It’s been the talk of the town for months: “When will Giddy’s open in HP?”
Giddy’s Pizza and Cafe, a fixture in the East Brunswick community for over a decade, indicated in the fall that they were leaving their location on Route 18 and moving to Highland Park. It took a few months to get their new facility on North Fourth Avenue ready for their move; no small task when you’re simultaneously still operating at full capacity in the “old” location.
They reopened in Highland Park for take-out on March 20 and for dine-in on March 25. The managers reported that the response has been exceptionally gratifying.
Giddy’s benefits from a well-established reputation and a wide repertoire. Their menu includes a range of options in the starters, salads, fish, pizza, pasta, and sandwiches categories at affordable prices that invite families to eat in or order out.
Though my wife Fran and I had eaten at Giddy’s in the past a few times, we just had to see how it had established a new vibe and an updated menu in its new setting. We enlisted our friends Cyndi and Avi Berger of Edison and went to the restaurant to sample their menu on April 9.
Between the four of us, we tried the following dishes: Pink Pasta, French Onion Soup, Truffle Mushroom Risotto, White Pizza, Southwest Salad, and Mushroom Onion Pizza.
We got to sample each other’s dishes and we all agreed — the food was simply amazing. It’s very fresh, very flavorful, and the portions are quite satisfying.
I asked the mashgiach and manager Rabbi Daniel Davis why Giddy’s decided to move to Highland Park. He told me that much of their customer base lives in Highland Park and the shopping center they were located in on Route 18 was going to be razed.
I inquired as to what were the most popular dishes at the restaurant. Davis told me they were the Truffle Mushroom Risotto, Crispy Sweet Potato Salad, Southwest Salad, Raritan Fries, Yeshiva Pizza, and the falafel wraps/pita/pizza.
Davis shared that the restaurant has been very pleasantly surprised with the response of the Highland Park/Edison community to their arrival. The volume of pizza orders and foot traffic has been truly remarkable and they’ve had to hire more counter help to manage all the orders.
Operations manager Joe Kurlantzick added that the restaurant has made a concerted effort to reinvent their menu for their new location. Teriyaki Salmon, which was a top item at the old location, is now accompanied on the menu by the Blackened Salmon. Similarly, the Ryders Fries, a top seller, now sits on the menu alongside the new Raritan Fries with Impossible Burger sauce.
He said that they have no microwaves in the restaurant since they cook everything fresh and bring in fresh vegetables every day. He seconded Davis’ comments on the strong community response, noting that they sold 300 pizza pies on the first day they opened.
Not content to rest solely on my own impressions of the restaurant, I asked two other families who were in the eatery at the same time what they thought of their meals. Rabbi Meir Lipschitz, who was there with his wife Jordy, shared: “We had the Ryder Fries, Mushroom+Onion Slice of Pizza, and Blackened Salmon. We also took the kids there on Sunday (two days prior) and had fries, a falafel plate, and mozzarella sticks which were delicious. And I had been at the recent RCCS event as well, which was a very nice debut for the space and allowed for samplings of some excellent menu items.
“We really enjoyed our meal and are so happy to have another restaurant in town. The staff was very helpful and accommodating, and the salmon was the best we’ve had in years!”
Steve Salit stated: “My wife Kate and I had vegan pizza with pepper onion and mushroom toppings. Our grandson Jordan had a carb fest: Ryder Fries and Truffle Mushroom Risotto. We really enjoyed the pizza, Crispy Crust and everything tasted great. Jordan’s opinion of his meal choices was ‘kadosh’. That’s high praise for sure!”
Giddy’s Kosher Pizzeria/Restaurant/Catering
17 North 4th Ave.
Highland Park
(732) 659-6898
Sunday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Monday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Saturday, one hour after Shabbat
ends-11 p.m.
Certification by Vaad HaRabanim of Raritan Valley.
Follow Giddy’s on Facebook and Instagram
Harry Glazer, the Middlesex County Editor of The Jewish Link, can be reached at [email protected]. In case you’re wondering, he enthusiastically recommends that you try Giddy’s Pizza & Cafe.
