Scott’s Faherty's mobile office - one Macbook pro, an iPad, a Samsung Galaxy S3, and a Droid Razr Max, are spread across the table of the back booth at Rome Pizzeria & Grill.  Scott is conducting business with the passion and social media savvy of a young restaurateur, emailing, texting, communicating with his staff, and keeping an eye on customers. As any restauranteur knows, location is key.  In 2010 Scott purchased his first restaurant, Rome Pizzeria & Grill, located directly across the street from the Hoboken Path station, at 20 Hudson Place.

When you walk into Rome, you can’t help but notice the cool, urban, pizzeria meets Hard Rock Café vibe.  Portraits of the Rolling Stones, Jimmy Page, the Beatles, Kurt Cobain, and, of course, Hoboken’s own, Frank Sinatra line the walls. Then, there’s the contemporary Italian lighting fixtures,  granite counter tops, and, of course, the omnipresent smell of fresh dough, tomato sauce and cheese – oh yes, pizza!

A resident of Montclair, and familiar with the dining scene, Scott enlisted the help of Chef Ryan DePersio, of Fascino, Bar Cara and NICO, to help create signature pies to set Rome Pizzeria apart from the many other pizzerias in Hoboken.  

The DePersio recipes include the “Jersey Shore” pie topped with sausage, peppers, and caramelized onions, the pie brings back olfactory summer boardwalk sensations.  Another extremely delicious pie is topped with pancetta, ricotta and chives – savory and salty, this pie packs a flavorful punch.  In contrast to that pie, there’s a more mild, somewhat sweet pie, topped  with caramelized onions and sweet sausage.  Then, there’s the slice I couldn’t put down – my personal favorite featured a smooth eggplant puree base, pancetta, a topping of  dressed baby arugula salad; verdant, savory and refreshing!

The “celebrity” slices are $4.50 a piece, and a 22” pie is $24.95.  Standard medium pies at Rome are $10.95 and large pies are $13.95.

The menu at Rome offers the pizzeria/grill staples, like Chicken Strips, Garlic Knots, Philly Cheesesteaks, and an All American Burger.  One of the more attention grabbing items is the Trailer Park Monte Cristo, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich dunked in pancake batter, deep fried, and sprinkled with powedered sugar!

Mr. Hot and I took a little trip to Hoboken to visit with Scott, check out Rome, and try some of the Ryan inspired  pies!

Enjoy the video!

Pizza Tasting at Rome Pizzeria & Grill in Hoboken, NJ from Hot From The Kettle on Vimeo.

Melody Kettle visits with Scott Faherty, owner of Rome Pizzeria & Grill in Hoboken, NJ.