Anthony's: Fifteen Years of Consistency

I have eaten numerous times at , located on the Green next to . And, while I have never been blown away by anything, I have never walked away dissatisfied.

Damning praise? I don't think so. While I like anyone loves it when a meal leaves me speechless, I also appreciate consistent quality. Anthony's has delivered that.

Take my recent meal. Noting a new banner on its storefront marking 15 years, I wondered to myself what a place–especially a place with a lot of competition like Morristown–must do to stay in the restaurant game.

Location, of course, plays a role. This is one of the best spots to have a business here. But, if your product stinks, how far will location take you?

On this last trip to Anthony's, I ordered a Chicken Cheesesteak Deluxe (the deluxe adds peppers and mushrooms). While I waited, a slice of plain pizza (if the site "This is Why You're Fat" still existed, I would include a link here). It's in Anthony's pizza that the "damning praise" comes most soundly into play. It's good pizza, especially with a little extra shake of garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Is it top-of-the-world pizza? Probably not. I will say this, however: It's probably one of my favorite slices in Morristown. Still, I have not been to every single place that offers pizza here, but I've been to many. And, as we all know,

Then came my Chicken Cheesesteak Deluxe on a nicely-toasted bun. Here, the moist chicken played well with the crunchy peppers and gooey mozzarella. And the bread, I have no idea where they get it from, but it's a very nice carbo-bomb for the belly.

The mushrooms? Here is a pet peeve of mine: Maybe I am mistaken, but I don't think fresh mushrooms are that expensive. And, unlike some fresh vs. canned foods, the taste and consistency of fresh vs. canned mushrooms are millions of miles away from each other. My favorite pizza in all of calculated time and mapped-out space is . They use fresh mushrooms. And, so, to get even close to sniffing such greatness, a pizza place has to have fresh mushrooms. Anthony's doesn't. Alas. It's not like Anthony's is in a minority. It seems many pizza joints opt for canned. But, it's definitely something I always look for when judging a slice of pizza (or, in this case, a chicken cheesesteak).

Besides my mushroom gripe, Anthony's remains a consistently-good restaurant. I have had pizza there, chicken cheesesteaks, chicken cutlet sandwiches and chicken parms. Everything has been good. Yes, consistency is a good thing.

Now, if Anthony's can get to top-of-the-world greatness over its next 15 years, that will be something to sing about. Fresh mushrooms will be a good start.