Five years ago, Joseph Brignoni bought a Roselle Park pizzeria off Craigslist.
He was 21 years old.
He named his restaurant Joe's Rotisseria and started making rotisserie chicken and "crazy pizzas." Today, it is the latter he is known for: Brignoni's signature pie is an all-in-one pizza, calzone and garlic knot creation he calls the Triple Threat.
He also makes a pizza with Chicken Parmesan sliders baked into the crust, and another ringed with garlic knots. He tops cheesy crusts with Penne Alfredo and Penne Vodka, separated by a roll of pepperoni pizza pinwheels; makes stuffed pies filled with buffalo chicken; and sandwiches slices of Sicilian pizza around Chicken Parmesan.
Brignoni's pizzas are over the top, sure, but his creativity has paid off. He placed 17th in this year's International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas – in the nontraditional category, of course – and will open a second location this fall, at Main Street and Summerfield Avenue in Asbury Park.
"I just really wanted to be a part of the change that's going on down there," Brignoni said. "There's nothing down the Shore like my pizza place, and Asbury Park is basically becoming the restaurant capital of the Jersey Shore."