Tacconelli's NJ Best New Jersey Pizza

Recently, I was going to do a review of the famous Tacconelli’s Pizzeria on East Somerset Street but every time that I try to go there they are booked or something else comes up (like they close down 2 weeks for vacation). Besides, what is a best Philadelphia pizza blog without at least one review of a place that has been generally accepted as the best Philly pizza for some time now? So I thought to myself “aren’t there any other options available?” With a little research I found out that the same family owns a second location in Maple Shade, NJ with the same name. I know this location isn’t in Philly but its origins are so I decided to give it a try.

Tacconelli’s Pizzeria NJ is located at 450 South Lenola Road, Maple Shade, NJ (only about 15-20 minutes outside of Philly towards the Cherry Hill Mall). Their current hours of operation are similar to the original pizzeria: Closed Monday and Tuesday; Wednesday and Saturday open 4-9:30; Thursday and Friday open 11:30-9:30; and Sunday 3-8. There hours of operation are a bit more flexible than the original pizzeria.

Before I begin… Tacconelli’s Pizzeria is extremely popular throughout Philly and a true review would not be worthy unless some background is in order. The following is the story of Tacconelli’s Pizzeria as told by Vince and Doris Tacconelli:

"In 1918, Giovanni Tacconelli traveled from his hometown of Chieti,
Italy to Philadelphia. After a few years working as a laborer, he decided to do
what he'd done in his native land - bake bread. The best and only way to do so,
he said, was to bake it in a brick oven. So, along with a few of his friends, he
built a 20' x 20' brick oven. The bread business went well until the outbreak of
WWII, at which time his sons- all of whom had helped him run the family
business- were drafted into military service. With no one around to help him,
Giovanni had no choice but stop baking bread.

In 1946, with everyone home from the war, Giovanni had a
brainstorm; rather than simply make bread, he decided to use his massive brick
oven to make Old World "tomato pies", a skill his mother had taught him many
years before. A skill that in time he would pass on to his own son, Anthony.

In 1998, after decades of operating an award-winning restaurant,
Anthony and Sylvia's son, Vince and his wife Barbara Tacconelli decided to
retire. They entrusted their business, which by now had become a Philadelphia
institution, to their younger son, Vince, Jr. Vince and his wife Doris would
successfully operate the pizzeria for the next five years, from 1998 - 2002.
In 2003, Vince decided it was time to take Tacconelli's to the next level.
That's when He and Doris opened a second Tacconelli's Pizzeria closer to their
home in Maple Shade, NJ.

Of course, some changes were inevitable. At Tacconelli's - Maple
Shade there is no need to reserve your dough; in fact, walk-ins are welcome. At
Tacconelli's - Maple Shade, we serve three types of salads (with homemade
dressings) and a variety of delectable desserts. And at Tacconelli's - Maple
Shade, we're open for lunch Thursday and Friday.

Some things, though, never change: at Tacconelli's - Maple Shade
you'll find Vince Jr. making the same freshly-baked, award-winning pizzas he
made at Tacconelli's - Philadelphia. The ingredients, and even most of the
cooks, are the same. So it is our commitment to our customers, namely to not
tamper with Giovanni Tacconelli's inimitable recipe for delicious, thin-crust
"tomato pies"."

Tacconelli’s Pizzeria’s New Jersey location actually dominates the original in many categories. First, they are open more hours. Second, the place is much bigger. Third, the brick oven is a gas oven instead of oil burning. This causes them to be able to cook more pizzas as long as they want. Fourth, you don’t need to reserve dough (Absurd). This is caused by the better oven in the new location. Also there are many more employees. Fifth, the menu selection is larger including salads and desserts.

Basically, the second location is operated the way a quality pizzeria should be – like a business. The other location produces a great pizza (we’ll save this for another review) but this is after the many inconveniences that a customer must face. If you have an old brick oven that only makes one pizza at a time but the demand is great then change the damn oven! Simple. That is the business way. Their old oven may have been good 50 years ago but as a business expands there needs to be adjustments made. They should also consider expanding the building too. OK…back to my review of Tacconelli’s Pizzeria in New Jersey.

There are 5 major gourmet thin crust pizzas served by Tacconelli’s Pizzeria NJ: the white pie, the signature pie, the red pie, the tomato pie, and the marinara pie. You can also add other toppings, which include: Onions, Mushrooms, Sweet Peppers, Chopped Tomatoes, Sweet Sausage, Pepperoni, Anchovies, Olives, Spinach, Roasted Peppers, Extra Cheese, Pesto, BBQ Sauce, Fresh Basil (when available). Each pie is about 12 inches round.

I sampled the signature, red, and marinara pie. The crust on all of the pies varied. At minimum, each pie was slightly charred on the tops and bottom (very slight). However, the signature pie’s crust was different. First, the charring was stepped up a notch to medium char. Also, the edge of the crust was sprinkled with extremely tiny charred crust specks. This produced a very tasteful and unique crust (this may be a reason that it is their most popular pizza).

The pizzas were also thin crust but I debate that. I guess what constitutes a thin crust can be interpreted differently depending on the person. For me, thin crust is super thin like Slice or Pizzeria Stella by Stephen Starr. With that style of thin crust, my consumption level can double easily. For example, if I am hungry for 4 slices of regular traditional pizza, I would be able to eat a whole pie that day of thin crust, etc. Tacconelli’s Pizzeria NJ has thin crust that is more filling then the ultra thin crust pizzas served by many others. I could not eat as much here without getting full. The thickness of the pizza is about ½ inch, slightly shy of traditional American style pizza crust. So we can call this thin crust with a very loose definition of thin crust.

Another good quality about this pizza was the foldability. This pizza was able to be folded without cracking. The crust produces a very crispy texture that was still solid enough to not crack and cause a mess (that many bad pizzas do).

Tacconelli’s sauce, in general, is very sweet and tangy. This is a very good quality for me as I believe that it is important to taste the sauce. Many pizzas have a bland sauce that blends in the background but not here. Their sauce makes you crave more. You find yourself searching for the next big sauce spot on the pizza to fill that sauce void. You can almost ask for a side of sauce to go with your pizza (but that wouldn’t be fair to the rest of the ingredients).

The marinara pizza had a slightly different sauce as it was a bit spicier. Their marinara sauce was slightly coated with a base of their sauce. That sauce is cooked to a golden brown and topped with grated Asiago cheese. I enjoyed the marinara pizza sauce but I preferred the original sauce found in their red pie better as the sweet tangy sensation was much more prevalent.

The red pie had about a fifty fifty mix of sauce and cheese. The cheese made this more of a traditional American style pizza. However, that style calls for cheese on top of sauce. That wasn’t exactly the case with their red pie. They put cheese on top of sauce and then a few dashes of sauce on top of the cheese – a hybrid. If you wanted just sauce and no cheese then you could have chosen the tomato pie pizza.

The signature pie did not have any pure sauce on there. It is a white pie, topped with cheese, garlic, spinach, and large chopped tomatoes throughout the pie. The final effect was delicious.

The signature pie was definitely my favorite because of how the crust was done. My only regret is not trying the traditional tomato pie. I think that I may have enjoyed this because I would like to eat their pizza with just the sauce (it was that good).

The service was excellent at Tacconelli’s Pizzeria NJ. For a busy night, the waitress kept checking in on my table to see if I needed anything else.

The price was reasonable for one of the best New Jersey pizza places (if not the best NJ pizza): The plain was $11.50 for the whole pie; $12.25 for the marinara; and $15 for the signature. Three pizzas can easily accommodate 6 people. This makes the price per head extremely cheap for quality gourmet pizza.

I have made a special exception for Tacconelli’s and allowed them to be included amongst other best Philly pizzas because of their history as a true Philadelphian Italian pizzeria and their close proximity to Philly (15 minutes). However, when I start a Best New Jersey Pizza Club, they will be on that list as well. Tacconelli’s Pizzeria NJ welcome to the Best Philadelphia Pizza Club!

Mama Palma’s Wood Fired Brick Oven Gourmet Pizza

Mama Palma’s Wood Fired Brick Oven Gourmet Pizza is located at 2229 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Established in 1996, Mama Palma’s has won many awards from various sources over the past 13 years. Their popularity in Philadelphia has caused them to be recognized as one of the most popular pizza restaurants next to Tacconelli’s and Pizzeria Stella.

Mama Palma’s Wood Fired Brick Oven Gourmet Pizza has had many mixed reviews over the past few years from its customers. I have explored their reviews from several sources and have found some gruesome stories that if true would cause them to be highly frowned upon in my book. However, from my recent experience there, I have disproved some of these comments. For example, one major topic is the owner’s thuggish appearance and horrible treatment to customers with children. This was not the case that I witnessed. Actually it was the opposite. There were several couples with children in the restaurant while I was there and all were given the highest customer service. The staff was very friendly and seemed to take care of their customers including myself and company.

Mama Palma’s Wood Fired Brick Oven Gourmet Pizza is located on the corner of 23rd and Spruce in Center City Philadelphia. The restaurant is average in size with about 15 tables. The place is very nice…definitely an upscale restaurant. However, nowhere near as beautiful as Stephen Starr’s Stella (he must have pumped a lot of money in that place).

When you first walk in you are greeted by the cashier and the wood fired oven on the left. The chef makes the pizza right in front of the wood fire burning oven. As you sit at your table you can admire all of the many awards that are framed on the wall for best Philadelphia pizza. On a cold day you can also stare at the fire in the oven as the chef makes the pizza and appreciate that you are in a warm environment. There is something about staring at a contained fire in a cozy atmosphere to make you feel at home (particularly when you know that it is cooking the food that you will be eating).

Let’s talk about their oven. According to Mama Palma’s, their brick oven is imported from Europe. Unlike conventional ovens, theirs can achieve a combination of roasting, baking, and smoking. The intense heat from the hardwood seals in the flavor that creates the many wonderful tastes of their pizza.

As stated, the waitress and waiters were all very nice to their customers. I experienced a very inviting atmosphere. However, one thing that I thought was interesting was the hospitality section on the menu of Mama Palma’s Wood Fired Brick Oven Gourmet Pizza. It states: “Mama Palma’s likes to treat our customers like family. When we are busy and other families are waiting, we would appreciate it if you could release your table after you have finished and allow us to seat others. La Famiglia Russo.” That was a nice way of putting it to get lost when you are finished. Well... at least they tried to be professional about it. They probably experience a lot of loiters who sit there for hours and order one pizza. This is a fancy place and I understand that they have a big waiting list. This must be the solution that they have come up with after 13 years in business.

Mama Palma’s Wood Fired Brick Oven Gourmet Pizza Review: First let me recommend ordering a specialty beer to wash down your pizza. While in an Italian restaurant you should drink Italian beer…Peroni of course. There are so many options on their menu that may make your head spin trying to decide on what to order. Although they specialize in pizza, Mama Palma’s also has a nice salad and pasta selection. Some of the gourmet pizzas that they have include: Peking duck, Maryland crab and asparagus, wheat pizza, low fat pizza, seafood, and veggie pizzas.

I ordered a medium 12 inch “pizza de mare” (seafood pizza). This pizza is a combination of fresco and garlic olive oil bases topped with shrimp, clams, and mozzarella. The crust was semi charred and thin. The slices became extraordinarily thin at the bottom so that the crust started to fold backwards automatically. This required the use of two hands. This may be due to the amount of toppings that were placed on the top of the pizza (plenty). The edge of the crust was also slightly charred from the flame and very crispy crunchy. This isn’t exactly the way New York pizza critics like their wood fired pizzas as there was only a very slight charring unlike Stella’s pizzeria which had a bit more char and air bubbles on the edge. Here the edge did not have any air bubbles from the dough and was very thin yet crispy. The 12 inch pie worked well. Someone who is a big eater can easily eat this whole pizza if they were very hungry (such as me).

The seafood pizza did not have any sauce per se but it did have big chunks of tomatoes throughout. There was also a good amount of small shrimp and clam slices. The mozzarella cheese was barely noticeable as the many other flavors in the pizza were the obvious dominant ones. Of particular notice was the olive oil base that made this pie a very messy one to eat. There was enough olive oil on the slices that they will drop off the edges and onto your fingers almost inevitably. This is not the same type of grease that you would experience at an average Joe pizzeria though. It was real olive oil and was only used moderately.

The price of this pizza was very expensive but it is a price that is deserving of true gourmet pizza. The 12 inch pizza was $19.50. This would be a few more dollars than Stella’s Pizzeria. Despite its price, I am very impressed with the overall package delivered by this place. The pizza was excellent. The menu selection of gourmet pizzas was diverse and unique. The atmosphere was very relaxing and comforting. The staff was hospitable. The location is ideal along a quaint street in Center City Philadelphia. The price was a bit high but I believe that you get what you pay for. In this case, the total package justifies the price; hence, there was much value to it.

Mama Palma’s Wood Fired Brick Oven Gourmet Pizza – Welcome to the Best Philadelphia Pizza Club!

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!

Lazaro’s Pizzeria | Grill Largest Pizza Pie

Established in 1999, Lazaro’s Pizzeria and Grill is located at 1743 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146. This place has an interesting set up. There are actually 2 buildings. The first building is where you order and get drinks. If you would like to dine in then you walk outside and through the doors of the building next door. In this building there are several tables to eat and a TV to be entertained with.

Lazaro’s Pizzeria and Grill has very good thin crust pizza, their specialty. The also sell a wide variety of other fast foods like cheese steaks, strombolis, calzones, salads, wraps, Italian subs, wings, cheeseburgers, and club sandwiches.

Lazaro’s Pizzeria and Grill has character. Their pizzas are all thin crust (American style) and they have pizza sizes up to 26 inches in diameter. This is almost as big as Lorenzo’s and Sons pizza on South Street. This would establish them as having one of the largest pizzas in Philly.

They also sell by the slice. I bought a slice of pepperoni pizza for $3. This is generally high for South Philly until you consider the size of their slices. Their slices are thin crust but they are made from much bigger pies (if I had to guess I would say 20 inch pies). The slices were very charred on the bottom so they have an oven flavor. The edge of the crust was very small as well, which gives you more room for the toppings.

There were plenty of pepperoni whole slices on the pie. This may be a reason for the extra layers of oil on top. I think that is their biggest weakness. They need to watch how much oil comes to the top of their pies when they cook with meat toppings like pepperoni. There was a sufficient amount of cheese and a thin layer of tomato sauce on the pie. The size of the slice was so large that you definitely have to fold it to get a better grip. I try not to fold my slices but with Lazaro’s, this is inevitable.

Overall, I like Lazaro’s Pizzeria and Grill as it has value, size, good taste, and character. I would recommend that they watch their oil count on top of their pies. Lazaro’s Pizzeria and Grill – welcome to 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.

Couch Tomato Café Pizza Review

The Couch Tomato Café Margherita Pizza Review

The Couch Tomato Café is another very popular pizza place located in the Manayunk section of Philadelphia. They have outdoor as well as in door seating and are conveniently located near Main Street.

The Couch Tomato Café, located at 102 Rector Street, Philadelphia, PA 19127, was established in 2003 by Michael Cassano and Craig Mosmen. Michael and Craig were 2000 graduates of the University of Delaware and were highly interested in the restaurant business. They have successfully created a very solid business in Manayunk that is well organized and ripe for expansion. The Couch Tomato is a beautiful little place with outside seating to watch the passer bys along Main Street. They also have indoor seating where you can sit on the popular giant tomato looking couch. The décor inside is very appropriate to their theme, “tomatoes.”

The Couch Tomato has won many awards since their inception and is continuously in the Philly restaurant spotlight. Their pizzas focus mainly on New York Style Thin Crust pizzas. I tried the small personal Margherita pizza and was extremely impressed for many reasons. Their pizza is truly unique in that they use all fresh ingredients and in the method that they use it. Let me elaborate.

The Margherita pizza had mozzarella cheese balls (not melted) arranged on the pizza. This is very unique as most pizza shops will usually melt the cheese. I thought this style of using mozzarella actually produced a very tasty unique pizza. Also, their Margherita pizza had tomato slices in addition to their sauce on top of the pizza. This is a very healthy way to eat pizza and provides more of a natural taste. The sauce was good enough by itself being very sweet and tangy but with the tomato slices…that was a treat. The crust is thin crust New York style. It was not slightly burnt the way New Yorkers like it but it was foldable without cracking, which is a sign of a good thin crust. I also ordered the wheat crust instead of the original white crust and was very impressed with the quality of its taste.

The basil used was fresh whole leaves strategically spread over the four slices that came with the personal size pie. This is the way that Santucci Brothers Square Pizza should have done their pies instead of their chopped slices, which were chopped way too much.

The cost of the pie was relatively inexpensive ringing in at $8.99 for a small pie with 4 slices. The value was in the freshness of ingredients. I really liked the Couch Tomato pizza. I think that New York pizza critics may agree too. I am confident that a place like this would rightfully represent Philadelphia to the pizza world as being a representation of what the best Philly pizzas have to offer. So congrats to the Couch Tomato Café as you have made the cut and our now a part of the Best Philadelphia Pizza Club!

Mack’s Boardwalk Pizza South Philadelphia Pizzeria

Mack’s Boardwalk Pizza South Philadelphia Review

Mack’s Boardwalk Pizza is located at 10th and Oregon in South Philadelphia, PA. Mack’s is run by Joey Mack, the son of one of the original owner’s of Mack and Manco’s boardwalk pizza. That pizzeria, along with the famous Sam’s pizza, has helped to create what is called boardwalk pizza.

Before I give my review of Mack’s I would like to acquaint you with Mack’s pizza history. It all started in 1956 when Anthony Mack and Vincent Manco opened up their first pizzeria called “Mack and Manco’s” at 918 Boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey. A few years later they opened up another store at 7th street and boardwalk. Mr. Mack and his three sons (Dominic, Vince and Joseph) eventually expanded their business onto the boardwalks of Atlantic City and Wildwood, NJ. Vincent Manco continues to operate the original Mack and Manco’s in Ocean City with his son and his wife. Mack’s Boardwalk Pizza is run by Joey Mack, one of the sons of the original owner, Anthony Mack. Joey Mack moved his operation from the Jersey shore to South Philadelphia.

Now that we have the history out of the way, I can release my review. Mack’s Boardwalk pizza is deeply rooted in history with its original pizza recipe. The owner of this South Philly branch is not affiliated with the other Mack’s any more but he still has the family recipe. Joey Mack claims that this family pizza recipe was from 1950 and that his pizza is the best of the best.

Before I start my review I want to make you aware that I think the owner is a nice person but I am here to review the pizza and some things stood out that needs to be addressed. I did not like the pizza at all and I will elaborate on why. I ordered a full 16 (Joey claims they are 17 inch) pie. Joey’s famous pizza is a thin crust recipe American style pizza (cheese on top).

I didn’t like the pizza for several reasons. First, the amount of grease that was on this pizza could have set me up for a future heart attack. I put three napkins on top of a slice and there was still a shiny glitter from all of the grease. This definitely took away from the taste and caused me to have indigestion days later.

The thin crust pizza cracked when folded. This in combination with the gallon of oil on top led to mass spillage and a large mess. The cheese was cooked well. The sauce was not that tasty at all. There was minimal sauce used in proportion to the cheese which appears unbalanced in taste.

The crust was decent for thin crust as it was slightly blackened with a small lip at the edge.

I did not like how the pizza was placed in the box without a wrapper. This is not a good sign of cleanliness as those pizza boxes sit on the floor of the warehouses they are stored at.
Joey Mack’s Boardwalk Pizza is in a small shoebox store. I actually liked the set up of it as it has a small appearance of a boardwalk pizza shop. Mack’s has several patio chairs outside his shop for outdoor seating. This is a one man operation (plus the delivery people). This must be Joey Mack’s retirement job as the operation is very slim lined. There is nothing wrong with that as extra employees are not needed. I am just preparing you for what kind of pizza place this is. It is on the opposite side of a fancy pizzeria.

Eating at Mack’s led me to some questions. First, I can understand why New Yorkers may think Philly pizza is bad. If they base their impressions off of places like Mack’s Boardwalk pizza then that may lead them to believe that Philly doesn’t know pizza. Of course New York is the pizza capital of the world other than Napoli, Italy (read about the history of pizza) but Philly is a very close runner up.

I find it interesting that a place like Mack’s pizza who claims to have the best pizza in Philly would know what a Margherita pizza is. Considering that they are halfway there on the recipe (thin crust) I am not sure if they ever put the other half of the equation together. Let’s face it, most pizza experts will agree that you don’t even stand a chance of being considered the best pizza if you can’t make a thin crust Margherita pizza. Just off that fact alone I am sure that if a New York pizza critic ate one slice of Mack’s pizza they would laugh. If that was the only place they ate in Philly and they were told that this is the best pizza here then they would think this city is a joke.

That is why this pizza blog was created. There are many really good pizza places in Philly but you just have to look a little harder than New York.

I didn’t like Mack’s pizza because it was too oily, too cheesy, no foil paper under the pizza inside the box, the pizza ovens were not good pizza ovens (I doubt they get hotter than 500 degrees (you need about 800 for the best pizzas)), and their lack of variety of pizza. If you tell the public that you have the best pizza in Philly that you better offer options and one of those options should be a thin crust Margherita pizza.

Overall, I do not recommend Mack’s pizzeria to any of my readers, which is a similar conclusion to the Mack’s that I have eaten at on the boardwalk of Atlantic City and Wildwood.

Marra's Cucina Italiana Restaurant

Today, I will provide my next major review of the best Philadelphia pizza places through an analysis of Marra’s Cucina Italiana restaurant. Marra’s is an old fashioned Philadelphia Italian restaurant that specializes in old Philly style pizza. I told you when I set this blog up that I would take you to places that the so called Philly food critics don’t even know about. Today, we shall do just that.

Forget about what you heard about Philly pizza if it was bad. Marra’s Restaurant will easily disprove anyone’s negative comments about how bad pizza is in Philly. Philly does have other good food besides cheese steaks. Marra’s pizza is the quintessential (I don’t even know what that word means but it sure sounds good) example of what Philadelphia pizza should be. First, let’s explore the history of Marra’s and then I will post my review of my recent experience there.

Marra’s Italian American restaurant is possibly the oldest Italian pizza place that is still in existence in Philly. It sits in a little pocket of South Philadelphia at 1734 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19148. Marra’s story begin with its two owners both husband and wife, Salvatore and Chiarina Marra. The Marra family came to Philadelphia from the pizza capital of the world (see pizza history), Naples, Italy in 1920. Seven years later in 1927, they opened up this very popular local restaurant.

Marra’s restaurant is run by the original owner’s grandchildren today. Everything about this place depicts old style Italian Philadelphia charm. It is not a fancy restaurant at all. It is just the ideal little pizza and pasta joint for a casual meal. They have old style wooden chairs to sit and an even older looking bar.

Marra’s menu consists of various Italian dishes including calamari and clams. They also serve various pasta and salad dishes. However, there main dish is relative to this review. That’s right, pizza…Philadelphia style pizza. The greatest charm of this place is the original brick oven where the pizza is made. Supposedly, this oven was made from the bricks of Mount Vesuvius in Italy and the work was crafted by the original owner Salvatore Marra.

Now onto my review… Honestly (and you can tell by now that is one of my good qualities), even if you don’t like the food you should come and visit this place at least once for the history. This place has been opened since 1927. Not many Philadelphia pizza places can say that. Up until about 40 years ago, this was one of the few pizza places to eat outside of your own home. Back in the fifties and sixties not many people went out to eat, that is, unless it was a special event. And for those events, many Philadelphians went to a place like Marra’s. It wasn’t until the sixties and seventies that all of these new pizza places started popping up throughout Philly. So if you are interested in learning about Philly pizza why not go to the most historical place first?

The pizza… I always order a margherita pizza…so if you own a pizza restaurant you will be able to detect me if I walk in your door. I do this because this is one of the most basic types of pizza that was created in Napoli, Italy and is the best way to make my reviews consistent. It is just by chance that the owners of this restaurant are from Napoli, Italy. So they have acquired the style of that region, thus, they should be able to produce a traditional Napolitano style Margherita pizza with no problem. This is exactly why they did. As I sat on the hard wooden bench eating my pizza I realized what a beautiful pizza Marra’s can produce. They gave me a personal 10 inch pizza enough for one hungry person. The crust on their pizza was a little blackened but just right. I will say that for thin crust pizza, their pizza was a little higher than average yet not as thick as American style pizza.

The tomato sauce was very traditional Italian style. The sauce was not too spicy yet had a sweet and salty taste combined. There was an equal proportion of sauce and cheese on the pizza though. This to me is a fine balance (some may disagree). The mozzarella cheese was served just right with a nice melted appearance and a not too overcooked taste. There were several leaves of basil sprinkled throughout the pie (but definitely not too much or too little).

Overall, I really enjoy their pizza. Marra’s pizza has been consistently good throughout the years (and I have been coming here for many, many years). That is a true sign of a restaurant labeled best pizza – consistency. Anyone can make a good pie once by luck. But to do this every time…since 1927…well that is skill. Marra’s pizza is definitely rated as a green light in my book. Please try this place at least once if you are truly interested in experiencing the best real Italian style Philadelphia pizza.

Best Philadelphia Pizza | Slice Review

Best Philadelphia Pizza - Slice Pizzeria Review

This is a review of another best Philadelphia pizza place called Slice. Slice is a very common name these days especially in the pizzeria world. Slice is also a popular pizza website (but there is no relation).

Philadelphia’s Slice is a renowned pizzeria in Philadelphia. To debrief you, I am reviewing many popular pizza places in Philadelphia. Deeply rooted here, I know where to go and what is either very popular, very famous, and/ or just damn good pizza. Many of the places that will be visited in this Philadelphia pizza blog will be well known and many won’t be. But having that home field advantage will allow me to take you to discover the best of the best Philadelphia pizza (or validate the so called best).

I have started this site because I am tired of Philadelphia pizza having a bad reputation. As an owner of the famous Pizza Blog called Blog Pizza, I often hear too much negativity about Philly pizza. This blog will set the record straight. Philadelphia pizza is at minimum equal to New York Pizza. Think about it, if Philly can produce an ugly food like a cheese steak and make it famous, what do you think they can do with pizza?

On to the review…Slice is a pizzeria located at 1180 S. 10th Street (10th and Federal), Philadelphia, PA 19147. They were started about 3 years ago with the intention of focusing on a Napolitano Style gourmet pizza. This focus is in direct contrast to many of Philly’s American style pizza.

I have to say that I am very, very impressed with Slice’s pizza. They receive a Green Light. I ordered the Margherita pizza. I do this to keep all my reviews on a level playing field and also because this is the most basic type of pizza. If you can’t make a Margherita pizza well then you don’t deserve to have recognition as a best pizza place.

Their Margherita pizza (like all of the pizza served there) is thin crust. It was not burnt but lightly blackened (sign of a great pizza). There was a little crackle to their pizza but I am not going to hold them to that. Normally I like to fold a pizza in the middle slightly when I eat. This pizza won’t allow it. It may crack on an unpredictable side and then the line will follow all the way through. The result is that you are eating an irregular shape of a slice of pizza.

The tomato sauce was excellent. It was tangy and sweet and you can tell that it was fresh tomatoes. The sauce had an equal ratio to the cheese as well. This to me is a good healthy balance. I prefer an equal balance of cheese and sauce but my second choice would be more sauce like a traditional tomato pie. I can’t stand when there is too much cheese and too little sauce. That ratio is a NO-NO in my book.

The cheese was very good mozzarella cheese. It was cooked just right. It was not like that horrible cheese that was on the Pietro’s pizza pie from a few weeks ago. That place almost put me in the hospital. If you get a chance please read the story on the Best Philadelphia Pizza Blog.

The Margherita pizza also had its traditional basil sprinkled on top. Slice put a good portion on there so that you can feel like you’re eating a real Italian pizza.

The pizzas that Slice serves in there are all whole pizzas. You can order a small or a large pizza pie. Ironically, this place is called Slice but this pizzeria prefers not to sell a pizza slice. They do sell them but the cashier said that she would have to charge extra (like close to $4 – unheard of in Philly pizza world).

The size of the pie that I ate was a small (roughly 10 inches). The price was $8.95 and the large would have been $13.95. That is a well worth it price. Two people would need a large pizza. I ate a whole small pie by myself but then again I am a big eater. But just don’t order a slice here. A slice is not big at all especially for the price. Also, it is thin crust so you won’t get full as fast. If you eat here the value is in the whole pie.

Slice is a little place nestled in the heart of South Philly. There are about 6 small tables inside. But the owner has done a great job at keeping the place nice. There is slate tile everywhere and a big TV to watch as you eat.

Overall, I think that Slice’s pizza was in the best of the best of Philly. The price really helps rank this place high. Slice has been ranked by several different media sources as best pizza. For example, they were 2008 winner of My Fox Philly’s Hot List. Slice also won best of Philly for 2008.

Slice also delivers if you live in the Philly area. Talking with some friends though I have heard that it is best to eat there. When you order Slice to go, their pizza tastes half as good.

I don’t really have any recommendations for Slice but to keep their formula the same. They have a great reputation, a great thin crust pizza, a beautiful little cozy pizza joint, a great location (down the street from Geno’s and Pat’s Steaks), a nice staff, and a wide variety of pizzas. Actually, I ate a salad pizza when I was there. Slice serves their salads in a cone shaped pizza crust. It was delicious.

One observation that I will make is that Slice needs some competition. And I mean right across the street. You see, Geno’s and Pat’s Steaks are on the next block and their businesses are like a hand in glove. They feed each other business through the spirit of competition. People always ask “Which steaks do you like better Geno’s or Pat’s?” The same effect could happen here with Slice if they put good competition across the street and marketed it well. Well, whoever has deep pockets and takes this idea just remember to tell them where you got the idea fromJ

Slice has been reviewed by many so I will list a few of the popular reviewers and their comments below.

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THE OMNIVORE May 2009 By Rich Pawlak

"A SliCE of Pure Pizza Bliss"
http://theomnivorenow.blogspot.com/2009/05/slice-of-pure-pizza-bliss.html

Philadelphia Style March 2009 By Adam Erace and Peter Proko

Two local foodies taste-test the best pizza in Philadephia."At this spot at 10th and Federal, you can get individual slices of regular pizza with or without additional toppings, but in our humble opinion you’d be wasting your time:"

Philadelphia Inquirer Feb. 8, 2009 By Rick Nichols

"Slice is Jason Dilks' homage to the delectable Trenton pizza he grew up eating"

City Paper by Drew Lazor

Last weekend saw the debut of SliCE, a gourmet takeout with freshness on the brain. The team's still crafting the final menu, but the golden-baked Neopolitian pizzas, including BBQ chicken and the classic margherita, should do well to tide you over. Non-pie eats include create-your-own calzones and SliCE-arotti, the ship's take on panzarotti. Bite This: Ficle pizza folks will love the "Quatro Stagione," a pie you customize quarter by quarter. Toppings include goodies like artichoke hearts, Maglio sausage, arugula and house-grated Parmesan.

Philadelphia Magazine

It may be called SliCE, but it's the fresh-from-the-oven-hand-tossed pies that made us love this bare-bones new South Philly spot. The thin, crisp crust is topped with a light blanket of fresh, chunky tomato sauce and generous handfuls of cheese. Take our suggestion: Keep it simple. Too many toppings can weigh this Neapolitan-style pizza down. Opt for the elegant margarita with fresh mozzarella, or garlicky Florentine.

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Slice is another best Philadelphia pizza joint reviewed on Best Philadelphia Pizza Blog (affiliated with Blog Pizza).