Where We’re Eating: District 611
The latest town to be graced by a custom-made wood-fired pizza oven, fed by oak and birch, is Riverton, NJ, where three owners (two of whom are Stephen Starr vets) have opened District 611, a Neapolitan-style pizzeria and New American BYOB. The pizzas emerge from the 900-degree oven after just a minute of baking, loaded liberally with pepperoni and mozzarella (made fresh at the restaurant). Dollops of ricotta add to the visual appeal, and a peek at the bottom of the pie reveals promising spotting. The dough has that crisp-but-chewy texture you look for in good Neapolitan. The pie, however, sags a bit in the middle—the sole demerit given to an otherwise solid effort. Besides pizzas, the restaurant has a whole second kitchen that offers plates like steak and crabcakes. The banh mi spring rolls are a winner, filled with shredded Berkshire pork and pickled veggies and served with a cilantro sauce. It’s a dish that seems lifted right from the Starr cookbook, sure, but it works. If only ours hadn’t arrived at the exact same moment as the pizzas. For a BYOB, the drink menu is creative, with eight varieties of New Hope fountain sodas available, as well as La Colombe’s Pure Black and Philadelphia classic Black Cherry Wishniak.
District 611
710 Broad Street, Riverton, NJ
856-829-1552