The Best Calzone In New Jersey, Here’s Where To Go

What exactly is a calzone? Depending upon where you are in the country, the answer will differ. However, in Mahwah, you find the best calzone in New Jersey.

Of course, there are some essential components to a standard calzone. Typically, pizza dough serves as the foundation. This then brings us back to our opening question. Is this Italian food treat a sandwich, a different form of pizza, a shareable appetizer plate, or all of the above?

Perhaps it doesn't really matter. Calzone enthusiasts will find the distinct factors that separate certain restaurants' way of making this item by its fresh flavors and what toppings and ingredients are inside.

If you recall, there was a time where calzones hit the mainstream in America. For example, Pizza Hut used to offer a menu item called the "P'zone." This pizza chain had a few variations of the P'zone available, but the real thrill was the chance to build your own.

It was their signature dough, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese, but then you pick the topics you want to throw in. This brings us to another question. What makes a calzone so great?

The answer seems to simply be that you mix all of your favorite pizza ingredients together into a giant hot pocket. It's cooked fresh in a pizza oven and certainly qualifies as comfort food. Lastly, it's important to know the differences in how calzones are prepared depending on where you are.

In New England, a calzone is typically not made with ricotta cheese and is prepared as a more flat-looking food. Essentially, it is a pizza with a crust baked on both the top and the bottom. It's then cut into strips and delivered in a pizza box.

In the tri-state area, a calzone is completely different. You will find a calzone that looks more like a halfmoon and egg-shaped delicacy. It's then loaded with ricotta cheese as the signature ingredient. From there, you add your ingredients like ham, sausage, or vegetables.

Located at 425 Forest Rd, in Mahwah Esposito's Pizza makes a calzone that is so generous you'll be able to bring some home to save for later. Though it is occasionally on special, you order the sausage and peppers calzone as a build-your-own.

In addition, the spinach calzone is explosive in taste. Regardless of your choice, each calzone at Esposito's is filled with both ricotta and mozzarella cheese. Upon cooking perfectly in the pizza oven, the dough rises, and the filling perfectly blends together. It's an outside crunch with a softer and chewy inside.

When you cut this calzone in half, you can see the steam flow out. With fresh ingredients oozing out, it's very hard to control yourself from letting it cool down before eating a massive portion.

Although the Super Bowl is behind us, there are still plenty of football subjects to dive into. Of course, the combine, free agency, and the draft are all approaching. However, in addition, there are a few NFL teams who have hinted at wearing new uniforms next season.

Typically, a full unveiling of these fresh threads comes in late spring or summer once the schedule is out and new players are on the roster. Still, there are some things we already know. Part of this has to do with licensing agreements. The NFL and Nike (their official uniform partner) need to go through certain protocols in order for new uniforms to be allowed. At times, this can take a few years. So, in short, preparation for these expected uniform changes began long ago.

Present-day NFL allows for teams to have their typical home and away set and the alternate look. Often, this is a nod to a throwback uniform that was a fan-favorite years ago. For example, in 2023, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought back the special edition creamsicle uniform.

Before we take a look at the NFL teams that will be sporting a new uniform look in 2024, let's address a related topic.

Again, this is easier said than done, but here are a few suggestions for teams that can use an upgrade. First, the New York Giants should make their throwback look permanent. This sports the "Giants" logo on the helmet with the red and white striped jersey sleeve the team wore in the '80s and '90s. Bringing back the red alternate jersey then allows for the special look twice a year. The same argument can be made for the Philadelphia Eagles. When you have that sharp "Kelly Green" set, there is no reason not to wear them at any opportunity. As for a complete overhaul, let's suggest the Indianapolis Colts go back to the drawing board. The white horseshoe helmet works (just change the facemask to blue), but the jersey and pants are stale. Less can be more these days with uni designs, so how about adding a little life here? At least the jersey can be as exciting as the future franchise quarterback, Anthony Richardson.

Those three thoughts may be long shots. However, these are not. Here are the four teams we expect to rock new uniforms looks next season.

Let's call it Aaron Rodgers 2.0. It's definitely not a bad idea to try this experiment all over again. With Rodgers back from a gut-wrenching injury, 2024 could be what fans expected 2023 to be. Perhaps having extreme patience will make the wait worthwhile. The assumption is that the Jets new uniforms, which will be unveiled in April, will resemble the "Legacy" look.

With the offensive rookie of the year in C.J. Stroud being the face of the franchise, this feels like the perfect time for the Texans to change up their look. Aside from the red alternative helmet and jersey, their previous uniform set did fall victim to the Colts' disease of just too boring. Let's just hope they don't get too flashy. The Tennessee Titans twice wore their Houston Oilers throwbacks in 2023. It has been revealed that the Texans are now doing the right thing and incorporating this iconic H-Town Blue color into the new look.

This should fall into the category of adjustments instead of a completely new look. There has been a ton of speculation already. We do believe the orange jersey will sustain. The biggest challenge the team has had with their current look is the slash-style "stripe" on the pants that don't mix and match. So, 2024 will feature a new QB in Denver, sporting the updated look.

This one flies under the radar a bit. The Lions revealed the alternate blue helmets last year. Some wonder if the popular black jersey from the early 2000s will return. It would be unfortunate for the Lions to get too far away from their traditional blue, however a stronger color scheme might be just what the team needs to take that extra step. The black jersey option might also be a good match for Dan Campbell's MCDC Metallica fandom.