New Jersey Chef Wants To Be The 'Jiro Dreams Of Sushi' Of Bread And Butter

Razza Pizza Artiginale bread and butter

"I aspire to be a sushi master of the bread and butter world. The 'Jiro Dreams of Sushi' of bread and butter."

That’s what Dan Richer —the James Beard Rising Star chef semi-finalist and owner of Razza Pizza Artiginale in Jersey City, NJ — recently told Liza de Guia at FoodCurated.com in an interview.

The New Jersey-native makes the comparison between his restaurant's bread and butter dish and the cuisine served by the best-known sushi chef in Japan to emphasize his commitment to using the best ingredients and serving at the right temperature.

Bread and butter costs $4 at Razza, which also serves pizzas and salads. While most restaurants toss bread on the table for free, Richer says his version is worth the extra bucks.

The New Jersey-native set out to master bread and butter, and believes that he has. His bread, served warm with a caramelized crust and delicate inside, perfectly pairs with a rich, lightly salted butter served at room temperature. The chef even claims it's possible to taste the “terroir,” or origin, of the butter. Razza Pizza Artiginale bread and butter “You can taste what the cows are eating in our butter, it’s ridiculous,” Richer says in the Vimeo video. The restaurant gets fresh, organic cream from a family-run farm in Chester County, Pa. that raises grass-fed cows. The cream is then gently fermented, giving it a “cheese-like tang” and a bright yellow color. Razza Pizza Artiginale bread and butter The bread is almost like sourdough, but not with the “acidic, acid, vinegar thing going on,” Richer says. The bread is sized and shaped ideally for baking in a wood-fired oven, and the crust is perfectly caramelized and slightly sour.