storefront, Photo Courtesy of The Pizza Shop and Flour
Ray Falco and Justin Avila looking at the new storefront, Photo Courtesy of The Pizza Shop and Flour
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The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Jordan Jansson. Any opinions expressed are her own.
Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.

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