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