Pazza, a new Italian restaurant focusing on more than just Italian-American style eats (billed as “Italian comfort food”), has opened in Franklin Lakes.

Owners Anthony and Sonny Esposito have split the place into dining room with waiter service, imported wood-burning oven and chef Arturo Barrales (Cafe Amici, Cafe Panache) overseeing the kitchen plus a standard NY-style grab and go slice shop in the back.

Clearly a highlight of the menu (View Dinner Menu) is their Neo-Neopolitan pizza, which is crispier than traditional. The flour mix is a secret, but they are using a natural sourdough starter for the dough with a 48-72 hour fermentation period. Tomatoes are San Mariano and mozzarella is made in-house. Pies are cooked in the oven at about 850 degrees for 2 minutes.

Chef Arturo gets in on the fun too – cooking other dishes like their octopus and cauliflower appetizers in the oven as well. He’s working with local farms like Abma and Secor (menu is local and organic whenever possible) to highlight the Italian dishes like pasta and other entrees (meats, fish), plus the burger meat is ground in house (short rib and chuck blend) paired with homemade shoestring fries.

Pazza is currently open seven days a week till 10:00pm.

Pazza
794 Franklin Avenue
Franklin Lakes, NJ
Website