The best authentic pizza in the Philly area

[acewex]

Hello everyone: I wanted to hear your feedback as to what you felt was the best authentic pizza in the area. By authentic my requirements are:

1. Cooked in a wood burning or coal burning oven
2. Is done in a style of traditional Italian, Neapolitan or Sicilian Pizza
3. Doesn't have weird toppings on it (that's not authentic)

Here's what I came up with:

1. Tacconelli's-not totally authentic but possibly the best crust in the area
2. Pietro's in center city- coal fired, good crust, pizza has too much cheese though
3. Osteria-possibly the most authentic pizza in the area?

Please let me know your thoughts, I'm very curious to hear about Siclian. I've only had it from one place in south philly (can't remember the name) and while it was good I dont think it would have fallen into my top 5.

Look forward to hearing your thoughts...

[Buckethead]

The place you are thinking about in South Philly may be Slice.

[acewex]

No-it's a real South Philly place way down in south philly. I read that Slice was good though, definitely need to try it although it's not cooked the right way.

[barryg]

Slice is not Sicilian, it is a thin crust style. You may be thinking of Rosa Pizza near Broad & Snyder, which I recommend.

[bluehensfan]

Slice! is very good. And they just opened up a second location on Sansom near Rittenhouse. They use San Marzano tomatoes so it's pretty authentic!

[doxiemom]

LaScala's at Comcast Center has Sicilian by the slice that makes me drool....

[barryg]

You might be interested in Steven Starr's new Stella Pizza that is opening next week. They have a wood oven and seem to be trying hard to make a good Neopolitan pie.

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/th...

I know a lot of Starr places are not hits food wise, but I am excited about this one and I think it is a concept that Starr can really nail.

[rabidog]

barry, have you tried stella out? i've got to give them a thumbs up based on my lone experience. we went in JUST as the last couple was walking out, but they agreed to seat us, and i offered up that we'd be quick. got the margherita, fennel and olive and pepperoni pies. only one i didn't try was the pepperoni (vegetarian) but the other two were pretty fabulous. incredibly thin, not soggy, good sauce on the margherita. i'd like to visit again and try some more, but i'm happy with them so far. a little pricey, but good.

[barryg]

Yes, see this thread for opinions:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/656732

Overall I wasn't blown away. Due to the price I am not rushing back, but when opportunity knocks I would love to try it again.

[lawgirl3278]

Have you tried Marra's yet? I recommend it. Two things - (1) eat it there and (2) ask for it well done. I think you'll really like it.

[azveggieguy]

Any relation to the Marra's that used to be on the Baltimore Pike in Springfield long ago?

[lawgirl3278]

I have no idea. Marra's in South Philly has been around for 80 years. Maybe a relative opened a suburban location?

[iamzorba]

I think it is the same Marra's from Springfield. That was the first pizza I ever ate and it defines pizza for me. Still the best I ever ate. I ate there a lot in the '50s and after an absence of many years was very disappointed to see that it is no longer there. I think it's the same Marra's family from Passyunk.

[layla529]

Does Marra's have pizza or tomato pie? Some people confuse the two.

Thanks!

[Bigley9]

They have pizza

[Bob Loblaw]

of the 3 in your list, i've only been to pietros. like it quite a bit.
i always ask for extra basil, and they always oblige, which leads me to think that you could also ask for *less* cheese.

[layla529]

Still searching for a slice that taste like mostNY pizza joints. Not a margherita, not a gourmet...a good old fashion real tomatoe sauce, real cheese, crispy crust. Why is it so hard to get that?? If I find a good crust pizza, it usually has a sugar laden sauce, or globs of phoney cheese. I know pizza joints need to make profits, but come on, I went into a place in NY with admittedly too many flies, but got a nice big slice with perfect sauce and real cheese for less than 2.50! Why oh why...is it soo hard to find in my city???

[barryg]

NYPD Pizza & Lazarro's both have good slices in CC that are pretty close to your run of the mill Mahattan pizza joint. Franco Luigi's in South Philly does a regular cheese pie very well... excellent red sauce. If you order a tomato pie from them (just sauce & garlic on regular round crust)... this comes out extra crispy and the sauce is awesome. Never done slices there, though.

[layla529]

I definately will try all of them...thanks!

[lawgirl3278]

Try Dolce Carini in Center City as well. They do a plain slice with crushed tomatoes which is delicious.

[pschneider]

Joe's on 16th just below Sansom has an excellent NY-style slice. Not sweet, not gloppy. Crust is usually nicely crisp. Just good basic pizza.

[phillyjazz]

Joe's is always passed over, but makes a nice NY-style slice. Also, they are about the ONLY pizza shop that makes an excellent cheeses steak (without toasting cheap mozz on it..)

[rabidog]

first, i totally agree with you about eating the marra's pie there and not taking it out... why is that?!

i've gotten totally, impossibly hooked on the crushed-tomato style of sauce lately, particularly because i was sick over overly-sweet sauces and it's pretty hard to mess up just crushed/stewed tomatoes. two hits for me have been the margherita at dock st brewery (is that sage seasoning the tomatoes? it's really good) and the thin crust rectangle pie with chunky tomatoes & mozz at trio's trattoria on girard ave (between 3rd and 4th - fairly new). i've been all about the pizza lately. tonight was definitely a pizza and beer night at the rabidog house - just about polished off the trio's rectangle pie. actually, i'm heading to the kitchen for a midnite snack right about now... :)

[Philly Ray]

Because once you put a pizza (any pizza) in a box, it begins to steam and that makes the crust soggy.

Any pizza eaten fresh out of the oven wll be better than one that travelled in a box.

[lawgirl3278]

I'd say that's the reason. Which is why if I am eating it at home, I'll go and pick it up as opposed to delivery. Why wait an hour when you can have it fresher in 20-25 mins?

[rabidog]

ah, good call.

had a pizza sorta week this week.

ordered that tomato pie with moz from trios a few more times - it's truly one of my favorite pies i think largely in part due to the sauce... chunky tomatoes, not sweet AT all. i think i'm actually going for one tonite.

went back to mix in rittenhouse, a place i liked earlier. got a caper and kalamata olive pie (was in a salty mood). it was horrible and soggy. i don't know what happened there. used to quite like that place.

got a margarita pie from zios in center city... meh. totally average, sauce was too sweet for me.

[TeamPhilly]

I'm a a native New Yorker living in Philly for the last 20 years. I agree that good pizza is hard to find. Volare Pizza at the Ambler train station has good pizza. It is not wood fired but the owner is from Naples. He makes his own sauce and the crust is really good because he uses hard winter flour for a crisper/chewy crust.

[phillydogs]

Brick Oven / Thin Crust-
Tacconnelli's
Slice (tried both. South Philly location is better, My dough from Rittenhouse branch was chewy, actually hard to eat, like stale bread, weird)

NYC "fold-over" style-
How about Lorenzo's on south? Thats as close to NY as your gonna get. Lotsa drunk people, giant slices to fold in half.
I like Lazaro's but they have a sweet sauce.

Sicilian-
YES to La Rosa, on Broad & Snyder, awesome, no frills.

South Philly-
Franco & Luigis, always fantastic

[layla529]

You say "Lorenzos as close to NY as your gonna get???" NO WAY!!! Then you havent eaten at many NY pizza joints...seriously! Most NY joints you'd be hard pressed to try to fold their crusty slices......

Lorenzos= BIG slices, but phoney mystery cheese and not crispy by my definition of a crispy crust... Its a great place when you are hungry and maybe a little drunk.-but hardly should be compared to a slice from NY....

[phillydogs]

actually I lived in NY for 5 years.
and while there must be a few places to seek out that are really great.. I just don't get what all the fuss is about. Most of the pizza places I walked into off the street are mediocre at best, dirty garlic shakers covered with grime and a bum in the corner gripping a bottle of port wine.. Most of that stuff couldn't hold a candle to the average south philly pizza shop.

[Delucacheesemonger]

While this is probably the way to start an argument, l lived in NY from 2005-2008. Pizza is a high fav of mine. Over my time there, ate at least 50 pizza's in New York City. With the exception of Lombardi's clam pie when hot, a rarity and Co., which were very expensive, thought the whole experience was a waste of time. Went to the new 'hot' places, the old standards and many in between. Think me and NY ers just are looking for different things. After 2 years and change started driving to New Haven and was never disappointed. In Pa, have always loved Tacconelli's and will try, after these posts, Franco & Luigi's and Slice.

[uromac]

Honestly, I grew up in Rome, and my favorite pizza believe it or not is Bertucci's Margherita neopolitan pizza in Mt. Laurel, NJ - as it is a DOC pizza!

FYI - What is D.O.C. pizza (from DOC website) -D.O.C. stands for 'Denominazione di Origine Controllata'
Normally seen on authenticate bottles of Italian wine.
There are only two pizzas you need to make to certify:
Marinara: tomatos, oil, oregano , garlic
Margherita: tomatos, oil, mozazarela, basil
But trick is that it have to be done right. It does not have to be in Italy, USA is fine, but you have to produce a "real pizza" to be D.O.C.
Oven have to be wood burring and dough have to be made from right flour.
Here is how it should be:
1. A Wood-Burning Oven: Pizza Napoletana must be cooked in a wood-fired dome oven operating at roughly 800ºF.
2. Proper Ingredients: Tipo 00 flour, San Marzano tomatoes, all natural Fior di Latte or Bufala mozzarella, fresh basil, salt and yeast -- only fresh, all-natural, non-processed ingredients.
3. Proper Technique: Your pizza dough must be kneaded either by hand, or with a low speed mixer. No mechanical dough shaping is allowed, such as a dough press or rolling pin, and proper pizza preparation. Pizza baking time should not exceed 90 seconds.

Also my all-time favorite DOC pizza place is in Washington, DC - 2Amys
www.2amypizza.com - if you want great variety and taste!

My favorite rustica (square) type pizza usually sold by weight andfound sold in small street stores in Rome (style wise known as sicilian here) I have found to be Cacia's bakery (not 100% but pretty close to what I remember)

Just my opinion - I have had tacconelli's and having lived in NY always considered that pizza good but more Italo-American style and very good for what it is- but not truly 'Italian' I have also had NJ tomatoe pie, NY and New Haven style pizzas, and again they are styles more than the true Italian version - Osteria in Phila. seemed good just more show IMO. I will try Stella more because I'm curious about it and how Starr investigated all the best places around to come up with his own take on Pizza.

Again - these are my regular favorites - just my opinion - and I still love eating all types of pizza, inluding the local varieties for what they are - so I'm fair to all and eat them too so I'm not a pizza snob by any means!

Melissa

[TwoBellies]

I agree, Bertucci's is great, not to mention the free salad and rolls.

[phillyjazz]

Second that ... I've run into a lot of food snobs who will automatically diss ANY chain regardless of what they serve. This is not rocket science, and Bertucci's goes out of their way to use the right ingredients and equipment. And usually, there is free parking, and you can get beer with it.

The salad is not exactly killer, but hey ... you don't go their for that, right ?

[TwoBellies]

exactly. I also like Lickity Split on South Street, across from Jim's. You get a mammoth slice for $2.00.

[phillyjazz]

Can you still order Jim's steaks there ?? I had some buds in from France once and the line for Jims was down the block. We went to LS to drown out sorrows only to find they had a runner who could "jump the line" an brought us steaming steaks in a few minutes.

[TwoBellies]

not sure, but the line moves fast and is worth the wait ! Enjoy! I'm a blue collar eater and so sick of these people who think paying more brings you better tasting food. Give me a break, Osteria for Pizza? LOL!

[uromac]

Sorry - I realize for those that are interested the correct link for 2Amys in DC is:- www.2Amyspizza.com

Melissa

[rabidog]

gonna have to agree with you on the bertucci's. it's in my top 5 favorite pies in the phila area.

[LPhila]

Vino in Northern Liberties - good, brick oven, cheaper than Stella and Osteria. They'll have both the "authentic" as you call it and some offerings with weird toppings (I like the roast pork and broccili rabe).