LaScala’s Italian Restaurant Pizza Review

LaScala’s Italian American Homestyle Restaurant is located at 615 Chestnut, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Established in 2005, LaScala’s is actually the seventh location of Apollo Pizza. This is their only full scale restaurant and is their biggest representation of their company here in Philadelphia. Apollo pizza originated in 1969 with the birth of their family’s pizza recipe. The true history of this company began over 80 years ago when Frank Rocchino and Charles LaScala arrived in Philadelphia from Italy. This new location was named after these relatives to honor them.

LaScala’s Italian Restaurant in Center City Philadelphia is a beautiful place. The details inside there are amazing from the brick walls cleaned and pointed all around to the big bar. They also have giant windows for you to view the Philadelphia Center City passer bys while enjoying your meal. There is also a very big room in the back that I believe is reserved for catering.

The menu at Lascala’s is very diverse. You can order basically any type of Italian food there from pasta to pizza. They are famous for their pizzas though as they have won several awards. Their pizza is gourmet fine dining style pizza. They have many different types of pizza too and you can customize it based off what kind of toppings that you would like.

I ordered one of their specialty pizzas that had clams, bacon, tomato sauce, pepper flakes, and parmesan. Their pies were really good. Their thin crust crust was slightly charred and had a harder crust the closer you went towards the handle of the pie. Actually the edge had a semi irregular shape from the effects of the hardening of the crust.

The sweet tomato sauce had semi large chunks of tomato underneath all of the other toppings. The tomato sauce definitely stood out even though there were plenty of other toppings on there. The top of the pie had thin long slices of parmesan cheese spread throughout the pie. There were small slices of clams mixed well with small bits of bacon on top. The pizza had a nice spicy kick to it as the pepper flakes were used well. The final effect was a very good pizza.

There was one catch – the waitress. My waitress was nice but very airheaded. Her lack of attention to my group’s order caused a bit of a problem. I had order several items for our group and she forgot the main entrée. So everybody waited for about a half hour until finally we asked her for our food and she showed an expression of “I don’t remember you ordering that.” Thus, the meal was incomplete and my group was not happy.

Another problem that I had was when I presented a large dollar bill and asked for change the cents were not given (just the dollars). I don’t want to sound thrifty but a customer deserves to have their full change back not partial. It doesn’t matter if it is a penny. The common courtesy approach would be to ask if they want the small change not simply just to exclude it.

I really am having a hard time putting LaScala’s into the Best Philadelphia Pizza Club because of the bad service. However, there pizza and the atmosphere were really good. The price wasn’t bad either. The pizza only cost $12 and it is the type of gourmet pizza that is worth every penny. So I will give them the benefit of the doubt that maybe they only have one airheaded waitress and hope that next time I will be served a little better.

LaScala’s Italian Restaurant – Welcome to the Best Philadelphia Pizza Club!

Criniti’s Ristorante Italiano Pizza Review

Criniti’s Ristorante Italiano Cucina Mediterranea Review

Criniti’s Ristorante Italiano Cucina Mediterranea (or Criniti’s Italian Restaurant) is located at 2611 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148 (a few blocks north of the Sports Complex on the corner near Broad and Oregon). Established in 1985 by Benito Criniti, Criniti’s Restaurant is now run by his son Massimo Criniti in a larger converted church just a few steps from its old location.

Criniti’s Italian Restaurant is in a big room with stain glass windows. This building once was a church so there are many extra touches that add character to this restaurant. This particular restaurant is known for many good Italian dishes including their pastas and pizzas. Criniti’s is a great place for a couple to go on a romantic night out for dinner. However, their lunch buffet that was just started this year has been quite a success. For approximately $10 per person you have a wide variety of Italian foods to choose from including chicken parmigiana, meatballs, Italian sausage, roasted peppers, tilapia, eggplant, mussels in red gravy (Italian sauce), soup, salad, and more. Their buffet is excellent and the value brings the meal home. For the price, you know that you are getting a quality traditional Southern Italian home cooked meal for every item on the menu. This is real South Philly Little Italy food owned and operated by Philly Italians that go the extra mile for their customers.

The waitresses and staff at this Italian restaurant are by far superior as their hospitality is very warm and receptive. They may be a little slow but that is because they have to be warm and receptive to all of their customers (so bring your patience as they are nice people).

If you want to have an occasion catered, Criniti’s Italian Restaurant also does catering as well. They have a second floor that is dedicated especially for their catering business.

Let’s get to their pizza. Their pizzas are thin crust American style (cheese on top) served personal size (about 10 inches). If you would like anything other than cheese than you need to make a special order. They can accommodate you with any toppings but you have to let them know exactly what you are looking for. Their thin crust pizza is very basic but it has old world Italian charm built into it. They use a wood fired brick oven to cook their pies. The price is $7.95 for a personal pizza with $1.50 for each extra topping.

The pizza that I ordered was a plain cheese pie. The crust was thin yet not too far from traditional pizza as it had a little weight to it. The pizza crust was foldable, not crackly, and had a nice handle on it to hold the slices. It also did not have any signs of charring yet it was cooked well. The pizza was very cheesy with signs of oregano and/or parsley showing through the cheese. The tomato sauce was sweet but there was a very thin coat below the cheese to make it barely noticeable. The dish that the pizza was served on was not flat but slightly high at the edges (a bowl form). This created an effect of the pizza to be dipping towards the center of the bowl due to the edges being higher than the center of the pie. This wasn’t a problem just an observation.

Overall, I was very impressed with the pizza and the total package at Criniti’s Italian Restaurant. This is the type of gourmet Italian pizza/food restaurant that you can eat as many courses as you need (Italian style) for a reasonable price.

Criniti’s Italian Restaurant – Welcome to the Best Philadelphia Pizza Club!

Pizzicato Italian Pizza Restaurant Review

Pizzicato is an upscale Italian pizza restaurant located at 248 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 (Old City – corner of 3rd and Market). Established approximately in 1998, Pizzicato has become a very popular choice for many gourmet pizza goers. They have a beautiful restaurant inside with a very large wood burning oven off to the left when you first walk in the door. The place is semi large and holds about a dozen or so tables. They are very friendly there…actually almost a little too friendly. When I walked in the waitress almost knocked me over trying to say hello.

I ordered the Margherita pizza for $9 as I sat at their table and ate. There are several other options of pizza to choose from also if you desire. I happen to like the Margherita though. This is definitely not a pizzeria where you can walk in and order a slice (they don’t serve by the slice). It is more of a classier restaurant so dress nice. They also have a very nice bar that runs parallel with their wood fired oven. Watching the fire crackle while you eat also makes a more soothing setting.

Back to the Margherita pizza review. The pizza was worth the $9 considering the classy atmosphere that you become absorbed with. The pie was a personal 10 inch pizza with six slices. The crust was thin and crispy but not charred at all. This was a surprise as I would have figured that the crust would have had at least a speck of black considering the nice oven that they have. The mozzarella cheese was spread out over the pizza in various locations. There was a nice ratio of cheese to sauce (about 50/50). The sauce was sweet but not thick. They could have used a tad bit more sauce as there was such a thin coat of it. The basil was in small thin slices spread over top. I prefer to have whole leaves fresh and green and put one on top of each slice. I don’t particularly like small strips but it wasn’t a big deal. It would have been a big deal if the basil wasn’t fresh.

Pizzicato is a nice little pizza restaurant in Old City Philadelphia. Although I don’t believe their pizza can compete with a place like Pizzeria Stella, I do agree that they should be in the Best Philadelphia Pizza Club!

Stephen Starr's Pizzeria Stella Review

The long awaited Pizzeria Stella review is finally here. Pizzeria Stella is another fine creation by Philadelphia restaurant genius Stephen Starr. Located at 420 North 2nd Street (2nd and Lombard Street), Philadelphia, PA 19106, this pizzeria is open seven days a week.

Before I provide my review I would like to include a short profile of Stephan Starr from his website. I think this is in order as this new Philadelphia pizzeria (opened at the end of September 2009) has drawn national headlines.

Stephen Starr, owner of Starr Restaurants, began working in the restaurant
industry at the age of 21 when he opened his first club in an Old City diner,
Grand Mom Minnie's, which served food during the day and comedy at night. Next
he opened Stars, a cabaret/restaurant that featured acts who were just starting
out such as Jerry Seinfeld, Richard Belzer and Pat
Benatar.

Continuing to promote live entertainment, Starr opened a larger venue,
the Ripley Music Hall, which showcased new talent such as U2, The Eurythmics,
Cyndi Lauper and Bruce Springsteen, who were still very small at the time.
Eventually he began The Concert Company to bring large-scale stadium acts to
Philadelphia. Starr was responsible for memorable shows including: Madonna,
Lionel Ritchie, George Michael and others. In 1990, when Electric Factory
Concerts bought him out, he used the profit to open several new venues
including: Shake, Burger and Roll, a kitschy diner; The Bank, a trendy dance
club which later became District Nightclub; and Cafe Republic, a Russian-themed
caviar and vodka bar.

Founded in 1995, STARR Restaurants is now one of the fastest growing
multi-concept restaurant companies in the country. STARR Restaurants
include Buddakan, Morimoto, The Continental, Barclay Prime, Continental
Mid-Town, El Vez, Jones, Alma de Cuba, Pod, Tangerine, Parc and Butcher and
Singer in Philadelphia and Morimoto and Buddakan in New York City's thriving
Meatpacking District.

STARR Restaurants expanded to Atlantic City, NJ, with Buddakan and
Continental at The Pier at Caesar in 2006, and Teplitzky and Chelsea Prime at
the Chelsea Hotel in 2008. Most recently opened is Steak 954 at the new W Hotel
in Ft. Lauderdale. With more than 20 years in the hospitality and
entertainment industries, Starr likens the experience of dining out to that of
attending a theater production, where the players, props, backdrops, lighting
and rapport are integral components of an overall dramatic effect. When this
atmospheric drama is paired with edgy, delicious cuisine, dining out at an STARR
Restaurant becomes entertainment for all of the senses.

Pizzeria Stella has been a long awaited Philadelphia pizzeria. From my understanding, Stephen Starr has circled the globe to make this place perfect. He has scaled every major New York and Napoli pizza joint and has studied every aspect of pizza beginning with its Italian roots. Starr obviously wanted so deeply for this place to be a success that he has given it his name in Italian (Stella translates to Starr).

The ambience at Pizzeria Stella is amazing. When you first walk into the door you are greeted by a beautiful big wood burning oven where the pizza chefs are at work. You can watch the pizza makers need, toss, and cook the pizza from any seat in the house. The pizzeria is not extremely large but it can serve around 75 to 100 people if necessary. Everything in Starr’s place is new and well thought out from the shiny decorative tile to the lighting.

The hospitality at Pizzeria Stella was superb. The waitresses catered to me on hand and foot. Their actions make you realize what gourmet pizza is all about and why you need a place like this to serve it. Pizza is a food that many people fail to realize that can be served at all scales of the restaurant industry. At Pizzeria Stella you can understand how pizza can be promoted to an upscale level of food. Forget about street pizza or your local neighborhood pizza.

Pizzeria Stella brings back the definition of high class pizza. Yes you will spend more money but you are getting the best pizza. Many people have a hard time spending around $15 for a ten inch thin crust pizza, especially when they are used to getting 2 giant 16 inch pizzas for less than the price for one gourmet pizza. That is because these types of people have never experienced the pleasure of real gourmet pizza. Gourmet pizza is totally worth the price if it is made correctly and the atmosphere is amazing. To these doubters, I say eat at Pizzeria Stella and then let me know if it is not worth it!

Pizzeria Stella had some negative feedback the first few weeks of opening and this is understandable as it has to correct any initial problems. This is why I waited a few weeks before eating there. I am more than impressed with what Starr has done. Below is a sample of Pizzeria Stella’s wood oven pizzas and their prices:

1. Margherita: san marzano tomato, buffalo mozzarella, basil .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2. Marinara: san marzano tomato, oregano, garlic .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3. Finocchio: black olive, caramelized fennel, mozzarella, tomato .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4. Sausage: wood roasted sausage, hot pepper, tomato, basil, mozzarella .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
5. Pepperoni: abbruzze pepperoni, oregano, mozzarella, tomato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
6. Tartufo: black truffle, fontina, egg, parmesan .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
7 . San Daniele: smoked mozzarella, prosciutto, baby arugula .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
8. Pistachio: red onion, pistachio, fontina, extra virgin olive oil .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
9 . Piccante: capicola, aged provolone, crushed red pepper, tomato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
10. Vongole: clams, garlic, parsley, scamorza .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
11. Spinach: baby spinach, sun dried tomato, garlic, pine nuts .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
12. Quattro Formaggi: tomato, mozzarella, fontina, scamorza, taleggio .. . . . 14

I sampled the Margherita and the Tartufo pizza and was impressed with both. The pizzas are ten inches long served in 6 slices. The crust is thin crust slightly charred on the edges and on the bottom of the crust. The way the crust was prepared demonstrated to me that Starr really took the time to study his market. The reason I say this is because if you analyze the crust on this pizza you can tell the pizza was carefully made to meet the best New York critics’ tastes. The way the crust is charred is patterned to perfection with various patches of char sporadically placed on the crust.

The crust was strategically planned. If you think that this sounds crazy it just may be. The crust was identical from pizza to pizza and it was made almost as if the chefs were given specific orders to follow to create consistency. There were no signs of over burning or undercooking, just pizza made right. The charred spots demonstrated that each pizza walked the fine edge of being cooked too much but yet this edge made it just right (as the edge of overcooking never occurred).

The basil used on the margherita pie was large fresh green leaves placed on each slice. This is a sign of a good pizza. I hate when Margherita pizzas are served with shriveled up black basil leaves. Basil should be green on a Margherita pizza and not any other color. If you view the history of pizza you will find that the creation of this pizza was supposed to contain the colors of the Italian flag: red, white, and green (not burnt shriveled black).

The Fresh Mozzarella cheese was truly fresh tasting as you bit right into it. There was a proper amount of cheese on the pie too in relationship to the sauce (about 50/50). The tomato sauce was a nice sweet tangy tomato flavor that carried well with the rest of the pie.

The tartufo pie was very interesting. This was made from black truffles (a type of mushroom). The truffles were very fresh and plentiful on the pizza. The highlight of the tartufo pizza was the cooked egg on top (sunny side up). The waitress came over to the table once served and poked the egg on top and then spread the yolk with a spoon all over the pizza. Weird but really good! The tartufo also had parmesan cheese and fontina on top.

Another difference observed in Pizzeria Stella’s pie was that a slight glaze of olive oil was circled on top of the pie when served. It was so slight that it was hardly detected. This is not a problem as many famous pizza places choose to do this to their pizzas. I am fine either way. However, I don’t like when anything more than a little oil is placed on top. One particular example is a pizzeria in Philly called Mack’s Boardwalk pizza that drowns their pie with oil.

After you eat their excellent pizzas, you can have a sample of their dessert gelato ice cream and coffee. Also, I forgot to mention that you can eat your pizza with a glass of red wine from Stella’s wine list. This helps solidify the fact that you are eating real gourmet food. What is fancy food without wine?

The only critical thing that I can say is about Pizzeria Stella and Stephen Starr is to be more proud that you are serving Philadelphia pizza. I understand that you have traveled all over the world and New York for best pizza ideas but now you are making pizza in Philly. Thus, promote your pizza as authentic Philly pizza. Italian pizza will always be Italian pizza but the location where it is served is equally important. Your pizza is now a product of Philadelphia as this is where you are serving it. I also want to say that I hope that you incorporated Philadelphia pizza in your world pizza adventures. If you haven’t then you may want to review some of the Philly pizza reviews on this website because Philly has a distinct character in its pizza that deserves recognition. Lack of knowledge of true Philly pizza and its history may be a serious undermine to your business (especially as this is the main audience that you are catering to).

Stephen Starr’s Pizzeria Stella – welcome to the Best Philadelphia Pizza Club! Your pizzeria is one of the best pizzas in Philly and one day when I create an elite Best of the Best Philly Pizza Clubs, I am sure that you may find yourself on there.

Maggiano’s Little Italy Italian Restaurant

Maggiano’s Little Italy Italian Restaurant Philly Review

Maggiano’s Little Italy Italian restaurant is located at 1201 Filbert Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Maggiano’s was first opened in Chicago in the 1980’s by a man named Richard Melman and his company Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. Later in 1995, Brinker International bought Maggiano’s from Melman and added it to their extensive collection of restaurants including Chili’s.

Maggiano’s Little Italy Italian restaurant is located all over the country but the location in Center City Philadelphia is spectacular. I know that this blog is about pizza but it also presents an opportunity to discuss other great Italian foods. Maggiano’s does not make pizza although they carry many other traditional Southern Italian foods. Their foods include various Italian appetizers, soups, salads, pastas, seafood, steak, veal, pork and chicken. Their pasta dishes are of a wide variety. Below is a short sample of their current pasta selections:

Coach Joey Z's Angel Hair Pasta
Pomodoro Sauce

Shrimp & Angel Hair al' Arrabbiata
Angel hair pasta tossed with a blend of our Diavolo sauce with sauteed shrimp, roasted garlic and crushed red pepper.

Fettuccine Alfredo, Broccoli
Traditional fettuccine noodles tossed with broccoli and garlic in a creamy alfredo sauce.

Garlic Shrimp Linguine
Linguine pasta tossed with sauteed gulf shrimp and roasted garlic, white wine, fresh tomatoes and basil in a flavorful shrimp sauce.

Gnocchi, Tomato Vodka Sauce
Ricotta pasta simmered in a delicately balanced sauce prepared with our classic pomodoro cream and finished with vodka and roasted garlic.

Chicken Pesto Linguine +
Linguine pasta tossed with roasted chicken, pesto, and pine nuts in a parmesan broth with a hint of lemon.

Linguine & Clams with Red Clam Sauce
Linguine pasta tossed with fresh clams, basil, tomatoes and chopped clams in a red clam sauce.

Linguine & Clams with White Clam Sauce
Linguine pasta tossed with fresh clams, basil and chopped clams in a white clam sauce.

Rigatoni "D"®
Rigatoni pasta, herb roasted boneless chicken, mushrooms and onions, tossed in a light Marsala cream sauce.

Spaghetti, Marinara
Spaghetti served with our classic blend of tomatoes, basil, oregano and olive oil, slightly sweet.

Spaghetti, Meat Sauce
Spaghetti served with our Italian meat sauce.

Spaghetti, Meatball or Sausage
Spaghetti with your choice of meatballs or Italian sausage; served with our meat or marinara sauce.

I really like Maggiano’s. It is one of the only Italian franchises that makes you feel like you are in an actual neighborhood Italian American restaurant. This warm feeling follows you from the time you walk into the door hearing the Frank Sinatra music until the time you sit on their giant cozy red booths or large family style tables.

Maggiano’s Little Italy is also a place that gives you your money’s worth. This is one semi fancy restaurant that you can walk away for about $50 a person and know that you received more than your money’s worth. The chances are that you will be taking food home because the portions are extra large, real Italian style.

The salads are gigantic with all of your favorite extras in there, like peppers, etc. The bread keeps coming to your table and is served with olive oil. The bread is really soft too and you are able to eat a whole loaf or two before your appetizer even comes out (so be careful not to overeat as it is very tempting).

I have been to Maggiano’s many times and can say that I still don’t have a favorite meal there, until they serve pizza. All of their dishes from seafood to pasta are out of this world. One of my most popular dishes that I order is the lobster ravioli, which is basil and saffron pasta filled with lobster meat. The sauce on this meal is a light lobster orangey cream sauce. Magnificent!

The best part of the meal is that afterwards you can order any one of their amazing deserts and wash it down with a cappuccino or espresso.

Maggiano’s Little Italy in Philadelphia is in a big building near the Reading Terminal. After you eat you can walk around the beautiful center city area and stroll through various shops.

I have heard that certain Maggiano’s offer a pizza appetizer but I have never tried it and it wasn’t on the menu on my recent visit. I am curious to taste a pizza from such a wonderful Italian restaurant so please let me know when Maggiano’s Little Italy does offer pizza so that I can pay them another visit.

Franco and Luigi’s Pizzeria Review

Franco and Luigi’s Pizzeria is located at 1549 S. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147. Established in 1985, Franco and Luigi’s has moved from their old location on 10th and Ritner to their current place. Franco and Luigi’s Pizzeria has a very unique business. Their operation works in conjunction with the High Note Café / Restaurant in the adjacent building. Essentially this is a pizzeria that opens as a full scale restaurant on certain nights of the week. The unique part is that the owner Frank (Franco) Borda is a very famous opera singer in Philadelphia. Thus, on various nights you can eat and be entertained with various singers.

Franco and his business have such an exciting story that I have provided the following excerpt of it from his website:

Franco's first musical performance was as a pretzel vendor in South Philly. He
pushed the pretzel cart at age seven and sang his "Fresh Pretzel" aria at the
top of his lungs. His daily salary was five dollars a day.

In 1980
Franco graduated as a drama major from the Creative and Performing Arts High
school on south Broad Street during their inaugural year. The walls of that
school could probably tell you a few stories of Franco and his friends during
that first year. From there his vocal studies took him to Settlement Music
School, followed by Bryn Mawr Conservatory under the tutlelage of Catherine
Barone. After Bryn Mawr, Franco began study with Marianne Casiello of the Curtis
Institute of Music, and found outlet for his talent with the Bel canto Lyric
Opera. He still fine-tunes his lyrical voice with Enrico DiGiuseppe, formerly of
the Julliard School of Music, and leading tenor with this country's premiere
opera house The Metropolitan Opera in New York. Franco's name has become
synonymous with Italian Music in South Philadelphia. He has been heard at
Vendemnia, the Italian Mercato and the Ocean City Pops. He has sung in several
operas with the Lyric Opera of Philadelphia under the baton of Maestro Carl
Suppa, and Tony Publiese. He is a strong advocated of young talent. He is
constantly providing young singers with numerous performance opportunities as he
himself understands the perils of the music business and wants to give as many
young artists as he can the opportunities to move forward in a very competitive
field.

Franco is a completely self taught chef. Much of his training
comes from the "old-world" Southern Italian recipes of his family who come from
Calabria, Italy. He has been cooking professionally for 20 years. His Pizzeria
has been thriving since he began, and his restaurant HighNote Cafe has been
tuning out great pasta dishes for almost 14 years (1994). Franco believes that
great Italian food is simple to prepare, using only a few ingredients and
letting them sing out in the dish. The greatest food of Italy is to be found in
the home, using the ingredients available to these "home-cooks" with a powerful
combination of passion and knowledge. He always strives to give the guests in
his restaurant that "Prepared at home" feel and taste with every dish. Italian
food has no pretense; it doesn't need any.

The two most defining aspects
of Franco's personality have always been cooking and singing. Years ago he
combined the two in his HighNote Restaurant, thus giving his guests a sensory
experience that they never forget. Food and wine have always been a great
marriage, but with Philadelphia's singing chef, one more level is added with his
music.

Now as Philadelphia's Singing Chef, Franco is taking performance
art to the next level. He will be "performing" singing and cooking at the same
time, while combining food education with music education. His dream is to have
his own cooking show where he will do just that. In the near future, Franco will
be "Cooking Puccini" where he will be singing the arias of the great Italian
composer while cooking the foods and serving the wines of Puccini's particular
region. Franco will be joined by several of South Philadelphia's opera singers.
Guest of this event will be directly involved in the cooking process, be able to
see the food being prepared with detailed instruction by the chef, and then be
able to enjoy the dishes while listening to the music.

If you are
planning a fundraiser, the singing chef is a great addition. Franco makes all of
his fundraising expertise available to his clients and becomes directly involved
in the planning process.

Franco loves his hometown, so The Singing Chef
can be seen anywhere he can to promote Philadelphia's food, sights, and talent.
He will also be bringing the foods of Philadelphia to other cities as a culinary
and musical ambassador.

Franco has his own music CD which you can hear
him sing Italian & Americam Songs, and can be bought at the restaurant for
$10.00.

Franco is in good company. Many of this country's greatest
singers come from Philadelphia, including Mario Lanza, Enrico DiGiuseppe, and
Frank Guarrera (formerly of the Metropolitan Opera). The Singing Chef also sings
popular Italian songs, as well as jazz standards, and musical theater.

Inspiration comes to Franco through the melodious laughter of his two
beautiful children Anthony and Maria, and from the tender and supportive love of
his wife Teresa. He is carrying on the traditions of his family by teaching his
children his values, his music and his great taste in fine food.

Franco and Luigi’s Pizzeria has a beautiful building with various pictures of the owner and his singing career. I encourage you to visit this pizzeria as you can learn more about Philadelphia and its culture.

As far as the review of Franco and Luigi’s Pizzeria…their pizza is mostly American style. They do have good Sicilian tomato pies there (you can buy it by the slice if you like). I ordered their Mama’s Homestyle pizza, which is their closest pizza to the traditional Margherita pizza. The pie was very good but I don’t think it shows any resemblance to a true Margherita pizza. The crust was slightly charred and the large pie was 18 inches. The tomato sauce was very flavorful but was minimal compared to the amount of cheese on there. The cheese was very stringy as you bite into it. They use mozzarella cheese but there was about a 60/40 ratio of cheese to sauce. I think that an ideal Margherita pizza should have about 50/50 ratio.

There was also no basil on it so the idea of considering this a Margherita pizza is useless. But as an American style pizza I thought that the package was excellent. The crust, cheese, and sauce all worked well together. Plus, the atmosphere and the price (large at $11.45) were very comforting.

I would recommend Franco and Luigi’s Pizzeria and thus, welcome them to the Best Philadelphia Pizza Club!