Coniglio's

Coniglio's Pizza

11 South Street, Morristown, NJ

A pizzeria... and a coffeeshop! An odd combination, and yet Coniglio’s manages to pull it off with style. Tucked between bars and nightclubs on Morristown’s South Street, the café(/pizzeria) boasts a variety of breakfast options including pastries, sweets, bagels, sandwiches, and Sicilian coffee, all with the backdrop of pizza ovens and their irresistible aroma. I remarked to a friend, if pizza had been an option at 9am, I might have considered ordering it. Maybe. It smelled delicious.  

Instead, I chose the raspberry bombolini (the Italian version of a jelly-filled donut) and scrambled-egg-and-cheese on a bagel. The bagel was fantastic. The dough was crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and reminded me of perfectly baked pizza crust. Kiersten also had eggs on an everything bagel and the nutella bombolini. She described the donut as superb, with a filling that wasn’t cloying, and the bagel satisfied an early-morning savory craving. We ordered at the counter, and the sandwiches were brought to our table, though that’s the extent of the table service. A steady stream of other patrons either ordered takeout or lingered in the dining area, but we never felt crowded or rushed.  

The seating is typical of a pizzeria, with small tables catered to more intimate groups of two to four. Some booths lined the wall, though the space overall felt cozy and compact. Outlets were scarce (i.e. unavailable), and the tables probably wouldn’t accommodate laptops and plates at the same time. Accessibility via public transportation would be a five- to ten-minute walk from NJ Transit’s Morristown Station.  

At first glance, the images of rabbits in paintings and picture frames made me scratch my head—then I remembered the Italian word for rabbit. Coniglio! I believe the connection is with the founder’s name, and not with any menu items (Nino Coniglio, a Brooklyn-born pizza-maker and restaurateur who, in 2005, won the highest title at the World Pizza Championships in Salsomaggiore Terme, Italy—and went on to win the title a total of ten times. For fans of Food Network’s Chopped, Nino was also featured on the show, winning the title of Chopped Champion).   

Coniglio's earns a 4.5/5 from NJ Writer’s Café. The novelty alone is enough to attract fans of classic pizza and breakfast, and the food lived up to World Champion expectations. I’m looking forward to a second trip to try some of the Italian specialties! As a writing space, there were perhaps a few points that could be improved (namely, outlets and table space) but the exquisite culinary options offered adequate recompense. If you’re planning on visiting solo to flesh out a first draft or jot down some story notes with a paper and pen, this café(/pizzeria) will not disappoint.  

Till next time, keep writing, eating, reading, and dreaming! 

AJ