maruca's seaside heights NJ

Re:Maruca's seaside heights NJ - SURVIVES WITH LITTLE OR NO DAMAGE (BTLover)

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 08:37:51 GMT

other than the signature "swirl" of sauce on the pizza, it didn't come close.
-------
That's for sure - we went to the franchise in Homosassa Springs, FL - what a disappointment! Just was at the Seaside Heights location in September - looking forward to being back, hopefully next summer.

Re:Maruca's seaside heights NJ - SURVIVES WITH LITTLE OR NO DAMAGE (ken8038)

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 08:29:31 GMT

We were wondering about Maruca's just last night. Glad to hear it survived (although of course it's nothing compared to the 1000's of people who lost their homes).

If they're open, I'll be there next summer!

PS, all the franchises have closed. I had been to the one in Easton PA, and other than the signature "swirl" of sauce on the pizza, it didn't come close.

Maruca's seaside heights NJ - SURVIVES WITH LITTLE OR NO DAMAGE (scullerton)

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 02:56:46 GMT

My sources tell me Marucas has gained the favor of the gods.. they survived the terrible storm. natural gas service is out for 6-8 months, per the gas company, but they are still the destination i crave from 1000 miles away...

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (MrTudo)

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 21:00:54 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by nicolem

quote:
Originally posted by MrTudo

Just so happens we will be passing thru Venice in a couple hours. I have to take my Wife to see an allergist there.

Fratelli's eh? Yahoo! Lunch!

Thanks!

I hope that you enjoy-let us know how it goes.

Thanks. We wound up going the wrong way. The docs office is at 400 S Tamiami Trail. We wound up going north on 41 Bypass. So we had to backtrack and were a little late so we didn't get a chance to try the Pizza.

HOWEVER, tomorrow I have to bring our new Jeep Liberty in for it's first oil change and check up now that it has broken the 3200 mile mark. That's at Douglas Jeep and I'm leaving it there and taking a loaner. No Wife with me. Just me, the loaner and hopefully a few slices haha.

Dang!

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (nicolem)

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 11:17:15 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by MrTudo

Just so happens we will be passing thru Venice in a couple hours. I have to take my Wife to see an allergist there.

Fratelli's eh? Yahoo! Lunch!

Thanks!

I hope that you enjoy-let us know how it goes.

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (MrTudo)

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 10:28:45 GMT

Just so happens we will be passing thru Venice in a couple hours. I have to take my Wife to see an allergist there.

Fratelli's eh? Yahoo! Lunch!

Thanks!

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (nicolem)

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 12:36:30 GMT

For those of you Floridians who are near Venice or passing through, I would try Fratelli's Pizza and Brew on Rt 41 South Bypass in Venice. It is by far the closest thing to NJ pizza that we have found in Florida. We go there quite a few times when we are visiting my dad.

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (MrTudo)

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 09:41:38 GMT

Ouch, that sucks. Sorry to hear that. I know that if you were closer to us and if the pie was thin NJ style I would have been a regular.

A lot of mid westerners in our area on the west coast. I think they would prefer a slice of bread with ketchup and american cheese with a sprinkle of oregano for pizza.

Publix sells fresh pizza dough ( They now sell fresh mozzarella too) and so my Wife and I bought a pizza stone and make our own now. No, it's not NJ but it sure beats the hell out of EVER other pizza they have in the Port Charlotte Fla area.

There's one place here called Pic N Run. A guy named Jason will do his best to make you a thin pizza and it's OK. They used to have a guy named Gary who really did make ( on request ) an ultra thin NJ style pizza by using a small dough to make a large pie. Don't know why they let him go. He made the best pizza in SW Fla.

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (scullerton)

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 02:38:35 GMT

Unfortunately, Marucas of Florida was a bust! We couldn't make enough money to keep it going, lost the whole store in May at a huge loss, including my home and life savings...

We think the housing downturn was to blaim, the economy in the Homosassa area depends on the building industry, no building means no jobs, and no eating out... other stores are dropping like flies here, I bet the unemployment rate here is in the double digits...

The food was great with huge portions, priced lower than our competitors, and those who discovered us were delighted and told us so.... but the numbers were not there..

A real shame, and a disaster for me and my family...

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (scullerton)

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 02:31:37 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by MrTudo

quote:
Originally posted by scullerton

quote:
Originally posted by ken8038

I've probably been to about 25 or 30 of the places reputed to have the "Best Pizza" in NJ, including all the usual suspects (Pete & Eldas, Vics, Spriritos, Federici's, Patsy's in Paterson, and on and on). For years I resisted suggestions to try Maruca's (it's on the boardwalk in SEASIDE HEIGHTS for god's sake, how good could it be??).

Well, about 5 years ago, I went, at the urging of my sister in law who lives in Texas but wanted to go there on the recommendation of friends. Well, Maruca's has been at the top of my list ever since. In fact, when my sister in law comes in for her annual visit, the first place she wants to go is Maruca's, so I've been there once each year for the past 5 years. Amazing Pizza!

I see from the website posted above that they have started to franchise. Uh oh. Has anyone tried any of the franchise locations?

I am the first Florida Franchisee for Marucas, we are located in Homosassa, Florida, near the Homosassa Wildlife Park where the manatees are seen. It is about an hour above Tampa, and a little over an hour's drive from Orlando on the West Coast.

Over my training, I ate at the Cherry Hill, NJ and Gibbsboro, NJ sites which opened a month or so ago. Their system works flawlessly, the pie was exactly like the boardwalk.

I originally lived in Mountainside, NJ, and moved down South last summer. We missed our "pie", so we decided to be the provider down here to both make a living and get our "fix" of pie on a regular basis.

Domenic Maruca is down here this week helping us with the setup. We expect to open just after Labor Day..

If you get down here, check us out, and say hello to the Manatees next door as well... Steve Cullerton

We're a couple hours south of you in Port Charlotte. Are you really making the paper thin, gotta fold the slice, oil running down the arm NJ Pizza up there Steve?

If so, we may have to look at relocating lol! It's bad here in Port Charlotte.

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (rmancino)

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 21:52:15 GMT

We have a franchise that has been opened almost a year now-Maruca's pizza in Easton, PA at the Palmer Town Center. We serve the original signature pie that everyone in New Jersey loves from their experiences at Seaside Heights. Come visit.

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (scullerton)

Sun, 07 Jan 2007 19:17:12 GMT

A quick report on things at Marucas in Florida. We have been open since Oct. 18th, 2006. We are attracting many long-distance clients from Tampa, Orlando, Ocala, and the Panhandle area of Florida. Some RVers from New Mexico who have had Marucas in Jersey came in last night, and we thrilled with the product.

We are building local support and delighting old fans as well. The dough is NAILED, right on compared to the NJ store(and this is Domenic Maruca's feedback).

The common comment is the excellence of the dough and crust, and unique cheese blend. We are truly pleased with the results down here, and hope to see you all sometime when you are in the area.
Email me at pizzamaker1@aol.com or scullerton@tampabay.rr.com for an online menu in .pdf format if you desire.

Thanks for the interest over the last year... Steve Cullerton, owner of Marucas in Homosassa, Florida.

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (WarrenJersey)

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:15:04 GMT

I just tried Marucca's in October, on the recommendation of an Internet acquaintence. It was good, but not the best on the Seaside Heights boardwalk. 3 Brothers is better. Why? Though Marucca's has a better crust, it is very skimpy on the cheese and the cheese doesn't even taste like "mutzarell" more like Muenster or cheddar. It you could put 3 Brothers toppings on a Marucca's crust, you'd very likely have the best pizza on Earth.

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (scullerton)

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 17:59:39 GMT

Marucas Florida is officially opened today.....

Steve Cullerton

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (Joisey)

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 14:49:04 GMT

BT--It used to be called Jules South & it is now called Jules Italian restaurant. it is on Hooper Ave, on the side of a building, next to/near the Ice cream carousel. Unfortunately, they no longer have pizza at the new location, but their dinners are excellent & sauce that is tops (goot get the homemade lasagna)

it is special to me because I grew up on their food in Jersey City. Jules was a family owned restaurant (well actually 2 of them, in opposite ends of the city.). Next time you are in NJ, give em a try. they are/were a Jersey City institution & many former JCers (who now live in the area)are found there.

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (BTLover)

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 10:50:12 GMT

<< gotta get to Jules in Silverton>>

When I go to NJ, I stay in Island Heights where my friend lives so I was trying to look up the address for Jules. I found Jules Italian Restaurant on Hooper Avenue, Toms River and Jules South which I am assuming is the one (on Kettle Creek Road) but that was it and I did a search for 15 miles around Toms River which - would you believe, resulted in 195 listings for pizza.

NJ must have the most pizza parlors per capita in the U.S. - LOL.

Of course, Seaside Heights is just over the bridge from Island Heights but I do like diversity. What makes Jules so special - and are you talking about Jules South?

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (Joisey)

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 10:02:07 GMT

Gotcha BT! That's pre my time in freehold!

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (BTLover)

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 09:46:37 GMT

<<I have lived in Freehold for the past 17 years and have not noted any drop off in Fed's pizza (on Main st).>>

Oh, but I am talking many, many more years ago than that <G> - I have a picture of four of us in Federici's parking lot one of the last days of summer, 1966 before we all took off for college and jobs. So that was several generations of the Federici family ago. If memory serves me right (it dims with age <G>), all they served back then were pies.

I will say the anchovies I had on my pie were of excellent quality (there were four of us with diverse tastes so we had individual pies - although the other three were unanimous in their dislike of anchovies - LOL), and the salad I had with Federici's own dressing was delicious. It wasn't necessarily a bad pie - just not what I remembered.

And I have to admit, compared to Maruca's (no, Steve, I'm not looking for a free pie), not nearly as flavorful. I think the cheese used on the Maruca pie is exceptional - I assume it is a blend of cheeses.

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (Joisey)

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 09:34:05 GMT

Which feds did you go to? I have lived in Freehold for the past 17 years and have not noted any drop off in Fed's pizza (on Main st). I do know Frankie Fed broke away to make his own place to do more gourmet food, but I have also had his pie & it was the same.

Sorry you didn't enjoy it as much as you used to.

I was in my hometown last sat & was going to stop in at our old neighborhood pizzeria (Pizza Masters in Jersey City). The name had changed slightly--I thought better of partaking--wanted to leave the memory live.

BTW--I gotta get to Jules in Silverton !LOL!

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (BTLover)

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 06:42:32 GMT

<<I am eating some as I type>>

No fair! I won't manage to get to Homosassa Springs until December. :(

Was back in Jersey last week for my high school reunion (won't say which one) but went to Federici's for old times sake (spent my first two year of high school in Freehold; we were on split session until a new school was built in Howell) - I just didn't think it was the same as I remembered it from long ago. As Tom Wolfe said, you just can't go home again <sigh>.

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (scullerton)

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 02:00:17 GMT

We are in final prep for an opening this week. We made our first test pies on Saturday, they came out superb, dough is great and is as we remember it. The cheese actually seems to melt better down here, just the right amount of oil content out of the oven. I am eating some as I type this. Our staff and test food subjects are raving on the pie, and also the other items on the menu. The registers are in by tomorrow, and we may do the soft opening on Wednesday if that works out OK.

Florida water is NOT an issue with the dough.

Steve Cullerton

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (scullerton)

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 01:55:57 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by MrTudo

quote:
Originally posted by scullerton

quote:
Originally posted by ken8038

I've probably been to about 25 or 30 of the places reputed to have the "Best Pizza" in NJ, including all the usual suspects (Pete & Eldas, Vics, Spriritos, Federici's, Patsy's in Paterson, and on and on). For years I resisted suggestions to try Maruca's (it's on the boardwalk in SEASIDE HEIGHTS for god's sake, how good could it be??).

Well, about 5 years ago, I went, at the urging of my sister in law who lives in Texas but wanted to go there on the recommendation of friends. Well, Maruca's has been at the top of my list ever since. In fact, when my sister in law comes in for her annual visit, the first place she wants to go is Maruca's, so I've been there once each year for the past 5 years. Amazing Pizza!

I see from the website posted above that they have started to franchise. Uh oh. Has anyone tried any of the franchise locations?

I am the first Florida Franchisee for Marucas, we are located in Homosassa, Florida, near the Homosassa Wildlife Park where the manatees are seen. It is about an hour above Tampa, and a little over an hour's drive from Orlando on the West Coast.

Over my training, I ate at the Cherry Hill, NJ and Gibbsboro, NJ sites which opened a month or so ago. Their system works flawlessly, the pie was exactly like the boardwalk.

I originally lived in Mountainside, NJ, and moved down South last summer. We missed our "pie", so we decided to be the provider down here to both make a living and get our "fix" of pie on a regular basis.

Domenic Maruca is down here this week helping us with the setup. We expect to open just after Labor Day..

If you get down here, check us out, and say hello to the Manatees next door as well... Steve Cullerton

We're a couple hours south of you in Port Charlotte. Are you really making the paper thin, gotta fold the slice, oil running down the arm NJ Pizza up there Steve?

If so, we may have to look at relocating lol! It's bad here in Port Charlotte.

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (MrTudo)

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 01:33:48 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by scullerton

quote:
Originally posted by ken8038

I've probably been to about 25 or 30 of the places reputed to have the "Best Pizza" in NJ, including all the usual suspects (Pete & Eldas, Vics, Spriritos, Federici's, Patsy's in Paterson, and on and on). For years I resisted suggestions to try Maruca's (it's on the boardwalk in SEASIDE HEIGHTS for god's sake, how good could it be??).

Well, about 5 years ago, I went, at the urging of my sister in law who lives in Texas but wanted to go there on the recommendation of friends. Well, Maruca's has been at the top of my list ever since. In fact, when my sister in law comes in for her annual visit, the first place she wants to go is Maruca's, so I've been there once each year for the past 5 years. Amazing Pizza!

I see from the website posted above that they have started to franchise. Uh oh. Has anyone tried any of the franchise locations?

I am the first Florida Franchisee for Marucas, we are located in Homosassa, Florida, near the Homosassa Wildlife Park where the manatees are seen. It is about an hour above Tampa, and a little over an hour's drive from Orlando on the West Coast.

Over my training, I ate at the Cherry Hill, NJ and Gibbsboro, NJ sites which opened a month or so ago. Their system works flawlessly, the pie was exactly like the boardwalk.

I originally lived in Mountainside, NJ, and moved down South last summer. We missed our "pie", so we decided to be the provider down here to both make a living and get our "fix" of pie on a regular basis.

Domenic Maruca is down here this week helping us with the setup. We expect to open just after Labor Day..

If you get down here, check us out, and say hello to the Manatees next door as well... Steve Cullerton

We're a couple hours south of you in Port Charlotte. Are you really making the paper thin, gotta fold the slice, oil running down the arm NJ Pizza up there Steve?

If so, we may have to look at relocating lol! It's bad here in Port Charlotte.

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (scullerton)

Sat, 07 Oct 2006 16:57:45 GMT

Marucas Florida passed it's final inspections on 10/6/06. We are planning some time to get food in and for staff training, our plan is to open around Oct. 20th.

Thanks for the interest, we hope to see you whenever you are in the area...

Steve Cullerton, owner..

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (howard8)

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 14:35:27 GMT

Thanks for the directions Steve.
I will be the Dunellen, mid or late October and
do plan on eating some of your outstanding pizza.

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (scullerton)

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 12:39:26 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by howard8

Had my Maruca's fix this summer on the boardwalk at Seaside Heights, NJ.
Once again simply outstanding pizza.
Scullerton or signman or anyone out there, I will be spending time in a
place called Dunellen, Florida which is the northern part of the state.
Am I in striking distance of your restaurant?

You are in good striking distance to the Homosassa store from Dunellen. We are south on Rt. 19 from you. I assume you will go south on Rt. 41 from Dunellen, this runs parallel to Rt. 19 inland.

If you go to the coast on Rt. 40 to Rt. 19, we are about 20-some miles south. The store is in the Publix shopping center just north of the Homosassa Springs Wildlife park on Rt. 19, at the intersection of Rt. 490 and Rt. 19.

If you come down Rt. 41 South instead from Dunellen, turn right at the Rt. 491 intersection(Lecanto Highway). Take this to the Rt. 44 intersection(Gulf to Lake Parkway). Turn right here, and then take a left at the next light onto Rt. 490. This will take you right to where the store is when it hits Rt. 19.

We are just awaiting our CO from the town and the business license from Tallahasee. We are estimating opening around September 25 to 30th. Domanic Maruca will be down helping us the first two weeks.

Thanks for the interest... Steve Cullerton

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (howard8)

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 11:34:46 GMT

Had my Maruca's fix this summer on the boardwalk at Seaside Heights, NJ.
Once again simply outstanding pizza.
Scullerton or signman or anyone out there, I will be spending time in a
place called Dunellen, Florida which is the northern part of the state.
Am I in striking distance of your restaurant?

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (signman)

Wed, 13 Sep 2006 03:38:37 GMT

I visited the Cherry Hill store a week ago. The place was spotless and the menu looked good. Lots of things besides pizza. But pizza is what I went for, and it was a winner. Must be that rotary oven.

Good luck, Steve.

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (scullerton)

Fri, 08 Sep 2006 17:13:23 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by RAllen

Originally posted by scullerton

Steve,
Congratulations on your new enterprise. I'm originally from Trenton, NJ, one of the homes of Maruca's Pizza. As a child, we frequented the restaurant on N. Olden Avenue in Trenton, which I believe was the original one. We also loved to go to Seaside (Trenton by the Sea) and enjoyed the Pizza as well as sausage sandwiches on the boardwalk.

Your post of the 12th said that Domenic Maruca was coming down to help you set up. Is this Spike Maruca? If it is, tell him that Bob Allen said hello. If he doesn't remember me, I'm a retired accountant who did the books for his restaurant in GasLight Village, Morrisville, Pa.

We'll certainly be there on your opening....can't wait!

Bob Allen

Here is this week's update on Maruca's Florida. We're just awaiting the finals for fire safety, and the food license from Tallahasee. If things work out, we should be up around September 25th, as an estimate. This includes some prior setup time for the ovens, and training for the staff and food prep practice for the crew. We are evaluating staff this weekend, and should make some firm decisions on the final staffing next week.

Our printed menus are in and going out like hotcakes. I do have an electronic version I can provide on a case by case basis if you email me at scullerton@tampabay.rr.com.

I have also setup an AOL email for the store at pizzamaker1@aol.com, for those who would like to get me at the store when I am there, for more information.

We are looking forward to the opening, I need my pie fix also...

Steve Cullerton, owner..

RE: maruca's seaside heights NJ (scullerton)

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 00:15:16 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by BTLover

My mouth is watering. I was curious to know if the Homosassa Maruca's were open yet and stumbled across this forum. I almost wept over the list of NJ foods - the pizza, pork roll, subs and more (I can see the pounds adding up already). Been away from NJ a looooong time and the only thing I miss is the food.

We have a high school reunion in October - I'll try my best to get my fix then, including a trip to Federici's - haven't been there since the summer before we all went off to college (more years than I'd like to admit). I've been to Maruca's more frequently but won't have to travel quite so far now - only about 140 miles round trip.

I'm glad to see my quest for good pizza is soon to be fulfilled.

The 56 inch Rotoflex oven is in, the cook line is installed, and the refrigeration is being tested as we speak. Once we get the local authorities and the food inspectors out of our hair, we will be able to finish our training with the new staff, bring in the food, and get cooking.

Our ESTIMATE is the third or last week of September. We are three months behind our original plans to get open, due to local town problems. The new menus are in,and signage is in the windows and on the pole.

I will post the happy date when I am SURE it is firm. Domenic Maruca will be training us himself for a few weeks once the food is in. A MAJOR effort is being made to assure high water quality to alliviate the "water problem" myth.(A good Mythbusters project)

Identical ingredients to the NJ Marucas store will be used in the products. I also used to travel 140 miles RT to get this pie, and I am thrilled to be the provider for Florida.

Steve Cullerton