MADISON, NJ — A small Italian kitchen in Madison got a surprise visit from Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who reviews pizzas in a popular web series called “One Bite,” this weekend.
Keith Fielding, the chef and general manager at Krust Kitchen, told Patch that Sunday was a bit of a slower day for the restaurant.
Fielding said that the small staff was going about business as usual, preparing multiple styles of pizza (including Detroit, Chicago, New York, and “Trenton Tomato”) as well as other dishes and desserts.
“We like to play with our food,” he said of the menu — which includes fried Twinkies, a twist on the McDonald’s McRib, and a diverse range of appetizers.
Fielding took Portnoy’s anonymous cheese pizza order sometime after 1:30 p.m., he estimates.
“I get a call from ‘Allen’ or…I forget what the name was, but it was anything but Barstool Sports. Anything but Dave Portnoy. And it was a plain large pie.”
The small Krust Kitchen building at 7 Cross Street does not have a dining room, but it does have several televisions. Fielding said he happened to have a tranquil YouTube video on of waves crashing on a beach when Portnoy came in, and the chef was up at the front counter monitoring six tablets and four phones for orders.
“It had been a slow morning, and I was kind of oblivious,” he said, adding that Portnoy paid for the pizza and then went outside to film his “One Bite” segment without making any fuss.
Fielding said it dawned on him, as Portnoy stood outside with his cameraman, who that customer really was. Krust is on a quiet block, and there was no crowd of curious students and locals gathered while “El Presidente” sampled the pizza. Madison is home to two universities — Drew and Farleigh Dickinson — with Saint Elizabeth University not far away.
“As they were finishing up, I walked out,” Fielding recalled, adding that he though he “blew it” by not saying anything when Portnoy was in the store. But, the proud rescue dog papa got out of his truck and picked up the camera for a conversation with the chef and GM.
Fielding said that Portnoy came back in for a tour of the restaurant, and chatted with him for 15 to 20 minutes about the business and their multiple styles of pies. Krust prides itself on using fresh ingredients and making everything to order, and experiments with different pizza flavors and toppings including a deep dish macaroni and cheese pie, Brooklyn hot honey, Philly Special, and “The Madison” with arugula and balsamic glaze.
“(Portnoy) said if he’s back in the area, he could try some of the other ones, and I said, ‘I’ll make you whatever you want,” Fielding said.
Portnoy also asked Fielding about the calming video he had on the TV, reportedly saying it was “the chillest pizza place” he’d been to.
The One Bite pizza review website does allow for users to rate individual restaurants, which may have been a reason Portnoy stopped in to Krust; the Italian kitchen stands at an 8.1 out of 10 based on individual reviews.
Portnoy has not posted his official review of Krust yet, and rates pizzas based on their taste, style, presentation, crispiness, and more.
Fielding said the brick building has housed several restaurants that went on to bigger locations, including Mexican Spice in Chatham and Daddy Matty’s BBQ, formerly in Madison.
He himself studied at the French Culinary Institute in New York City, which is now known as the International Culinary Center, and has worked in many restaurants in Madison.
Krust is owned by Mario LaVecchia, who also currently owns Par 440 Restaurant and Lounge in Short Hills. They are open for takeout and delivery Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Krust is closed Monday.