So, we ventured into the wilds of Caldwell to check out a new place that is both confusing, but also not. We told the Jr.s that we were going to a joint that served Indian and pizza. The obvious question came back: Indian pizza? My answer: yes. Followed by: Well, which one is it, Indian or pizza? My second answer: well, they have Indian. And pizza. And Indian pizza. Which isn’t a thing you typically see, but works out well for a family where only three out of four people care for Indian, and the fourth is totally fine with pizza. This place is one of one in that regard. As far as I know.
Not having a great understanding of the history of both the Caldwell culinary scene, nor the history of this particular location, I was initially confounded by this seeming incongruous mash-up of cuisines. But, a little Internet sleuthing tells me this space housed a terribly named restaurant called Pizza & Sandwich Barn for some 47 years. A barn is not generally a place where I like to consume food. Nor is it a place where I like to shop for dresses. That said, I assume the space came with, or offered, the incredibly expensive and massively heavy pizza ovens, and presumably the Rozana folks threw caution to the wind and integrated pies into their Indian menu. This is all made up by me, of course, but it seems highly unlikely that there was someone out there with a business plan that just so happened to marry these two foodstuffs into the same restaurant offering.
As mentioned, we seemingly got here pretty early on in their opening process. Early enough that their online reservation system hadn’t yet been set up. So, we called it in, old school style. And, like several things during the evening, it was clear they were still working out the kinks in their service, as they seemed just a wee bit surprised when we actually showed up for our reservation. Understandable for any new business, so I’m not going to press them on it. The dining room itself is pretty tiny. You walk in the front door and you’re just standing in the middle of it. Any waiting for a table or otherwise not sitting at one of the eight or so tables has to be done outside along Bloomfield Ave. That said, it certainly feels like a freshly refurbished space — and definitely is after seeing photos of the old “barn,” which looked like your typical grubby pizza-behind-glass slice shop. I can’t say it has a ton of personality yet, but the dark paint, worn barn wood walls (maybe a nod to its old form) and dark corrugated ceiling with string lights is certainly an attempt at a cozy vibe. The only immediate issue is that, as a pizza restaurant, the tables are entirely too small. Once you place a pie or two on the table, there is about zero room for anything else. Something that can be solved with one of those little metal risers, but not something they had in stock yet. So, our meal became quite a game of Tetris trying to move slices around, plate things and generally create enough space for everything. A nit-pick, but something to grow on as the business develops.
With all this, the servers were very nice. The owner (or who we have to assume is the owner) came out to check on everyone and the evening itself was very pleasant. Curious potential customers walked in off the street, but had to be turned away because there were no available tables. Though they did drag a couple outdoor tables over from the neighboring restaurant, that looked to be closed, to place along the avenue outside. Not exactly optimal eating conditions, but nobody wants to lose a customer, I guess. But, we had our table, so we were set. We started our meal with a pizza, as one does. A butter chicken pizza, to fulfill that whole Indian pizza promise. And it was actually a decent pie and pretty tasty to boot. I thought it would be a little more Indian forward, but the flavors were relatively subtle when served piping hot. Weirdly, the flavor came out even more the next day when reheated. Bonus.
Hipster Jr. Jr. got her own “classic melt” pie, which is pretty much your standard cheese pizza. She ate it as thought she’d never eat again. Like our pie — which I believe they advertise as a sourdough dough — the crust was chewy in an appropriate and enjoyable way. All in all, a very passable pie for what I imagine is a player new to the pizza game. We went super traditional with the Indian food: a couple chicken tikka masalas and a chicken makhani with some naan. We did order it “medium” heat, but I feel like we got the white-people medium. Which is to say, there was absolutely no heat at all. Which is a little disappointing. Especially since I’d walked down the block to pick up some beers to put out a little fire. I’ve certainly had better Indian food. I’ve definitely had worse. It’s a pretty small menu, but all the standards are there. The raita — which is always a wonderful accompaniment and a good spice cooler — isn’t even on the menu. We had to ask for it, and it came in a little cup like we were getting fancy ketchup with our fries. I’m sure the menu will come together and change and adapt as the restaurant finds it legs. At $24 per entree, it’s a little steep, but certainly not unheard of. I imagine and hope that word will get out about this joint and it’ll be a popular spot going forward. I mean, Indian and pizza and Indian pizza can’t be beat.
323 Bloomfield Ave. – Caldwell
973/475-5575
rozananj.com
