Good | Worth a Return
Salerno’s
Review by: Michael Stern
We came to Salerno’s the wrong time of day, noon. You can eat lunch here, and a very good lunch indeed; but if you are looking for the white pizza that Salerno’s fans uphold as Old Forge’s best – a double-cruster with a blend of several cheeses between the layers, you have to come at suppertime.
Still, lunch was excellent. We got a red pizza, which the bartender assured us was sized just right for two. “I can knock off eight or nine slices myself,” he said. The pie we got was a broad rectangle (Most Old Forge pizzas have squared corners; they are not circles). It was cut into twelve slices, each of them 2×4-inches and a good inch thick. We wound up taking half of that pizza in a box to munch along the road.
The Old Forge style crust is light and airy, very American in character as opposed to Mediterranean; the tomato sauce on top has a pleasant tang; and the cheese tastes like a blend of Italian and American varieties. It’s easy-to-eat pizza, uncomplicated and ingenuous.
Beyond pizza in this neighborhood tavern, the menu includes sausage and peppers, chicken Parmesan sub sandwiches, and pasta i fagiole. Many customers take their food at the bar, where they can knock back draft beers and watch the wall-mounted TV.
Directions & Hours
Information
| Price | $$ |
| Seasons | All |
| Meals Served | Lunch, Dinner, Late Night |
| Credit Cards Accepted | Yes |
| Alcohol Served | Yes |
| Outdoor Seating | No |
What To Eat
Salerno’s Recipes
Discuss
What do you think of Salerno’s?
One Response to “Salerno’s”
Joseph Rogo
August 19th, 2008
I had a chance to stop at Salerno’s one recent evening for dinner. Salerno’s has a great menu compared to most Old Forge places: steaks, seafood, sandwiches, and nightly specials. I always go for authentic Old Forge Cuisine: tripe, sofritto, and pasta. I have to be honest. Salerno’s pizza is not even on my radar screen.
We ordered six cuts of red. The crust was an undercooked shell that was puffy, soft, and chewy. The sauce had lots of good flavor but the cheese blend was pretty bland. It’s Old Forge pizza, just not one of my favorites. Next up was a dish of sofritto: veal hearts which are boiled, cubed, sauteed in olive oil with a splash of red wine vinegar, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Salerno’s cubes their sofritto very small and seasons it perfectly. This is excellent and true Old Forge Cuisine. I finished with an order of fusilli with meatballs: classic homemade Italian pasta, meatballs, and sauce.
I give Salerno’s The RogFood Stamp of Approval!