Praise the Lord and pass the Pizza! Holy Whole Milk Mozzarella Batman! Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Pizza Dough!
I’m in love…
I was turned onto this place by someone on Yelp. Evidently, they’ve read some of my reviews and knew I was a pizza snob… They told me if I was looking for good NY pizza, I needed to check Pizzeria Rialto out.
My daughter and I were out shopping for shelving at Lowe’s and Target today and it was getting to be lunch time. She asked if we could get some lunch while we were out and I told her I’d think about it… then I remembered the tip about this joint in the old (original) “Saccone’s Pizza and Subs” location. So I suggested pizza… she agreed but wanted to know from where because she doesn’t like crappy pizza (I’m turning my 9 year old into a pizza snob). I mentioned this place and she asked if it was as good as Saccone’s (young pizza snob in training, right there). I told her we’ll find out…
So… I know what you’re thinking… “Well, IS IT???”… hold ya friggin horses will ya? Sheesh… ya impatient so-n-so…
We show up and I see the little blurb on the lower left window of the place “Proprietor: Phillip Saccone Jr.” and my antennae went up… “Saccone”? Insert Ace Ventura voice here: “oh re-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-eally???” Hmmm… that’s interesting.
We walk in and… It. Smells. Friggin. AWESOME. In. There. Just like the places back home in the OC-NY. A little garlic, a little tomato, and some oregano waft through the air. I never get tired of that mix of aromas.
Talked with Phil, the owner, a little while, while he made the two standard cheese pies. Turns out he took the place over with some different recipes than the Saccone’s branded place. Phil’s a real nice guy. Very personable. I was fishing for info on how he makes the pies, and for the most part, he was happy to share. I didn’t get quite as many secrets from him as I had hoped, but he shared more than most do. 
Oh, and it’s a family operation… his wife and his daughter were both there as well, and we all had a good conversation. They were nice to my 9 year old as she talked with them about the stuff 9 year-olds talk about and they even gave us some water while we waited for the pies. I felt like extended family. Seriously… I did. This place is just like the family run places back home… where you’re welcomed as if you were a guest in someone’s home. They talk to you. They interact with you. You’re valued… that’s something you don’t get in today’s hyper-commercialized commodity-centric “bottom line orientated” cookie cutter places…
Finally the pies were done and we bid the Saccone family good bye. The whole 10 minute drive home, my daughter and I were both drooling over the pizza boxes. The smell… was absolutely KILLER. I mean… KILLER… as in “yer KILLIN’ ME!!!” It felt a lot longer than 10 minutes to get home.
Anyway, we get home and we dive into the pie and my first bite sent me into pizza ecstasy… it. was. great. Not too bready. Not too crispy. Not too thin. Not too thick. Sauce was right on the money. Cheese (which was made from sliced whole milk mozz, not shredded mozz) was perfectly salted and melted into the sauce. I truly enjoyed it.
I called Rialto when I got home and devoured my three slices to let them know what I thought. They remembered me and were very gracious. Class act, folks. Class act.
And now… Pizzeria Rialto is my new go to place for NY Pie. It’s a slice of home… (get it? It’s a SLICE of home!!!)
~~~ Additional info added the next day~~~
By the way, their pizza passes the cold pizza breakfast, and also the lunch reheat at over 400 degrees tests… not many do. The pie maintains its integrity and its flavor. My wife mentioned that it had gotten even better the next day. That doesn’t happen very often, folks.
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