Pizzeria Beddia

Store front

1970′s directory

Purrr-fection

Dr. J bobblehead approves.

1/8th’ing this bitch up.

Sausage in the house.

Hal A. Pain Yo’s

Vic Mackey would be proud.

Smile harder.

Pizzeria Beddia
115 E. Girard Ave.

Castro:

This week’s review belongs to a Philly newcomer. The Rookie of the year of cheese and sauce if you will. This is one that will surely turn heads in the near future. This spot easily has some of best pizza joints in the city taking the walk of shame, like a college freshman chick whose mascara is smeared down her face on a Saturday morning. I’m talking about the 10 week old “Pizzeria Beddia” in Northern Liberties. Located just a stones throw from the ever bustling and ever growing Frankford and Girard, I can almost guarantee you that they’re gonna have the dinner time rush on lock in the coming weeks. Forget Rustica. Forget Trios. This is the new jawn.

As I stood outside of this 2 story brick front building, I had no idea that I was staring into the face of one the finest pizzerias known to man. Other than the decal on the front door window, one might be lead to believe that it was simply a doctor’s office or a nail salon. Blink and you’ll totally miss it. As I entered, the scent of newly dried paint and freshly sanded wood, combined with the heavenly aroma of thin crust pizzas being blasted to perfection changed all that. Behind the counter stood single man sporting a throwback 76er’s snap back as he crushed an ice cold Kenzinger. Confident, comfortable and ready for battle he was. His beard glistened from the softly lit track lighting overhead. His weapon of choice? A deadly pizza peel constructed out of wood and steel that he surgically whipped around like a samurai’s katana blade. I tell you he was ten stories high if he was an inch. This was the man who was solely responsible for this Mecca of bubbly goodness. Not only does he own this newly birthed establishment, but he’s the head chef. Actually, he’s the only chef. You see, Joe Beddia is nothing short of pizza master. If there were a belt ranking system in the kitchen, he’d surely be a 10th degree black belt. He slings pie after pie from 5:30 to 10:30, 4 nights a week (that’s right, a 20 hour work week for all you math nerds). In some cases, he’ll completely sell out his dough halfway through the evening. Who else do you know that can put in half the hours as the other guy and still manage to destroy the competition? The answer is no one. He doesn’t even have a phone here. Oh, you want some pizza? Then strap on your crocs and beat feet to put your order in. It’s actually rather hilarious that Beddia’s advertised phone number is 215-555-5555. Joe jokingly told me that he might get it printed on some t-shirts. I love this idea. Even local critics on “Yelp” are stark raving mad about Beddia; and who can blame them. Nothing but 5 stars all around. Well, except for that one clown who barked “they were a bit pricey for me.” Hey chief, if you’d rather go to Tony’s and grab yourself a half assed, subpar pizza for ten bucks, then that’s your business. Me? I’d rather shell out the Andy Hamilton for a truly great dinner and walk away feeling like I could walk on water. Man, I wish I could beat that imbecile to death with his own shoe.

Beddia’s pizzas are like nothing you’ve ever had the opportunity of tasting. Just watching Joe lay out the foundation of sweet sauce with his trusty ladle, like he was conducting the London symphony orchestra, was mesmerizing. The hand pulled chunks of fresh, whole milk mozzerella were meticulously and cautiously placed within that circle of life. I opted for the ever succulent sausage that Joe grinds up and spices himself from scratch, using pork that’s imported directly from Lancaster County. Some of the best sausage I’ve ever tasted as a topping. After a brief 6 minutes in their 650 degree oven, the finishing touches were put on. This includes a generous grating of old gold gouda and a garnish of a fruity Californian olive oil. Mouthwatering. Bliss. Euphoria. Goosebumps. Just some of the many traits you’ll experience when this pizza hits your lips. I think the final addition of the extra virgin olive oil and grated cheese were what won this Filipino over. I gotta tell you, this is and will forever be the standard for what pizza should taste like.

I fell in love with everything Beddia has to offer the moment I stepped foot through the door. From first bite to the final crispy, blackened crust bubble. I was swept off my feet. If you’re gonna hit this place up, make sure you do it in the near future. I promise you, the pie line will surely wrap around building in the coming weeks. The summer of 2013 belongs to Joe Beddia and his masterpiece. Well done my friend.

Plichter:

There’s a certain comfort that comes with visiting a pizzeria with a short list of options. Such a menu exudes confidence, as if there’s no need for them to offer an abundance of frills; that their pizza can stand on its own. It’s a bold move to say the least, especially for a newly opened establishment that has to compete with the popularity of Pizza Brain. But I can honestly say that Pizzeria Beddia is up to the challenge.

Only a few steps from Johnny Brenda’s, Pizzeria Beddia has seen an amazing response since opening their doors about ten weeks ago. Open four days a week and five hours a day has created quite a buzz, almost similar to having to order your pizza a day in advance from Tacconelli’s. It’s almost a privilege to get there and order a pizza. Don’t plan on eating on eating inside though, since they can only accommodate about eight customers at the most. Personally, the wait time (a little over an hour) and lack of indoor seating wasn’t an issue for me. A couple beers at Johnny Brenda’s made the wait seem nonexistent.

This was one of the few pizzas where you open the box and become immediately excited. The thin crust, charred edges, and hot pickled peppers made my mouth water without even a bite. It was everything I thought it would be and totally worth the hype. I’m actually having a really hard time describing the tastes, but sometimes perfection can’t be described. You can absolutely expect this pizza to be in our top three of 2013. Between Pizzeria Beddia and Gennaro’s Tomato Pie, I am thoroughly impressed with the delicious and rustic pizza coming out of Philly. Crazy concoctions and specialty pies are nice, but nothing can match a finely made plain pizza. Just make sure to check their Twitter before making your way to Beddia. Word of mouth is starting to spread, and they’ve been known to run out of pizzas before closing for the night.

Lorenzo and Sons

New and Improved

Pizza wall murals are always cool.

The infamous slice.

It sureeeeeee is.

Big slices for corporate america.

Lorenzo and Sons
305 South Street

Castro:

This review is a long time coming, especially considering how we’re supposed to be these big time Philly pizza connoisseurs and whatnot. I’m going to be completely and utterly honest with what I have to say in the next few paragraphs. I will undoubtedly gain a rather large following of haters for speaking my mind on this topic. Lorenzo and sons pizza. A South Street landmark for as long as I can remember. It’s always been one of the more popular spots in the city for slices. When I was 13 and my mom first allowed me to take the train by myself, my day would usually consist of buying movie posters, CD singles from tower records, various things from condom kingdom that I would never use (probably because I was fat, ugly and stupid and no girl would ever think twice about touching me) and i’d cap it all off with a mammoth slice of za’ from Lorenzo’s. There’s no mistaking those gigantic slices that easily cover 2 whole paper plates.

Now that I’ve gotten my personal history with Lorenzo’s out of the way, I’d like to state my case on why Jonny Castro dislikes this particular pizza. This is in no way a new gripe or concern either. I’ve felt this way about them ever since I first laid bite on this slice 17 years ago. Lorenzo’s is nothing more than a novelty item. Something someone made as a joke one day and ended up sticking. Okay, we get it. You make really big pizza. Probably the biggest anywhere within 100 miles of Philly; but it tastes like every other pizza I’ve ever had…except you get roughly 2 1/2 slices worth of pizza for the price of one and it’s open until 4 am. This pizza is nothing more than a fake flower you wear on your tuxedo that squirts water. A hand buzzer. A pen that shoots out disappearing ink. It’s a gag. It’s the Macarena dance of food. I feel like the hype should’ve died down a really long time ago. Could I possibly be the only person alive that feels this way about Lorenzo’s pizza?! Is this like the twilight zone episode where the girl thinks she’s ugly and gets plastic surgery to look like everyone else, when in reality, it’s everyone else that’s ugly?! I guess I’ll never understand what people see in this place.

You wanna grab a slice from Lorenzo’s? Cool, I’m down. But don’t insult me and Plichter by hashtagging “#bestpizzaintheworld”. I’ll get super shitty at Manny Browns and then walk down the street at closing time to satisfy my drunger (drunk hunger), but that’s the extent of my love for LZ and sons. They’re an overrated pizza parlor that pumps out a pie that only someone from the suburbs would call “the best.” Lorenzo should have threw in the towel while their ashes were still smoldering.

Plichter:

Whether or not you’re a fan of Lorenzo and Sons, I think we can all agree that they’re a part of this town and South Street. For me, their presence is more about the nostalgia than the pizza. I had spent many a night there in my heyday, drunk on cheap beers from Makos and trying to formulate an order. But that was the old me, which was also ironically the young me. Makos doesn’t exist anymore, and my pizza tastes have developed over the years. This venture back was going to be interesting.

If you’ve had their pizza before and liked it, you’ve got nothing to worry about at Lorenzo and Sons. Despite the fact that they’re using new ovens, their pizza tastes exactly as I remembered it: like… pizza. It’s nothing to write home about. It’s neither good nor bad, but the value and memories outweigh anything else. I mean, can you really get a bigger slice of pizza for around three bucks?? You can’t even get a sandwich at Wawa for under seven bucks, and you have to be wasted to actually enjoy it. (I should mention that I’m REALLY disappointed with Wawa food as of late. The only time that it’s acceptable to consume is when you’re wasted beyond belief, and even that’s questionable.)

So in closing, I implore you all to once again embrace this newly revamped Lorenzo and Sons Pizza. For what they lack in originality, they make up for in character and value. They’re by no means my favorite in Philadelphia, but it’s good to have them back in the pizza community. I hope that Makos somehow follows suit and reopens so I can pretend to be 22 all over again. Welcome back.

Garces Trading Company

The Garces Trading Company

It’s pronounced “Gar says”

Bread and cheese and pizza oh my.

Oozin’ and snoozin’

Slices for yo’ ass

“I’m ready for my close up…”

It’s a fork and knife kinda evening

Classy caucasian business man seeks delicious, fun loving, deep dish pizza to devour.

The Garces Trading Places
1111 Locust Street

Plichter:

This was an interesting experience to say the least. We pledge allegiance to the thin, east coast style pizza for life. But that’s really only one half of the pie. There’s a whole world of deep dish pizza out there that we typically don’t devour; mostly because of its scarcity, but also because of our preference. Never one to back down from the exotic, our latest review brought us to Garces Trading Company for their deep dish pizza.

Being more of a casserole than a pizza by definition, the deep dish from Garces typically takes about forty minutes to cook. Fortunately for us, Garces has an extensive wine selection and is also BYOB. (I saw nothing wrong with sipping on a glass or two of red while waiting the forty minutes for such an elusive dish.) Forty minutes and a few glasses later, the wait was over. Although it was probably about ten inches in diameter, about three inches of its thickness was nothing but cheese. The buttery crust was baked to perfection, and tasted closer to a legitimate pie crust than a pizza. Atop the freshly piled mozzarella was the oven roasted san marzano tomato confit, which was delightfully acidic in its own way. If I had it my way, the sauce to cheese ratio could’ve been a little more comparable. The dish was probably about 75% cheese, but will keep you cheese lovers coming back for more.

Will I go for the deep dish from now on? Probably not. I’m a thin crust guy and always will be. But that’s not to say that this pie wasn’t delicious. This was more of an overall experience than just grabbing a couple slices. Aside from the pizza, the wine and atmosphere made this a review I won’t soon forget. If you haven’t been to Garces or tried the deep dish pizza, I feel sorry for you. I can assure you that a follow-up review will be coming soon to give their traditional pizzas a try.

Castro:

A few months ago, one of the doughboys’ devoted fans (A Californian at that) posted a link on our facebook wall to an article which highlighted 75 pizza places in America that you absolutely must try. 7 of them were located within the Philadelphia area. The list was nothing new to me. I was more than familiar with them all except for one. The Garces Trading Company. The article went on to describe their pizza as a truly authentic Chicago deep dish style pizza. This immediately got my attention because I’ve always had a hankering to sample the wonder that is Chicago deep dish, but never really had a chance to make it out that way. The closest that I’ve ever gotten were the DDP’s that Pizzeria UNO churns out. Don’t get me wrong. Their DDP’s are quite alright in my book. We actually reviewed them a while back. I mean, they do hold bragging rights for inventing the word “deep dish pizza”. Having said that, I wanna be able to taste what Chi-town residents take for granted every single day of their lives. I want to know what mid-west pizza has that we don’t. I want to be able to savor legit deep dish pizza before I die; and tonight…I may very well get that chance.

As you enter, you’ll take notice that it’s not only a restaurant, but an adorable little market in which you can purchase hunks of imported cheeses and deli meats sliced by the pound. Do you consider yourself a coffee guru? Then scoop a pound of their freshly roasted coffee beans. Oh, you’re one of those weirdos that request that your friends refer to you as an olive oil aficionado? Then grab a plate and dip some of their freshly baked bread in a puddle of their delectable homemade olive oils. The point is, there’s a buttload of different things going on at the GTC than just sitting down for lunch or dinner.

Now, back to the pizza. I came here for one thing and one thing only. To sink my teeth into the deepest of dishes. A little word to the wise: These pies are roughly 3 inches thick, so you’re looking at a minimum bake time of about 45 minutes. I called ahead and placed my order. This way, when I sat down my pie was just about ready, Freddy. As my waitress laid this beast onto my table, I was in complete awe. This thing had to weigh 5 pounds and could easily feed 4 linebackers. The second you separate your first slice with your own personal spatula, you begin to understand the concept of deep dish pizza. A combination of molten, ooey-gooey gruyere and mozzerella cheeses as well as a super chunky, sweet San marzano tomato confit just completely blanket the inside walls of this pie. My favorite part of this experience was taking the crust, smothering it with the fallen puddles of hardened cheese and clumps of sauce. The thickness of this bad boy reminds me of slicing into a freshly baked, double layer birthday cake. I fell in love at first bite. Next time, I want some candles put in it so I can make a wish for world peace and more deep dish pizza joints to pop up around Philly. My expectations of what an authentic Chicago deep dish pie tastes like were easily surpassed with this visit to the Garces Trading Company. Hands down, doughboys approved in this Filipino’s eyes.

PEACE A PIZZA

PEACE A PIZZA

Choose your fate

The marvelous margherita and the beautiful backyard BBQ

The classy Mediterranean

It aint easy bein’ cheesy

Spicy chicken

“If eating pizza with a tie on is cool, consider me Miles Davis.”

That awkward moment when you have to take pictures of yourself in a crowded restaurant

PEACE A PIZZA

4 Station Road, Ardmore PA

Castro:

Every now and again I truly cherish those rare times in this business where I get to depart this filthy city and enjoy a slice of pizza in the suburbs. In this case, I got to watch as the dilapidated row homes of West Philly slowly turned into the luxurious Bruce Wayne style manors of beautiful Ardmore. What better way to cap off such a relaxed drive then to scarf down a few slices at PEACE A PIZZA. Normally, I would gladly pass on the opportunity to review yet another chain restaurant, but word on the street is PEACE A PIZZA has got it goin’ on. Located just steps away from the Septa Train junction in downtown historical Ardmore, PEACE A PIZZA surely has the hungry “9 to 5″ commuter monopoly on lock.

I can already tell you that there’s definitely gonna be some haters regarding this particular review. Some of you will compare this place to the likes of a liberal sbarro, serving nothing more than mediocre pre-made slices on-the-go. I did a quick yelp search to see what people were saying about PEACE A PIZZA and the reviews were absolutely horrendous. One thing I’ve learned from doing this is that you can never, EVER, trust Yelp. It’s mostly idiots who want to be assholes because their pizza came out 5 minutes too late, and will stop at nothing to completely trash a place’s reputation just because it’s their only way to get the last laugh. Anyway, from the moment you enter, you can tell that you’re gonna have a tough time deciding on what kind of za’ you’ll want. They have anything and everything under the sun to satisfy your pizza needs. If you can imagine it, they probably will make it. Today was payday, so I figured I would ball out of control and get me 3 slices.

The first on deck was the Margherita, or as they call it, the “Fresh Mozzarella.” A nice way to start my visit. The juicy sliced plum tomatoes complimented their chunky, sweet red sauce. My favorite part were the melted puddles of gooey mozzarella cheese that littered my slice. It definitely lived up to it’s name and left me anticipating my next client.

The second slice of this trip went to the “Backyard BBQ”. Clumps of succulent pulled pork infused with a little smokey BBQ sauce were, without a doubt, the backbone of this backyard wonder. It was smothered in a deadly combination of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, and garnished with a little chopped red onion and fresh cilantro. I was particularly impressed with this slice. Every ingredient worked off the next. The hickory BBQ sauce and the hint of lime that the cilantro gave off were the MVP’s. It was reminiscent of Manayunk’s couch tomato’s pulled pork pie, only a tad bit better.

My third and arguably most delicious slice of the day goes to the “Mediterranean.” A meatless gem that took me by surprise and swept me off my feet. First the stretched dough is sent into the 550 degree oven with a coating of mozzarella and parmesan cheese, ultimately transforming it into somewhat of a cheesy bread of sorts. After it cools down, it’s generously topped with a variety of garden-esque toppings. Baby spinach, diced tomato, red onion, kalamata olives, artichokes, roasted red peppers, feta cheese and a sprinkling of olive oil. Then…it waits. It lies motionless with complete confidence on the counter among the all other pizzas, stalking it’s prey. When an unsuspecting victim chooses this underdog, it’s tossed back into the oven, reactivating the cheeses and breathing life into all of those healthy greens. The first bite explodes with juices from the endless array of fresh vegetables. The garlicky taste from the twice baked cheesy dough is the dominant flavor until you toss your last crust to the wayside. For a split second I felt like one of those people that doesn’t eat meat. What are they called again? Oh yeah, weirdos…

I loved everything about this visit to PEACE A PIZZA. I half expected at least one of my 3 slices to be a complete letdown, but they came out strong and totally killed it. If you’re in the area of St. Joe’s or just want to take a leisurely drive out to Ardmore to see some gorgeous mansions that you’ll never be able to afford, stop in for a quick bite to eat. Decide for yourself if PEACE A PIZZA is the slice king of Montgomery County.

Plichter:

One perk of buying a car on the Mainline is that fact that PEACE A PIZZA is within walking distance. For that matter, having to return to the same dealership for whatever reason becomes less irritating when PEACE A PIZZA is within walking distance. While waiting for my free oil change, I decided to kill two birds with one stone by strolling around the corner and indulging in their interesting pie selection.

For over 15 years, PEACE A PIZZA has been serving up some of the best za right outside Philadelphia. Classic pies are always my favorite, but I thought I’d give their Mac n’ Cheese and Spicy Chicken pizzas a chance. Starting with a layer of crème fraiche, the Mac n’ Cheese pizza is completed with ziti pasta, creamy cheddar, and mozzarella cheeses before being seasoned to mouth-watering perfection. The neon orange of the cheddar was enough to catch this Doughboy’s eye. Five minutes later, and this gooey bastard was ready to be hoisted into my mouth. But I noticed right away that something was missing, and that was the lack of cheddar flavor. Everything else was there, but it seemed a bit bland without that cheddar kick. I’ve almost always steered clear of pies with pasta, and this was exactly why: it just seemed like a pile of mush in my mouth. The crust was impressive enough to save this one, but not by much. In my opinion, I’d avoid this one.

Following that disappointment, I got working on the Spicy Chicken slice. Topped with bell peppers, onions and chunks of chicken, I knew pie would redeem its predecessor. Or so I thought… Again, I was a bit let down with this slice. Not only were the bell peppers dull, but the ratio of chicken to peppers was WAY off. I basically got a mouth full of onion flavor in every bite. Don’t get me wrong, I like red onions. But I also like to taste the other ingredients involved.

I’ve been to PEACE A PIZZA about three times in my lifetime, and this was the most disappointing experience. Considering how hungry I was, I envisioned that this visit would be a slam dunk of deliciousness. However, please do not let my disappointment deter you from visiting and trying their other pies. Before this last visit, I had their Chicken Parm and Chicken Bacon pies and both were outstanding. I’m all about trying new things, but I should’ve stuck to what I knew this time around.

Gennaro’s Tomato Pies

Storefront certified

No shirt, no shoes but I still get service.

Half n’ half

Mama’s balls of meat.

Real hero.

“Why are these guys taking so many pictures of themselves?”

A trio of pizza masters.

Gennaro’s Tomato Pies
1429 Jackson Street

Plichter:

With the endless pizza possibilities these days, it’s easy to stray from the traditional pies we grew up on. It’s nice to try new and outrageous concoctions every once in a while, but sometimes, you just can’t beat an old-fashioned pizza. Enter: Gennaro’s Tomato Pie, a pizzeria frozen in time and rooted in simplicity. Michael Giammarino, operator of the famous Lombardi’s in New York, is the mastermind behind this quaint pizzeria located at 1429 Jackson. If it were anything like Lombardi’s, South Philadelphia would be one lucky area.

My indecisive nature almost always makes ordering a pizza much harder than it has to be. But the manageable menu at Gennaro’s makes ordering easy, since it only consists of a few salads/appetizers, some desserts, and PIZZA. It’s almost as if they’re saying, “This is what we have, and you don’t need anything else.” And they’re absolutely right. We heard great things about both the white and tomato pies, so we decided to split it up; half white with garlic spinach & sliced tomato, and half tomato with meatball & red onion. About ten minutes later, it was time to dine.

Along came our well-done pie, which I could literally smell as it made its way to our table. I knew right off the bat that I had to go with the red side first, since the onion and meatball aroma was flooding my nostrils, and sending impending pleasure signals to my taste buds. The pungent red onions were an excellent compliment to the homemade meatballs, which were incredibly tasty on their own. Their crushed tomato sauce had such a rustic taste, as if it were simply smacked to a pulp with a mallet before being spread over a thin sheet of dough. And speaking of their dough, this was quite possibly the thinnest crust I have ever had. If you’re into thin crust pizza, this is the place for you.

Although I’m not much of a spinach fan, I do appreciate it on white pizza if done correctly. In this case, the spinach had a real garlic taste that only added to the flavor. The sliced tomatoes were so finely baked atop the pie that they almost melted in your mouth. And aside from the great taste, the ricotta cheese also provided a consistency that held the toppings in place. (Although it did weigh down the thin crust, but I didn’t mind.) Was it the best white pie I ever had? Probably not, but it was damn close.

Being affiliated with Lombardi’s, you can rest assured that you’re dealing with people who know how to make pizza at Gennaro’s. Isabella’s and Stogie Joe’s used to be my favorite spots in South Philadelphia, but I think a new king has been crowned. Make sure you save room for dessert if you’re headed to Gennaro’s, because their house made desserts are equally as impressive as their pizzas. The pineapple upside down cake served with fresh cream was absolutely transcendent.

Castro:

Very rarely does a pizza joint come along where the anticipation builds up to the point that I find myself googling information before I’ve even tasted their goods. The one word that intrigued me when I first heard rumors flying about Gennaro’s tomato pies, like gossip in an all girls high school locker room, was “Lombardi’s”. In case you’ve been living under a rock and you have no idea what Lombardi’s is, I’ma learn you some knowledge right quick. In 1897, Gennaro Lombardi began peddling tomato pies from his corner grocery store to the local factory workers of Manhattan. This delicious trend quickly caught on and in 1905, Lombardi’s officially opened it’s doors as the first pizzeria in the United States. Lombardi’s has been featured on just about every single notable article or TV show regarding the history of pizza in this country. It’s a historical landmark as far as I’m concerned. I’ve personally never had the privilege to visit Lombardi’s in New York, but since it’s current owner Mike Giammarino opened “Gennaro’s” at 1429 Jackson Street in South Philly, I need not travel 80+ miles just to sample a taste of pizza history…and neither do you.

Gennaro’s screams old school from the second you lay eyes on the exterior. The giant store front glass windows. The vintage swinging, hanging sign. The black and white striped awning. I felt like it would be the perfect backdrop should I have gotten whacked walking in. The front door could’ve very well been a time portal, because it was as if I stepped into the 1940′s. The walls are draped from the ceiling down to the bright white ceramic tile with authentic World War 2 nostalgia. From the classic “buy war bonds” propaganda to newspapers declaring war on foreign countries, they really went all out in taking you back to that era. Antique knob dial radios hung overhead and softly echoed the smooth sounds of 40′s jazz music. There’s even framed black and white photographs as tribute to the 1st and 2nd generation pizza making Lombardi family members. The classic “pizza shop red” table tops and wooden chairs are the final attributes in making this one of the only truly authentic, old world pizza parlors in Philly.

There’s only 2 styles of pizza here. You can either grab yourself a tomato pie or a white pie. Forget all those specialty buffalo chicken and taco pizzas. If you have a problem with that, then venture to one of the countless other, easily forgettable South Philly pizza shops for your pies. Gennaro’s stays true to their roots and only dishes out traditional throwback toppings; such as pepperoni, sausage, meatball and anchovies. We asked our waitress to hit us with what they’re best known for. We were greeted with 16″ a half red with meatball and red onion, and a half white with tomato and spinach. You couldn’t have asked for a better selection. The pizzas are thin crust and blackened to perfection, just like the old days. In fact, Mike personally had an oven custom built to mimic the taste of Lombardi’s world famous coal oven pizzas, without the use of coal. The mini-meatballs were so tender and juicy, they remind me of sneaking into my grandmom’s kitchen and stealing one of her homemade meatballs from the pot before dinner. The raw tomato sauce was so simple and so crisp, that it was easily identifiable as something passed down in a family tree. Combine the light, chunky sauce with gooey and bubbly whole milk mozzerella and you got something that Philly has been longing for since the dawn of pizza. Mike sticks to the basics and only utilizes the 3 main pizza food groups with his pies. Cheese, sauce and dough. I must add that after you’ve polished off your pizza, you absolutely must sample the “pineapple upside down cake.” Madone de mia. Homemade, moist pineapple cake with freshly made cream on the side. That first bite is like slowly slipping into a warm bath. The perfect way to end your visit to Gennaro’s.

With great pizza comes rules. No slices here. You better carry cash with you, because credit card machines are a no-go. Don’t even think about phoning in a delivery. You want to call ahead for pick up? Mike will surely give you a 15 minute window to grab your pizza, depending on how busy they are. You can be assured that they WILL be busy. He takes these measures to preserve and maintain the highest quality pizza for his customers. Gennaro’s could be one of the greatest things to hit the Philly pizza scene in a long time. If you need me and I’m not at home, then I can probably be found scarfing down a meatball pie or two at Gennaro’s.

Bufad Pizza

The new kid on the block

Tatted to the matted

boss menus

Roman’s revenge

Adding the finishing touches

Reppin’ the history of 13th street on the walls

Whatchu know ’bout Boylan’s root beer and spring water imported from Tuscany?

Order up!

Margherita? More like, Mar-GREAT-a…

Oozin’ and drippin’

Potato and egg and egg and potato

Smothered in yolk

Could be my favorite-est pizza of all time.

Crushin’ that crust

Bufad Pizza
1240 Spring Garden

Castro:

A few days ago, I was reluctantly on my commute into work. I ended up taking an uncharted route that I normally wouldn’t take due to the useless construction on 95. As I miserably sat at the light on Spring Garden at 13th Street, I couldn’t help but notice a beautiful wood sign lining the corner property that read “Bufad”. There was a gnarly window decal of an early 1900′s, mustached-bodybuilder, who’s wearing a wife beater and covered in traditional tattoos on the front door. I immediately pulled over, got out and pressed my face against the glass in hopes of determining what this posh place was; but alas…I was stumped. Intrigued, I did a quick google search on this fancy pants new restaurant that seemed to emerge overnight. The first search results included the words “Wood fired pizza.” Cue my inner fat kid’s wide eyed excitement.

Bufad is the newest restaurant to partake in the wood fire fueled, Neapolitan style pizza race that more and more Philly joints seem to be chalking on their résumés. They officially opened their doors for business on February 1st. 5 days old and already they’re making a name for themselves in this city. As soon as you enter, you’re greeted by some gorgeous, upscale decor. The interior wallpaper is an homage to Philadelphia’s historic 13th street. A Chinese food take out container that pays tribute to “Yum-Yum”, the chinese restuarant that stood in this very spot for decades before Bufad. A horse, which marks an early 19th century stable house that was housed directly across the street. A loom (sewing machine) that represents the old sewing factory just south of here that’s currently home to Cafe Lift, Bufad’s sister bruncherie. The knives, which recognizes all the local 13th street restaurants throughout the years. And finally, the shears, that are traditionally used to cut Roman style pizzas. I’ve never seen anything like this before. This is the definition of originality and only the beginning of this killer visit.

I knew right away that I needed to have the signature “Margherita” pizza. It came to my table with an exquisite reddish-orange sauce, which reminded me of the moon’s hue on a hot August night. 4 simple ingredients make this pie what it is. Super sweet, uncooked San Marzano Sauce. Fresh clumped mozzarella. Torn basil leaves and a little extra virgin olive oil. The dough? A truly Neapolitan recipe. Nothing but authentic double-zero flour from Italy, salt, water and yeast. The pies here are ready in roughly 3-4 minutes after a blasting in their 850 degree, hickory wood fired oven. I say this often, but San Marzano tomatoes are the best to use in pizza sauce because of their signature sweetness. The warm, gooey cheese just seemed to slide down my throat with each bite. The crust was chewy, with random spots of crispy, blackened char. One of the better crusts I can ever recall eating. Be sure to get at least one of these pies when you make your visit. You’ll thank me later.

The one pie that caught my attention after browsing their menu was the “potato and egg” pie. Paper thin slices of Yukon gold potatoes, slithers of salty prosciutto, a combination of fontina and mozzarella cheeses and then it’s topped off with a single egg; cracked open and dropped directly in the center. The oven heat cooks the egg, ultimately leaving you with a runny, sunny side up egg on top. I was instructed to take my fork, bust open the egg yolk and then spread it evenly on top of the 4 slices. Hands down, one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had the honor of eating. It was almost like a really elegant and classy breakfast pizza. On a side note. I washed my slices down with a bottle of “Boylan’s root beer”. If you don’t know ‘bout Boylan’s, it’s made from pure cane sugar, rather than high fructose syrup or artificial sweetener. It’s simply the finest root beer known to man.

I arrived shortly after Bufad opened for the day and every table was available. 30 minutes later, and not a single table was left unoccupied. Not to mention the line of hungry customers, anxious to see what Bufad was hittin’ for. Keep an eye out for the “mustached tattoo guy” in the coming months. 2013 will definitely be the year of Bufad. Great service, an intimate dining atmosphere and unbelievably delicious pizza. You would think that they’ve been pumping out pizzas for years with how perfect these pies came out. Expect big things from Bufad. They got the pizza game on smash.

Plichter:

The city of Philadelphia continues to amaze me with each and every gourmet pizzeria that opens. Cheap pizzas with low-quality ingredients have given way to delicately crafted artisan pies in recent years. And even though the bar of excellence is constantly being raised on a weekly basis, I can definitely say that Bufad might have placed it out of reach of the competition.

In an area of the city that (in my opinion) has never had a decent pizzeria sits Bufad, the new pizza joint at the corner of 13^th and Spring Garden. Although they only have six pizzas on their menu, I can assure you that you really don’t need more than the two I ordered: the Margherita and the Potato & Egg.

Instead of sliced San Marzano tomatoes for their Margherita, Bufad opts to use an uncooked paste to start things off. The torn basil, fresh mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil are all then added in traditional form before being slid into their wood fired oven. As far as Margherita pies go, this one was about as close to perfect as you can get. The San Marzano paste had the freshest taste I’d ever experienced. But the slightly charred crust stood out the most. The handles were a bit doughy, but incredibly tasty. Definitely kept my attention.

On deck was the Potato & Egg. Covered with Yukon potatoes, scallions, prosciutto, fontina and mozzarella cheese, an egg is the final topping that compliments all the aforementioned. I honestly find prosciutto a bit salty and tough for my liking, but this time was different than my last experience. The saltiness of the prosciutto with the potato was outstanding to say the least. And with their slightly buttery tasting crust, this pie will keep me coming back for as long as they’re around. Ladies and gentlemen, the king of Fairmount pizza has been crowned.

Blackbird Pizzeria

“Blackbird singing in the dead of night.” (courtesy of instagram user becky_ws)

Chalky white

Men you

“The Funghi” A.K.A “The Fun Guy”

“The Haymaker”

No animals were harmed in the making of these pies.

The Seitan Pepperoni

Not ‘cho nacho

“All vegan and no meat make John go something something.”

Poppin’ my vegan cherry.

Blackbird Pizzeria

507 S. 6th Street (between Lombard and South)

Castro:

Let me set the record straight before I even get this next review off the ground. I love meat. I adore meat. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy devouring things that were once alive and innocently grazing this lovely planet. The only thing better than eating meat is eating meat with another side of meat. Over the last 19 months, Plichter and I have consumed countless slices of pizza smothered in glorious shards of seared animal flesh. The one thing that we’ve neglected is a vegan pizza. It’s actually kind of selfish, because I can totally picture the animal friendly community reading our posts and disregarding anything the doughboys have to say…but then again, doesn’t everybody? I gotta hand it to them though. Those who practice these dietary ideals have mad heart. No chocolate milk? No rib eye steaks? No taco bell doritos locos tacos?! Y’all got some issues.

Blackbird pizzeria opened their doors for business a block north of 6th and South about 2 years ago. Apparently the need for an establishment which caters to the pizza needs of the Philly area “veganites” is in high demand. And why shouldn’t it be? Pizza is the best, with or without animal by-products. At first glance of their menu, you can tell that they’ve put some serious time and thought into perfecting their starting line up of pizzas. Blackbird is owned and operated by fellow veganites, who live and die by this lifestyle. They only utilize ingredients that they’d like to see on something that they themselves would eat. Throw them a “like” on Facebook and you can get advance notice on some killer “limited time only” pies. I just missed out on a buffalo chicken, mushroom and habanero pepper pie called “The chicken in the woods”. I’d do terrible random acts of violence for just a little sample of that pie.

Today, I decided on 2 of Blackbird’s top sellers. The first was “The Haymaker”. It’s a 12″ pizza brushed with garlic butter on the crust. Then it’s topped with “daiya cheese”, which is made from cassava root and arrow root. Sounds pretty unappetizing, right? Think again. Even though it’s made from various plant roots, it’s consistency was strikingly similar to fresh mozzarella. Add some red onion, fresh oregano and red sauce. Herein lies my problem. The sauce was extremely thick, almost like a tomato paste. I’m not sure if this is a vegan thing or not but I really wasn’t feelin’ it. The seitan sausage was the final addition. It’s basically a “wheat meat” with a blend of spices that gave it an authentic pork taste. I couldn’t tell the difference. I have mixed feelings on this pie. The savory, buttery crust and spicy faux-sage were delicious, but weren’t enough to get me passed the thick vegan pizza sauce.

My second pie choice (and my favorite of the duo) was the “Funghi”. This pie also starts off with a brushing of garlic butter. Then a handful of truffle oil mozzarella style “daiya cheese” is scattered throughout. Followed by some fresh thyme and then it’s polished off with 8 different types of mushrooms (including shitakes and white truffles) that are imported from a single local mushroom grower. I’m a huge fan of fresh ‘shrooms on pizza…and I stress “FRESH”. I cannot stand when pizza joints pop the lid off of a can of generic mushrooms and dump them on their pies. It’s sacreligious to the fullest. All the different tastes and textures from the various mushrooms were perfect. When I asked for a sprinking of grated parmesan cheese to add some flavor, I was told they have something called “nutritional yeast” which alot of people substitute for the cheesy topping. The name is extremely awkward but it worked really well. The “Funghi” was a home run.

All in all, this was an extremely informative visit to this mysterious and meatless lifestyle. I knew absolutely nothing about veganism before walking through the doors. It gave me a better understanding about what they stand for. Having said all that, I think that I’ll stick with my double bacon and extra cheese pizzas when I’m craving the almighty wonder that is ‘za.

Plichter:

After King Lorenzo died, many places in the South Street area have been eyeing up a very prestigious position. Who exactly has the best pizza in the Bella Vista area of Philly? Stella? Nomad? The torch has to be passed on to someone, and Blackbird has officially thrown their hat into the ring.

Over the past couple months, I’ve heard nothing but great things about this strictly vegan pizzeria right off of South Street. A self proclaimed foodie, I was a bit skeptical at first. I mean, I have plenty of vegan and vegetarian friends. But honestly, I think most of their meatless food substitutes taste like crap. Blackbird unjustifiably had its work cut out for them.

I walked in, took a gander at the slice pies, and immediately knew I had to have the Nacho Pizza. I don’t know how vegan cheese is made or what’s in it, but the cheddar Daiya cheese on this thing looked like straight up radioactive orange nacho cheese. (After a little research, Daiya is made from cassava and arrowroot, and is a much healthier alternative to traditional cheese.) Topped with avocado, caramelized onions and jalapeno peppers, this was honestly one of the most impressive slices of pizza I’ve ever had. Again, since my expectations for vegan pizza were exceptionally low, I was thoroughly impressed.

Next up was the slice of seitan pepperoni. A meatless substitute, seitan is a wheat gluten that’s an alternative to soybean-based products such as tofu. The uneducated would probably mistake it for sliced steak meat, or maybe even leather. It’s not exactly pleasing to the eye to say the least. It was grey and dry looking, but had an interestingly spicy taste to it. It won’t be my first topping of choice in the future, but it’s worth a try.

Personally, I believe that humans are natural carnivores. But if I had to live in a world without meat, Blackbird would be my restaurant of choice. While you’re there, be sure to try some of their natural sodas as well. But do yourself a favor and get that nacho pizza before you do anything else.