Insurance Agent’s Side Hustle Pizza Shop Gets Rave Reviews From Barstool’s Portnoy

At Vinnie's Mootz in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, Barstool's Dave Portnoy awarded a striking score to their square pizza. The rating stands among his highest marks for square-style pies.

Vincent Morelli splits his time between selling insurance and crafting pizzas. His path to pizza started with a win at the 2015 Hoboken MutzFest, where his homemade mozzarella took first place. After studying pizza-making in Caserta, Italy, he opened his shop in 2022.

"I like to feed people. I think that's important," said Morelli to Daily Voice.

Square pies drive most sales at the shop. Portnoy said, "The customer's always right. I don't know that I can put one of these in the 8s, but this would be my go-to."

The shop's rise continued at Pizza Bowl IV in fall 2023. Vinnie's beat established rivals to win top honors from Jersey Pizza Joints, a Facebook group with 100,000+ members judging the contest.

During his visit, Portnoy sampled both styles. The crisp bottom crust caught his attention. He noted the round pie's fresh tomato sauce base reminded him of pizzas found at the shore.

Before the review, Morelli shared with NorthJersey.com, "You know what? I would treat him like a normal customer. If he comes, he comes. If he doesn't, he doesn't. It's his opinion, it's his pizza."

The scores landed high: 7.8 for the round pie and 7.9 for the square.

This stop adds to Portnoy's list of 120+ New Jersey pizza reviews. His March 2025 visits included Belgiovine's and La Pizza in Roseland.