Business & Tech

Collingswood Getting a Taste for 'Grandma' Pizza

Even the new owner of Cafe Antonio II is surprised at how word of mouth is propelling sales of his Sicilian pie.

Giacomo Biondo only took over Collingswood's Cafe Antonio II two weeks ago, but already he's got the town talking about his signature dish.

It's called "Grandma pizza," and it's a square, Sicilian-style, thin-crust pizza that Biondo says is "nothing special" at the same time he smirks that the ingredients in his marinara are a secret family recipe.

"We make our own marinara, we put our own spices, extra virgin olive oil," he said. "I did the same thing [my grandmother] did a long time ago."

And the word is out about his pie. By 4 p.m. Monday, for example, he'd already sold seven of them.

"A lot of people have been coming in" to order one, said Lisa Davanzo, who's been working at the pizzeria since January. "It's very good."

At $16.50 per pie, or $2.50 per slice, the Grandma's pie costs a little more than other pizzas, Biondo says, owing in part to the cheese (he uses Grande instead of Sorrento), of which there is plenty.

The Grandma pizza is just one of the changes coming to Cafe Antonio's, Biondo said. By September, he hopes to freshen up everything from the look of the restaurant to its menu.

"We just bought this place," Biondo said. "Me and my partner, we're going to do a new menu with new pizza, remodel the place. It's going to look nice."


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