Rizzo's Bakery in Jersey City NJ

 I am not so sure why I have been lucky enough to become friends with Devon and Sarah. We met once, well Sarah and I, when she was the Director of the art gallery at Santa Barbara City College in California. From there, years later, I was on a book tour and she scheduled me to meet one of the art classes at her new job, PACE University in NY. 

Two weeks ago, we opened a group exhibition about the effects of nuclear arms on communities at PACE which went very well. I stayed with her and her partner Devon for five nights.

I got to check a number of things off my personal list: Carmine Street Guitars, Walter De Maria's Earth, Essa Bagels, the new Studio Museum in Harlem and we even got to go to UCONN to see them play the University of AZ which of course means I got to see my son after the game.

We ate a lot of great meals both at their home and also at their favorite spots in NY and NJ. I think Rizzo's Bakery was my favorite. Not just because the pizza was iconic but the vibe in that place is fantastic. The matriarch of this shop is Grandma Rizzo. When I walked in and started to take these shots, she said, "HEY! Who's taking pictures" and when I looked at her with a question mark on my face, she smiled and laughed. It's a kind of way to say "welcome" that i probably am not expressing well enough with my narrative here, but it instantly melted my heart and i fell in love with this place. This is before we even ordered our meal. They are located at 208 Central Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07307.