Bucky’s Pizza in Chatham Offers a Slice of Heaven

When he was laid off from his advertising job two weeks before his daughter was born, Domenick Calise knew he had to find a way to support his growing family. During the pandemic, he’d worked on perfecting the art of making pizza using sourdough. So, in 2023, he decided to try making pizza for a living. Calise, 34, bought a mobile pizza truck and started selling his pizza around New Jersey.

The result? “It was terrible. I’d sell $250 worth of pizza the entire day and come home defeated. I told my wife that maybe I should go back to work.”

Good thing he kept at it, because a few months later, he ended up on radio station Z100 talking about his pizza. That was all it took. Bucky’s social media blew up, and the pizza started selling out. Calise began looking for a storefront, and by October 2024, Bucky’s Pizza was open. “It’s been absolutely insane ever since,” he says.

Photo: Courtesy of Bucky’s Pizza/Joshua Lou

On a recent weekend, the place was packed. We ordered its version of Detroit-style cheese pizza, which was delicious. Calise also makes regular pies, all using sourdough. The Detroit-style rectangular pie is essentially focaccia made with a caramelized cheese crust, which is crispy, while the dough is airy.

We also ordered his most popular pizza, a hot-honey pepperoni pie made with ricotta, along with a white pizza, which Calise says is his favorite. Both were just the right amount of chewy and cheesy. I can’t wait to go back.

HOW WE REVIEW: Restaurants are chosen for review at the sole discretion of New Jersey Monthly. These unstarred reviews of more casual restaurants are written after a critic visits once, with a guest; the magazine pays for these meals.

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