As Jersey as…Mustard Pie

Spoiler Alert: This story ends with you trying mustard pie for yourself!

What: Foodigenous Presents…Mustard Pie
When: Wednesday, September 28, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Where: Carmine’s Pizzeria, 75 Main Street, Netcong

Now, even if you can’t make it…read on for a can’t-miss story.

What Is Mustard Pie?

Despite the fact that Trenton-style tomato pie has continuously been sold at Papa’s Tomato Pie and other local pizzerias in Mercer County New Jersey since 1910, the majority of the state probably has no idea of what it is. Quite simply, Trenton tomato pie is a traditional round pizza with a twist: the cheese goes on first, then the sauce, which is often on the slightly sweeter side.

Here comes the fun part: As the story goes, Mustard pie is the accidental offspring of Trenton-style tomato pie.   

Adam Horvath, Jersey Bites, Mustard pie

A Bit of History(ish)

According to the story, decades ago, an intoxicated customer walked into a pizzeria in the Chambersburg section of Trenton and slurred his order. The questionable local lore suggests that the pizza guy misheard mushroom for mustard and obliged. This sounds a little suspect to me but the result was a sobering spicy mustard pizza that was unexpectedly delicious.

In fact, Shuster’s kept it on the menu until they closed in the early 80s. Shortly thereafter, a former Shuster’s employee started working at Papa’s and brought the recipe with him. To this day, Papa’s proudly claims its role as the “Home of Mustard Pie,” complete with a loyal following.


Adam Horvath, Jersey Bites, Mustard pie Current Situation

Nowadays, mustard pie can be found at a sprinkling of neighborhood bars like JoJo’s Tavern and Pete’s Steakhouse Tavern, both in Hamilton. The two locations of the DeLorenzo’s in Mercer County make it as well. (You have to ask for it — it’s not on the menu.)

Each place has its own subtle take on the recipe, or brand of spicy mustard they use. No matter what though, it all starts with a liberal squirt of the yellow condiment, a sprinkle of cheese and healthy swirl of tomato sauce. This pairing might sound odd to the uninitiated, but believe me when I tell you: it works. Throw on some sausage and onions and you’ve got yourself a barbecue-esque flavor explosion.

Adam Horvath, Jersey Bites, Mustard pie

Man on a Mission

I love food and I have a particular fondness for really local cuisine — so much so that I started my own little passion food blog, Foodigenous, over the pandemic. (The name is the clever merging of indigenous and food. (At the least, I think it’s clever.)

Through Foodigenous, my goal is to spotlight foods that are little known outside a particular area but adored by the folks who grew up with it. Not too much different from Andrew Zimmern, really, but I’m looking for the super local stuff that just hasn’t attracted a lot of attention yet. For instance, there was once a time when the only place to dip your spicy chicken wing into a vat of blue cheese was in Buffalo, New York. I think mustard pie is one of these foods.

Mustard Pie Makes Its Move

Just recently, a few trendsetting Jersey pizzerias started to add this accidental offspring of Trenton-style tomato pie to their menus, extending its popularity outside of Mercer County. Nola’s, in Union County; The Pizza Terminal, in Verona; and Lillo’s Tomato Pies, in Hainesport, have all introduced their respective communities to the virtues of this Frankenpizza.

Seeing that this delicacy has yet to catch on in my childhood communities of Netcong and Stanhope in northwestern NJ (and to shamelessly plug my blog), I will be holding a Mustard Pie tasting event at Carmine’s Pizzeria, in Netcong, on Wednesday September 28.

Trust me, this event was no easy task to set up. Arm pulling and pleading happened. I was told “no self-respecting pizza maker would ever mix mustard with tomato sauce!”

Nevertheless, I persisted. And after I brought my own bottle of French’s and made the pie for them, the doubters were onboard. The general consensus was, “Wow, surprisingly good!”

If you haven’t made it to Mercer County, but trying this crazy indigenous food interests you, mark your calendar and stop on by and say hi. I will be the fella handing out coupons for free slices! Mustard pie is as Jersey as the Jersey Shore, just not enough of us realize it. Help me spread the word and prove its awesomeness to the world!