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May 5, 2007

Jake's Pizza

Jake's Pizza is bold, if nothing else. They named their website bestpizzainphilly.com. So Chill Rob A and I decided to head to 201 North Broad Street and give it a shot. The place itself is pretty damn impressive. An incredible mural of Philadelphia is on the wall. Next to that is a really strange painting of a Mummer on fire. They have outdoor seating, a big plus. The staff is friendly and attentive. In fact, the only thing not perfect about the place is the pizza. It's not that it's bad. It's quite serviceable. But it's not perfect. Here was Rob's take:
To be honest, you have to wonder about a place I have worked about four blocks from for 2 years, and yet have never been. First, the good stuff: I liked the overall lived-in quality of the place. It seems like the kind of place firefighters, hospital orderlies and nurses from Hahnemann, located just down the street, would frequent. If the people that keep you alive for a living like a place, it must be a-ok, right? Uh...

The murals are fantastic: Boathouse Row, check; Fairmount Water Works, check; Museum of Art, check; City Hall, check; Mummer on Fire, check and double check. In fact, I would suggest going here just to check out the mural arts program inside. Not to mention the not to be missed Russian child paper plate collection, tacked to the walls with thoughtless abandon. Perhaps to ward off the dreaded Mummer on Fire who storms the place every New Year's? Dunno.

The staff was nice and there seemed to be a nice strange mix of regulars milling around during the just-post lunch rush. People watching with pizza a plus--this place is good for it.

So far, so good....then I ate the pizza.

The first slice was 'roni. I had to give it the five deep dabs with the napkin in order to remove the grease. After that, it wasn't half bad, very thin crust. An average slice made more enjoyable with flaming Mummers in the background and the outdoor seating I was enjoying on this beautiful Spring day. Oh yeah, and they actually HAD fountain soda. Always a plus. The second slice was the Supreme. Not bad. Thick crust, good veggies and good roni. The third slice was cheese. I could not eat it, not for lack of hunger but because it tasted awful. It actually did not taste like pizza. Overall rating (with one extra 'roni for "Mummer on Fire")--2 roni.

Damn, yo. 2 ronis is a little harsh. The murals and friendly service make it better than two by themselves. The pizza was so-so, but not bad. Except for Rob's cheese slice. I had a sausage slice, which was decent, and a tomato pie with a bit mozzarella on top that was pretty good. My score is 3 ronis. We'll compromise and give it a 2 1/2.

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May 3, 2007

Top Tomato with Mike

Went with Mike of the Satan's Minions to Top Tomato (1107 Walnut) recently to try out their pizza, and found it to be a lot better than it was the last time I tried it, which was years ago. I got the marinara with mozzarella and a buffalo chicken slice. Both were very good, the marinara being a little bit better. The red sauce is excellent. And the prices are incredibly cheap. Here was Mike's take:
On walking in to Top Tomato, two things struck me as a bit confusing. One: where am I? The décor, while very nice and certainly way above what one expects in a pizza parlor, has the look and feel of a coffee shop in Santa Fe. Two: where’s the waiter? The various booths and tables (of which there are plenty) had numbers in little stands on each. After a minute or two with no waiter apparent, as we walked up to the counter, I was still wondering about the numbers. Perhaps they only had table service when they were busy?

Anyway, once at the counter, things took a decided turn for the better. There were at least 15 to 20 different types of slices from which to choose. And, a pleasant surprise to boot. When you go to a place with nice décor and wait service, you kind of expect the prices to be a bit on the high side. Not so here. Not only were they very reasonable ($1.75 for a plain slice), but each pie was clearly labeled with the type and price. I consider the acid test of a pizza joint to be the plain cheese slice, so I got one of those and a white slice with spinach as well.

When we paid, the wait service confusion was cleared up and we got another nice surprise. First, they gave us a number to put on our table so the counterman could bring us our hot slices when they came out of the oven. Second, they only have one size of fountain drink: all you can drink. They give you a cup and let you refill it as much as you want for a very good price. Plus, the fountain had a button for plain seltzer, which I like.

The slices were brought to our table shortly, right out of the oven. I had to do a little hunting about the restaurant for some pepper, garlic, and oregano, but other than that, it was a pretty nice lunch. The plain slice was hot, thin, and very crispy. Nothing special, but more than OK. The white slice was well above average. It had lots of spinach and big globs of ricotta all over. The ricotta was very fresh.

Overall, Top Tomato has good pizza at good prices, lots of variety, a endless soda fountain, and plenty of place to sit, all set in a nice (if somewhat un-Philadelphia like) décor. But remember, don’t wait to be seated, you’ll waste time standing that you could be eating. Overall, I give it 3.5 pepperonis.

Man, I hate giving out another 3.5, but all 3 places so far are very extremely good w/o being excellent, but I do heartily suggest all of them if you're hungry. And Top Tomato is a borderline 4.

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June 30, 2006

Johnny Grabs Pizza at Pazzo's

The Great Pizza Hunt continues to limp along, as Johnny finally grabbed some more pizza. Geez, about time. Anyway, he went with Eric B. of the Axis of Evil Knieval to Pazzo's (41 South 19th Street, just north of Walnut). It's a pretty nice place, a little more upscale than your typical pizza joint, and it has a full bar. More importantly, it has a jukebox. The jukebox was OK, lots of classic rock standards, could use a little more soul and hip hop, if you ask me. The pizza was extremely good. We got a sausage and pepper pizza. The sauce was excellent, but they didn't give us nearly enough of it. They should double up on the tasty sauce. The service was kind of blah. Here was Eric B.'s take:

Nice, very clean atmosphere. Almost *too* clean for a pizzeria, much less one in Philly. Decent jukebox and good-looking servers. The pizza: as far as gourmet pizzas go, it wasn't too bad. However, I am usually not a gourmet pizza kinda guy. The crust was thin, glazed with butter and cooked well. The sauce, though tasty, was a bit sparse. The cheese was delicious, as were the fresh sausage and roasted red peppers. I started slowly and then wolfed down my half of the pie with abandon. 20 minutes later I was hungry again. I suppose it's the mark of any good meal that it should leave you wanting more.

The pizza made for a good summer lunch, but if you're looking for something a little more hearty (hey, Philly's an eatin' town, and I'm an eatin' man) you'd be better off someplace else. I give it 3.5 out of 5.

Yeah, Eric's right on. The servers were pretty good looking. In fact, one of them played last night, and she was pretty damn cute. The pizza, like I said before, was one of the best I've had in Center City. A little more sauce and we'd be looking at a four. As it stands, it gets a 3 1/2, a solid pie I heartliy recommend.

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June 5, 2006

Johnny Goes to Marra's

I went to Marra's in South Philly with a couple of ladies from Team Swampass, Ginny and Ellen. The place looks great from the outside, and has a cozy feel on the interior. The pizzas on the menu sounded pretty good. We went with one that was half-pepperoni, artichoke. The other, called the Bianca, was a bit more intriguing. I'll let Ellen tell you more about it:
It's combo of broccoli rabe, sun-dried tomatoes, and sausage kept every bite interesting. The sharp provolone was heroic in proportion and in garlic dose, perhaps a plus to some, but I wouldn't have minded a little
more restraint in both departments. This is definitely a dinner pizza. I would get the red pie with half 'roni, half artichoke anytime. Here, the tomato sauce complemented both the toppings and the excellent crust--neither
heavy nor cardboard, and just enough doughy moisture.

Here was Ginny's take: Upon walking into Marra's, it seemed like a nice homey Italian restaurant. I liked the booth seating and we were promptly directed to a table. Their pizza menu was extensive with lots of interesting toppings and some nice suggestions for combos. It seemed a little pricey for a Large pie (~$18) but the pizzas were really big. I thought the pizza was really good - the sharp provolone cheese taste is strong, but I'm into that. . . Only complaints were that the service wasn't super-attentive (didn't refill our drinks as often as I'd like) and they only gave us small salad plates instead of dinner size plates (hard to eat off of when the slices were already huge!). Overall, a memorable pizza experience and a couple of good pies. Johnny wasn't nearly as creepy as he sounds in that Metro article. I'll give it 3 pepperonis.
I had heard lots of good things about Marra's, and thought it might be a real contender. I was wrong. It was so-so, at best. To put it bluntly, I brought some pizza home, and didn't even eat any of it later in the week. I was that uninspired. Poor service, poor pie. I give it a 2 1/2.

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May 26, 2006

Tacconelli's

The whole time I've been on this pizza quest, people have been asking me, "Have you been to Tacconelli's yet? Have you been to Taconnelli's yet?" The hype for this place is enormous, and in reading other online reviews, Tacconelli's always scores high. Then, on top of that, they make you order your dough ahead of time, making dinner an event, not just a meal. So it was with enormous expectations that I entered this unassuming restaurant on 2604 East Somerset with Trivia Art, Mary Anne, and Ginger. Seriously, it was Mary Anne and Ginger. The people I brought along were kind of excited, so there reviews are a little wordy. Let's start with Triva Art:
Sometimes you worry when things get too hyped. Whether they be thoroughbred horses, pitchers named Cole, or science quizzo, it's tough to live up to the hype. And that's the spot Tacconelli's was in. Could a Port Richmond pizza
spot possibly live up to the pressure placed on it by all the people out there hyping it? Well that was the question Tacconelli's had to answer. Earlier that day I had been surfing around the Internets and read some playa
hatin reviews of the place. Oh boy, had they slipped, rested on their laurels? There was definitely some trepidation as I walked into the Somerset St storefront shortly after seven last Sunday night. The ambiance didn't
bolster my confidence. Picture your grade school lunch room with booths. Add to that the silence of a broken jukebox and I thought, uh oh. But then I reconsidered, b/c Goodtimes would only wind up playing some Johnny Cash anyway. Goodtimes thinks it's a law that every juke box must be played, and Johnny Cash must be among the songs selected. Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, grade school gym. Freaking nuns. No wait, oh yeah,Tacconelli's. We ordered two pies, one white, half sweet peppers, and a regular, half pepperoni, half prosciutto.

The white pie arrived first, topped with ample garlic and olive oil it was a lovely pizza, with a thin crisp crust supporting the toppings. It was a perfect blend, the salt and pepper really bringing out the flavors. It was
going to be a tough pizza to beat. Next arrived the red pie. Pepperoni crisped, just the way I like it. The
pepperoni had a nice spice, the cheese, played the Pippen role to the sauce's Jordan. Supporting the star, but in no way overpowering it. After the peperoni slice I sampled the prosciutto. The prosciutto, crust, sauce, and cheese combination wowed me. This is what the pizza hunt was about. That perfect bite. And I had found it, in a little
storefront in Port Richmond. Four and a half stars, might even get five if you get your prosciutto pizza to go.

Wow, so Art loved the place. What would Ginger and I think? Read on after the jump..

Here's GInger's take: We were greeted by more artificial red carnations than I have ever seen in my life--- I was hoping the caliber of the pizza surpassed that of the decor. There was a huge awkward gap in the middle of the floor, no immediate hostess accept for the aforementioned horrid flowers and two random white hats symmetrically strung on the wall. The good news was that it was a byob, and in tradition, we took full advantage. Johnny and I stopped by the one and only (not for long- check out up and coming location at 2nd and popular) Foodery and 10th and Pine. We picked up a good variety ranging from Belgian Delerium Tremens to the Rogue Chocolate Stout for dessert. And for those of you who aren't in the know, pizza and pints make a great marriage. "Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza." -Dave Barry.
We ordered a white pie. Little Garlicky for my taste, but I didn't anticipate getting any action that night, so I didn't really care. I am glad we started off with that and moved onto the sauced pizza second. The crust was the best pizza crust in recent memory. And when you research the history of the pie, you learn that perhaps crust is the most important. It was in the 6th Century B.C. At the height of the Persian Empire, "that the soldiers of Darius the Great (521-486B.C.), accustomed to lengthy marches, baked a kind of bread flat upon their shields and then covered it with cheese and dates. "
I thought the crust was a little greasy, though, but when Art explained to me that it was merely olive oil, and olive oil is good for you, that made it seem okay. The Sauced Pie, was 1/2 pepperoni and 1/2 Proscuitto. The Proscuitto was high quality. And I was very impressed. I was getting a little tuckered at this point after the big field trip to Camden and was kind of ready for the whole night to be over. Just to throw out a little caveat--Being Johnny's sidekick for a Sunday takes a lot of energy...I leave you with the infamous lyrics of Dean Martin, "When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore." And despite the lack of ambiance (did I mention the broken juke box?) I did love my Port Richmond pizza experience at Tocanelli's so I will give it 3 1/2 pepperonis.
Alright, their reviews were a little wordy so I'll keep mine short and sweet. This was perhaps the worst ambiance of any place I've been to yet. It also had the best pizza, perhaps just a smidge better than Tony's. However, if the world was gonna end tommorrow and I had only one pizza place left to eat at (and it had to be in Philly), I would make it Tony's, b/c the pizza was so great and I really think the vibe of a place counts for something. Tacconelli's gets four pepperoni's, easy, and moves into my second favorite spot to have pizza. In retrospect, I think I may, when the contest is over, upgrade both Taconnelli's and Tony's to a 4 and a half, b/c as good as Mama Palma's was, I don't think it was on the same level as these two juggernauts, and I don't think there can really be two grades higher than these two pizza haunts. But for now, I'll stick with 4.

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May 24, 2006

Slices-Fountain Soda COming Soon!

Me and my man Scott headed out to East Falls to a place called Slices on Ridge Avenue. The place is pretty unassuming, and the slices are cheap. I got my first slice, but the garlic salt is in a container with giant holes in the top, so that when i tried to sprinkle it on my pie it came gushing out, rendering my slice inedible. No problem, the guys behind the coutner replaced it for me free of charge. So my slice was perfectly good, though not great. The highlight of the trip, however, was when I noticed the following words at the bottom of a nearby dry erase board:

Now, I have never been at a restaurant that thought to advertise all of the excitement that comes with the prospect of fountain soda. "Hey guys, what should we do for dinner?" "I dunno, if Slices has fountain soda, we should go there. They said it was coming soon." Here was Scott's take:
A decent little neighborhood joint that serves a solid, no-frills piece of pie. It's not too greasy, the crust is thin and tasty, and the soda was really wet. The price is right ($2.00 for any slice, any topping is pretty good, even though your choice of topping seems limited to cheese, pepperoni and hamburger.) In short, I've occasionally had better pizza, but Slices gets the job done just fine. Three pepperonis from me.
Yeah, Slices gets three pepperonis. But I'll be back...to try the fountain soda.

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The King of Pizza? Not Quite

Palestra Jon and I headed over to the King of Pizza in New Jersey last week. I'll let him do his write up first:
The Famous King of Pizza is part of Jersey roadside legend, having been once part of a row that included Garden State racetrack, farmstands and a miniature golf course. Over the years, everything that once surrounded it is gone with the exception of the dinosaur from the miniature golf course, a lonely relic surrounded now by strip
malls and big box stores. Still, the King remains supreme. This is one of my favorite local places, with good cheesy pizza and great crust. I was somewhat limited by JGT's menu selection. Although I recommended the very good white veggie or spinach pizzas, I had to struggle to keep him away from the Hawaiian Pineapple (ugh) pie. Finally, I reluctantly agreed to a half-chicken cheesesteak, half pepperoni pizza. The chicken cheesesteak pizza was very good, with a good cheese to steak ratio and the usual great crust. The pepperoni was a little disappointing in
my view, with the grease so overwhelming that you couldn't taste anything but pepperoni fat. Overall, I would normally give the King a solid 4 star rating, but I have to take a star away due to the pizza choice. I still love this place, though.
Jon must have been muttering under his breath whe said the white and spinach pizza's 'cause I never heard him. Regardless, the pizza we got was decent, but nothing special. The place had little in the way of ambiance, though the sign out front was pretty cool. Apparently the original place burned down a few years ago, and the owners went with a more modern (aka boring) look. Jon can blame me if wants to, but I didn't make this so-so pizza. Correct me if I'm wrong Jon, but I don't think the chicken steak came with peppers or onions. We agree on one thing: this place gets 3 pepperonis.

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May 9, 2006

Soho Pizza with the lovely ginger

Went to Soho Pizza (218 Market) last week with the lovely Ginger. I have always liked Soho. The pizza is good, the atmosphere is nice without being stuffy, and they serve ya quick. Usually I go for their BBQ chicken slices, but they didn't have them this time. So I decided on pineapple and bacon, just to piss off Palestra Jon when he read this. It was pretty solid. I then got a red slice with garlic, pesto, and no cheese. Uh, it was ok but I kind of think you need cheese to call it a pizza, so in hindsight it was a bad choice. I think I was just having a fat day, so I didn't get something else. The guy working behind the counter talked our ears off. He was nice enough, and he told us that the best place he had ever worked was Applebees, b/c he had an "under the table" deal going on. Though I don't think he was referring to the Applebees at 15th and Locust, I think they need to be investigated by the IRS anyway, just to be sure. Here was the lovely Ginger's take:

The crust was perfect, as it is every time I go. The environment is a pinch more upscale than your typical pizza joint, but still welcoming. The actual warming device is quite possible the most spectacular pizza oven in the city. Once I got past the oven, I realized that I could get a buzz-on simultaneously while chowing down on some on the finest pizza Philadelphia has to offer. Being a beer aficionado, I couldn’t help but be excited about the option of Chimay Blue with my slice. I just sat back and thought, “Wow, life is good.” Crust? Check. Sauce? Check. Cheese? Check. Slice size? Check. Two thumbs up wish I had a third. Oops—no we’re talking pepperoni’s, right? Let’s see. 3 and ¾. Just visit during the day, when the drunk a******* of old city aren’t lurking around, chanting, “doll face.” Bonus- Played a game of scrabble on a different trp there, dining al fresco. Scrabble and a slice…hakuna matata.
Yeah, the lovely Ginger gave it a 3 3/4, I think I'll give it a 3 1/2. Worth the trip to Old City. Oh, and rumor has it that the lovely Ginger is newly single, so if you want to impress her, take her to Soho, and order some beer that you're not sure how to pronounce. Ginger is a major beer snob. She told me that she met some guy last weekend who was gorgeous, and he asked her for his number. "So, you gave it to him, right?" I asked. "No, he was drinking the King of Beers, so I couldn't see a future with him."

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May 4, 2006

Giovani's Pizza

Me and D-Mac wen to Giovani's Pizza (15th and Chestnut) a couple of weeks ago, but I am just now filing a report. Anyways, Giovani's is one of those places where you walk in, place a quick order, and get the hell out of the way, but the staff isn't unpleasant about it. I got a couple of slices. The one that really stuck out was the Buffalo chicken slice. Now, if you get that one, you have to go Rochester style and get the Blue cheese. That...was a damn fine piece of pizza. Now, a lot of people are giving me a hard time b/c they say to truly judge a pizza I should only order cheese slices. That is absurd. While I do not penalize pizza places that do not have a lot of choices to offer (see Lorenzo's, South Street), I do think pizza places should get points for being creative. (See Mama Palma's). Anyways, here was D-Mac's take:
Yeah, it took me forever to remember to send this to you. Well, between my next-to-last place finishes in Quizzo and my nightly crying myself to sleep, I'm a busy man. But I thought Giovani Pizza was a pretty good place. The service is usually pretty fast and the pizza is usually pretty consistent. I think it's a little underrated. The
pizza's pretty cheesy, and not in the high school insult way, and it's a good ratio of cheese-to-sauce, crucial for any good slice of pizza. Plus, I truly give major props to any place where two slices and a Coke is exactly $5 -- none of that messy "change" business. Seacrest, out!
It gets 3 pepperonis. Try the buffalo chicken slice. Word.

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April 26, 2006

Tony's Place with my sister and brother in law

On Saturday, I ventured into the Northeast to try the pizza at Tony's Place with my sister Big E and her husband John. I liked the place right off the bat. Great ambience, very homey feel on the inside. One strange quirk was the things they were showing on the televisions during our stay. Maybe it was just a weird day for sports programming, but in an hour and a half, we saw rodeo, paintball, fishing, and polo. I love fishing shows, but I think they would be better if the boat had obstacles. Like mines under the water and a giant mechanical shark that they had to fight off if they hoped to keep fishing. Anyways, at Tony's they don't call it pizza, they call it tomato pie. And you need to go up there and order the hot pepper pie. It was the best pizza I've had yet in the search. The sauce, which Tony's places over the cheese, was perfect, just the right amount of cheese, and the peppers gave the pie a little kick. The other slice wasn't quite as good, but was still excellent. It was a pepperoni and peppers slice. The service was friendly. The only knock on the place, and this just shows how nitpicky I have to be to find a flaw here, was that the Coke was flat. The thing that really made me realize how good this place was was that after five slices, I wasn't thinking about how full I was, but about how incredible the pizza was. Here was my sister's reaction:

"Sauce on top of the cheese?" That was my pessimistic reaction when I heard that Tony's pizza was cooked
unconventionally, with the sauce on top. Despite my doubts, we dove right in and ordered two large pies-one pepperoni and one with hot cherry peppers. The pies were delicious! The sauce was especially good. The crust was thin, but not too crispy. Besides the pizza being amazing, the atmosphere was great too. It was cozy in there and seemed like a great neighborhood establishment. Four of us downed both pies with no problem. Even after leaving with full stomachs, we still had those pizzas on the brain. What a great place. John and I give Tony's a 4 pepperoni score!!
My sister and I have had some epic arguments. This will not be one of them. I'm giving Tony's a 4 pepperoni score, with the hot cherry pie getting a 4 1/2. You have to try it. It is, without question, the best pizza I have had thus far in Philly.

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April 25, 2006

Philly Style Pizza

Philly Style Pizza was the first place I ever ate in Phialdelphia. My girlfriend at the time and I were returning from New York, where I had gone, hoping to find a job and an apartment. I had found neither, and had had a really terrible time up there. So we decided to swing by Philly to order a cheesesteak on our ride back, and randomly ended up at Philly Style Pizza, and got a kickass cheesesteak. The next thing you know I was moving here. So I've always had a soft spot in my heart for PSP, and still occasionally swing by for a cheesesteak, which, like I said, are really good there. But this time I swung by for a pizza while I was being interviewed by the Metro. The pizza itself was damn good. A sweet sauce, good crust, just the right amount of cheese, cute girls working the register. But there was one problem. I asked for a slice with onions and hot peppers and when the slice came out, it was covered with uncooked onions and hot peppers. They had made it like they were making a salad, with everything raw. And the toppings cost 50 cents apiece. Weak. I'm gonna give these guys the benefit of the doubt, b/c their cheesesteak brought me here, but I can't give 'em higher than a three on sentimentality and good sauce alone.

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Rustica in Northern Liberties

Lastweek I went to Pizza Rustica (it's next door to Standard Tap) with quizzo regular, comedian, and Andy Reid impersonator Steve Odabashian. The place had a lot of potential, and the pizza slices looked terrific. On top of that, they had all of the ingredients necessary for a suicude. I dunno if you guy sever had suicides, but we always used to get them at the concession stand after our little league basbeall games. They were a dangerous drink, and usually only the 11 and 12 year olds had the guts to get them. 9 and 10 year olds simply didn't have the psychological make up to handle a risky concoction of Coke, Sprite, and Sunkist, poured into the cup in equal measure. Well, Rustica had all the necessary flavors at their fountain. Sadly, however, the orange was flat, so I had to go hari kari with my suicide and refill with a plain Coke. As for the pizza itself, I dunno, it was weird. Too crunchy or something. I went Rochester style on it (using blue cheese on pizza), but to no avail. I wasn't feeling it. Here were Steve's thoughts:

I've eaten here before and I have definitely had better. The pizza was kind of crunchy (but then again, so are grape nuts). Maybe the pieces I had (chicken and pepper, pepperoni) were sitting out for a while. I don't eat pizza all that much anymore, and I had barely eaten during the day. So, the combination of those two circumstances should have worked in the pizza's favor. However, I was disappointed. The pieces were big, if that's any consolation. 2 pepperonis out of 5. When I start eating pizza again, I will give Rustica another try. Like I said, I've eaten there before and it's usually better.
Wo am I to argue with a man who looks uncommonly similar to Philly's favorite Mormon? 2 pepperonis it is.

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April 19, 2006

Favorite Pizza so far

Alright, gang. Here's the list of pizza places I have hit iin the Great Pizza Hunt so far, in order of my enjoyment. Yes I know I have not hit Tacconelli's or Marra's. They are both still on the list. I was gonna hit Marra's with my parents on Sunday, but Jesus prevented that from happening. The pizza places are graded on a 1-5 pepperoni scale, with 5 being the supreme piece of pizza. Thus far, the highest score I have is a 4, and I've only given out one of those. And you thought LaBan was tough! Feel free to argue with this list, or to provide places you think I should hit that I haven't gone to yet. And check back later today. Bobby Badtimes is set to return to the website. Pizza listing after the jump.

1. Mama Palma's
2. Dolce Carini
3. Lorenzo's (Italian Market)
4. Celebre's
5. Zio's
6. Joe's Pizza
7. Pietro's
8. Lorenzo's (South Street)
9. NYPD Pizza
10. Lazaro's
11. J & J
12. By George's

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Johnny Grabs Pizza with his peoples

The Pizza Hunt continued on Sunday, as Johnny and his Ma and Pa went out to grab a slice. Now, Sunday was apparently a celebration of some sort of cult figure dying and then rising from the dead, a cult figure worshipped by almost every single person in this city who produces pizza. Place after place was closed, so we finally settled on J & J Pizza in the Italian Market. It was a corner spot in the Italian Market that didn't really seem to get a ton of traffic. Things were quiet, but there was a tv inside that was on. It was on the "community channel", you know the one that shows you a graphic to let you know that Edna's knitting circle will be meeting at Episcopal at 6:30 on Tuesday. I love that channel. Anyways, we ordered our pizza (pepperoni) and they brought it out. It was decent, but it didn't really blow my doors or anything. I asked my mom to send an email with her thoughts about J & J:

Son, I swiped some of your stamps -sorry. The pizza was just a good old-fashioned homemade pizza. It was the kind with more cheese than tomato sauce, which was a plus in my book, and the price was reasonable. Also, it was served in a tiny restaurant where people probably eat on the run as opposed to a restaurant where one would chill or hang out. No beer available. I give it three pepperonis. Thanks for lunch both days and for a wonderful weekend which we enjoyed every minute of! Remember to take your vitamins!
My mom always tells me to take my vitamins. I got another e-mail from her later in the day, after I sent out my weekly newsletter. Apparently I misused an apostrophe, something my mom does not take lightly. This was the entire content of that email: You do not need an apostrophe in a possessive pronoun. Did you learn nothing in 7th grade English? Anyway, the pizza was ok. Nothing great. If you're in the Italian Market, I would suggest Lorenzo's. I give J&J 2 and a half pepperonis.

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April 14, 2006

Celebre's Pizza

Now, I know what you people are thinking: Johnny, as an international mega-star, I'm sure you have hot dates each and every Saturday night with gorgeous models. And you're right. Why just this past Saturday night I was out with international diva Triviana Hart (above, you should really click for the close up to appreciate her full beauty) at Celebre's Pizza (1536 Packer, in the same shopping center as Chickie and Pete's). Now when we showed up, we realized that the Flyers had a home game that night, so we were going to have to share the restaurant with a bunch of Neanderthals (aka Flyers fans). After a short wait, we got our seat. But the two waitresses were obviously overmatched by the huge crowd, and nobody even said hello to us for the fifteen minutes. Finally, we got our order taken. Here's Triviana's take:

Celebre's is classic South Philadelphia pizza. You know the type, where everyone calls you hon. We were there with a big pre-Flyers crowd so we had to wait longer than usual for a table and to order. But that transgression was forgiven when we received our piping hot half pepperoni, half roasted pepper pizza. Both halves were very good, the pepperoni had some crisp edges, a necessity in my mind. The roasted peppers add a nice touch to the tasty string cheese and ample tomato sauce. The crust is thin and soft for the most part but there is some crunch as well. All in all it was an excellent pizza and I give it 3.5 pepperonis.
Triviana was right about the pizza. It was excellent. And I really liked the whole South Philly feel of the place. Having been a server, I know what it's like to get slammed by a crowd at one time, and the server we had was fine, she was just too far in the weeds. But they shoulda had more people on the floor. Had we gotten excellent service, this place mighta gotten four pepperoni's. But it's still worth checking out, especially if you have a date with an international supermodel.

Posted at 12:21 PM | Email to a friend | Comments (0)

April 10, 2006

Johnny Grabs Pizza with high school buddy

On Wednesday, I got an email from my old high school and college buddy Bryan Sterling (middle, with me on the right and my buddy Rob on the left**), aka Creamy B. He said he had a business meeting in Philly on Thursday, and did I wanna grab lunch? So I though to myself, "I gotta get this guy in on the Great Pizza Hunt." I wanted to go to Marra's, at least partly because that was the name of a girl who broke both of our hearts in high school. But we didn't have time, so we went to By George's at the Reading Terminal. The pizza looked really nice, but it was completely unmemorable. Kind of bland, no real excitement. There are definitely better places to eat at the Market. Of course, before we headed back to the train station, I had to get him to try the Amish pretzels dipped in butter. Those things are freaking incredible. Anyway, here was Bryan's take:

The "healthy" slice of pizza was surprisingly good. The whole wheat crust was delicious, but the chef pushed the envelope a little too far by topping this pizza with celery. Once I removed the celery this slice was quite enjoyable. My second slice of pizza was a more traditional pepperoni and sausage. Although I did not feel healthy eating it, it went down well and forced me to think about a third slice. I'd rate this pizza experience a 2.5 out of 5 pepperonis (vs. stars). The pizza was good but I know Philadelphia has much better pie to offer.
Yeah, I gotta go with Bryan on this one. 2.5 at best.
***About five years ago, Bryan, Rob, and I (photo, above), who all grew up within half an hour of each other, were all dating women who grew up along the New Hampshire/Mass. border, within 30 miles of each other, by sheer coincidence. The girls didn't know each other beforehand. Rob and Bryan both got married to theirs. I eat a lot of Chinese takeout.

Posted at 12:36 PM | Email to a friend | Comments (0)

April 9, 2006

Pepperoni rolls at Zio's

Alright, we ran into our first controversy on Friday at Zio's (111South 13th Street). I have been eating a lot of your standard triangular pizza lately. So at Zio's, which I went to with Rob from MAGMA, I decided to try the pepperoni roll. Now, when I was at college at Radford, we had a restaurant that was very famous for serving crusties, which were essentially pepperoni rolls that you could get stuffed with anything you want. With a hunger fueled by gallons of beer and occasionally the inhalation of deadly marijuana, crazed college students would order dozens of these things at 2 in the morning. So seeing these pepperoni rolls at Zio's took me back, and I had to order one, although to keep things even, I also ordered a BBQ chicken standard slice. The BBQ chicken slice was fine, nothing amazing, a good solid 3 pepperoni slice. But the pepperoni roll gets a ho-ho-ho my goodness. It is the best pizza product I have had on the search so far. Soft and doughey and stuffed with just enough cheese, it blew my doors. But what can I classify it as? I mean, it's not really pizza, per se. So can I hand out pepperoni's based on something that's not pizza? Let me mull over that while you read Rob's take:

I give my Sausage 3 1/2 roni--thin crust that is good and doughy, sausage which tasted fresher than alot of the crap you get around the city. Cheese slice--3 roni--not as good as last time, but maybe that is because
last time I was hungover, dunno.
Alright, I can't give 'em a four because the pizza isn't four worthy. But they get a three and a half...and you have to try the pepperoni roll (they also have a spinach one, which I heard is good). Oh, and when you get it, ask for a side of ranch. Word.

Posted at 2:45 PM | Email to a friend | Comments (1)

April 4, 2006

Dolce Carini

On friday I went to Dolce Carini (1929 Chestnut) with Trivia Art and Matt Eison of the notorious WTF crew. I've had the cheesesteaks there before, and they're really good, so I figured the pizza would be good as well. I was right. The had lots of choices. I started with the taco pizza. Beef, sour cream, nacho chips, the whole shebang. The taste was awesome, although it could have been a little warmer coming out of the oven. Then, per Matt's suggestion, I went back for the cheesesteak pie. Good suggestion. The slice had nice big chunks of cheesesteak, and very juicy peppers and onions.

Here were Matt's thoughts:
Today, I had the extreme pleasure of meeting up with Johnny and his roommate at Dolce Carini's for pizza slices. I opted for a slice of the cheesesteak pizza and a slice of the chicken, tomato, and pesto. I'd have to say the pizza met expectations, and may have even been above average. The ingredients were fresh, and the cheesesteak slice was good enough to deserve the Philly name. Dolce Carini makes no pretense about being gourmet, which is actually another reason I like the place. I'd definitely go there again. I'll give my slices 4 out of 5 pepperoni's, which is kind of ironic, considering that neither of my slices had any pepperoni on them.
I highly recommend this place. It gets three and a half pepperoni's!

Posted at 11:11 AM | Email to a friend | Comments (0)

March 31, 2006

Johnny Grabs Pizza With Local Celeb

Johnny went out to Lorenzo's (9th and Christian) in South Philly with local news reporter Aditi Roy on Wednesday. There were several things I liked right off the bat. First, her pink sweater. I thought it really brought out the...Oh, yeah, this is supposed to be about pizza. Ok, so we ordered pizza from the side window and ate outdoors. I started with a slice of pepperoni. It was terrific. The sauce was kind of sweet, but not too much so. The pepperonis were really tasty. The crust was crispy on the outside and doughey on the inside. Woulda been perfect with a side of ranch. As for ambiance, there aren't too many places in Philly I like better than the Italian Market. My second slice was spinach. OK, but not as good as the first.

Here was Aditi's take: The confluence of tastes was good. The crust was crispy, but soft on inside. The sauce was tasty, but I wish there was a little more of it on the pizza. I had two slices, a cheese and a pepperoni. The pepperoni was overpowering the taste of the cheese, so I liked my cheese slice better. Nice ambience, though we were sitting next to a wastebasket. The pizza didn't cut well a fork and a knife, so maybe they should get sharper utensils. 3 1/2 pepperonis.
Please forgive Aditi. She is a real sweetheart (full disclosure: I've taken Spanish class with her for about a year). But yes, she did indeed try to eat Italian Market Pizza with a knife and fork, which is kind of like eating Barclay Prime steak with ones hands. But other than that, I trust her opinions. 3 1/2 pepperonis it is! (By the way, I've had the cheesesteak there before too and it's better than Geno's or Pat's.)

Posted at 4:02 PM | Email to a friend | Comments (2)

March 30, 2006

Lazaro's Pizza

I went into Lazaro's (flying Han Solo) on Tuesday preparing to be underwhelmed. Nothing against the place, but I always hear great things about it, and my pizza there is always...fine. I mean, it's good, but it's nothing special, and extremely greasy. I like grease as much as the next guy, but not when there are giant puddles of it on my pie that need to be sopped up with a napkin. On Tuesday, I went pepperoni style. It was a lot less greasy than usual, and was actually pretty good. The crust is kind of crunchy, and I personally like soft crust better. The ambiance? Well Lazaro's is definitely a pick up and delivery place, but I do like the fact that they have a lot of Philly sports stuff on the walls. Gives it a nice Philly feel. And then, inexplicably, they have three New York license plates above one of the doors. WTF? That costed them half a pepperoni. Give them 2 and a half!

P.S. When I got hungry later in the day, I didn't return to Lazaro's. Instead I got a meatball sandwich from the cart on 19th and South. Damn good sandwich. Give it four meatballs!

Posted at 12:06 PM | Email to a friend | Comments (4)

March 27, 2006

Mama Palma's

Headed to Mama Palma's on Friday with several young ladies from the Spanish Pantalonies. Let's get down to business. The service was good Philly style service. The waiter had a smart mouth, but he was fun and funny. The Coke's were fizzy and non-chalky. We quickly established that we were going to be annoying, asking for pizza with half one thing, half the other, getting blue cheese for our pizza, etc. Blue cheese? Yeah, two of the girls are from Rochester, and they claim that it's a Rochester thing. I guess it's their big claim to fame. Philly gave us the Constitution, Rochester gave us blue cheese on pizza. Anyways, it was a good call, as the blue cheese was a nice touch. I may be kickin' it Rochester style on future pizza outings. So despite our badgering, the waiter stayed cool, and brought us out our pizza's. One was a sausage and artichoke heart job, the other was a crab and asparagus pizza. To me, the artichoke pizza was kind of "Eh", but the crab and asparagus was mindblowing. Without question, the best pizza I've had yet. It was a flavor that just got better the more you ate of it. I ended up eating six slices in all. Then, as I was deciding whether or not to eat the seventh, our waiter brought us out some tiramisu...on the house! The tiramisu was downright dreamy. Hold on, let me think of a word less lame than dreamy. No, no, ok nevermind. It was dreamy. Here's what the others thought.

First up is Jenny (3rd from right, hidden by JGT's enormous head): 3 pepperoni for the pizza. Fresh ingredients including the excellent crab meat proved very enjoyable. .5 pepperoni for the lack of dirty looks when asked for a side of blue cheese and 1 cherry on top for the scrumptious (and complimentary) tiramisu! That's 3.5 pepperoni and 1 cherry. I can do that, right? Next up we have Renee (2nd from left): I especially liked the sausage and artichoke heart pizza. The crust was also nice and crunchy and not too thick (a plus in my book). The prices were reasonable. And then of course they get bonus points for the free tiramisu. Finally, we have Amy (far right): Unlike my co-pizza devourers, I wasn't swayed by the free tiramisu that our waiter delivered at the end. Gave up sweets for lent, so this is an unbiased run-down of Mama Palma's pizza. Mama's has an excellent selection ofgourmet creations, offering up combinations that you wouldn't normally put together yourself. This is nice, it forces adventure. I thought that the Artichoke & Sausage pizza was solid: nice, crumbled sausage, good sauce and a crunchy crust. The Crab & Asparagus pizza, though, took the prize. Props for the big chunks of crab, the big strips of asparagus and fresh lemon slices to squeeze. All in all? I'd give it 4 out of 5 pepperonis. But I'm no expert. . .
Well, I am an expert, Amy, and I'm going to agree with you. That's right, JGT is handing out his first four pepperoni pizza! Feel free to drop your own two cents on Mama's below.

Posted at 11:19 AM | Email to a friend | Comments (6)

March 24, 2006

NYPD PIZZA

I went with Cheney's Got a Gun (Home court: The Vous) to NYPD Pizza on Thursday for lunch. Now, when you first walk in, the New York theme is heavily represented. Lots of pics of the skyline, various Yankees, etc. I hate the Yankees. It seems like every year, they seem to think that free agency is...ok, ok, I'm getting pulled off point here. Where were we? Oh yes. Also, on the counter is a little plaque showing that they made Philadelphia Magazine's Best Of...in 2005. Now, I doubt that the Philly mag staffer even tried the pizza. He or she probably just walked in, said, "Wow, this is sixth-burroughrific! It's places like this that are going to finally make us NY Lite!" And gave them a plaque.

OK, first off, I've had their BBQ chicken pizza before and remembered it was good. So I was hoping for it again. No luck. In fact, for a place that sells slices, they didn't have much to choose from. Spinach, eggplant, sausage, or pepperoni seemed to be the only choices. Maybe they had just had a lunch rush and run out of other stuff. Who knows. But I got spinach, and it was pretty unmemorable. Then I went back and got a slice of the deep dish pizza, which was quite a bit better but still not great. I know I've had NYPD Pizza before and thought it was really good. But this time it was kind of so-so.

Here's what fellow taster Chris thought: My pizza experience at NYPD pizza can be summed up in 2 words-mediocre. I had the pleasure of choosing the deep dish and the vegetable slices from a limited array of pizza, sub par selection if you will, especially at a time designated by society as an official lunch hour. (Arrival time 12:40). On a scale of 'roni's I would have to award NYPD two roni's. Though, I will give credit to their crushed red pepper flakes, they were delicious. Next up was Jazmine, far right, who liked it a bit more than Chris: The square pizza was thick, juicy, and the cheese was melted to perfection without it tasting like it was cooked under a light bulb. As for the slice of sausage, I would have probably have liked it better if the cheese was melted on top of the bite-sized sausages, this way the little suckers wouldn't have been rolling off, but it was still great! It gets a three on the pepperoni scale.
Here's what Kim (far left) thought: I wasn't too thrilled about this place. The choices were limited and the red sauce tasted like the standard canned stuff you can get at the grocery store. Overall, I'd give it 2.5 pepperonis. Not bad, but not great either. I gotta go with Kim. It measures a 2.5 on the Roni Scale.

Posted at 3:21 PM | Email to a friend | Comments (0)

March 23, 2006

Joe's Pizza

Went to Joe's Pizza (16th Street between Walnut and Sansom) on Tuesday with my man D-Mac from Philadelphiawilldo. First off, the ordering process at Joe's challenges Pat's steaks in intimidation. Surly looking Italian people give you a hard stare as they wait for you to place your order, letting you know that your diddling is costing them and everyone behind yuo in line valuable time. But Joe's isn't known for it friendliness, it's known for it's pizza. I got two slices. I started with a bruschetta slice. Big chunks of sliced tomato and mozzarella on top of a regular slice. It went down quickly, and I started on slice number two. It was a variation of the "Hawaiian pizza" theme, with pineapple and pepperoni instead of ham. This, this was the best slice I've had so far. The pineapple was juicy, the pepperonis brought a little kick that I don't think you get from ham. The ambiance of the place has also improved since they rebuilt after the fire last year. Still a sort of generic pizzeria, but the red booths make the place seem much less "cafeteria-ish" than it used to. They also gave me a chance to invent the word cafeteriaish. Here is D-Mac's take: I'll give Joe's 3 pepperonis out of 5. I know lots of people love the place, but I wouldn't put it in my Top 5. It's kind of hit or miss, and sometimes overcooked. Nonetheless, the cheese is good, the slices aren't too greasy or cheesy. (Cheesy meaning "too much cheese that slides off" not "lame" -- but the slices aren't lame, either.) I liked it a little more than D-Mac did. I'm gonna give it the illustrious three and a half pepperoni mark (out of 5). Alright, now I'm off to NYPD pizza. I'll have a report this afternoon.

Posted at 11:40 AM | Email to a friend | Comments (3)

March 22, 2006

Lorenzo's

First off, I have to admit, I have probably eaten at Lorenzo's ten times as many times as I have eaten at any other pizza establishment in the city. When I first moved to Philly and was dirt broke, I lived on 6th and South, so I regularly ate a $2 dinner down the block. And on Tuesday nights, after I finish at O'Neals, I grab a quick slice for dinner before I head to the Bards. So obviously Lorenzo's has to have something going for it. But I'm not sure what it is, besides the cheapness and the swiftness of the purchase, as well as a little nostalgia (It was, after all, where he was accosted by the paparrazzi while out with Jersey Girl). I mean, the pizza itself is good, and on some occasions it is great. But it can be a little inconsistant. Palestra Jon and I went on Monday night. The line was short, and we each grabbed a slice and went to the back, where they have placed giant mirrors so you can watch yourself eat. I don't like watching myself eat.

Of course, part of the charm of Lorenzo's is the fact that you cannot have anything on your pizza. Anything. At all. Got it? I've heard people say that the employees are rude, but I've never found that to be the case. Of course, I'm usually there on a Tuesday night, when things are kind of slow. But the dude is always nice to me. Back to the pizza itself. On Monday it was fine. Not amazing, but perfectly good. Here was Jon's take: I gave it 3 burps....same standards as pepperonis. My evaluation....consistent above average pizza...good cheese, sauce too sweet. Jumbo slice perfect for heavy drinking. If I am just sitting down and eating a slice, this is decent but not great pizza. I think John hit the nail on the head. Three pepperonis it is.

Posted at 4:28 PM | Email to a friend | Comments (1)

March 20, 2006

Johnny Needs Pizza Eaters

Hey gang, as you know I am in the midst of THE GREAT PIZZA HUNT 2006. But this is not a mission I can accomplish all by myself. I need people to assist me in eating and judging various pizza spots (I'm only asking you to join me for one spot, not for all of them). Believe it or not, this is not a pathetic attempt by me to troll for dates. I am looking for guys, gals, groups, and even Jerseyites to help me find Philly's best pie. If you are free at lunch any time and wanna grab a slice, drop me a line. And don't say no just because I look like a total toolbox in the above photo.

Posted at 1:10 PM | Email to a friend | Comments (0)

March 19, 2006

Johnny Starts the Hunt at Pietro's

Johnny Goodtimes began THE GREAT PIZZA HUNT OF 2006 on Friday, getting a pie at the Pietro's on 17th and Walnut with well respected pizza enthusiast (and roommate) Trivia Art. Let's start with ambiance: Pietro's looks ok inside, but it doesn't have much of it. Lots of plastic plants and paintings that look like they were bought from Ross Dress For Less. I did, however, like the tall tin ceilings. They had televisions showing tourney games (a plus!), which seemed sort of strange with opera music providing the soundtrack. The crowd was young and attractive, including a hottie at a nearby table who was speaking a foreing language, like French or Spanish or Aramaic or something. But this wasn't a trip to find hottest foreign honeys, this was THE GREAT PIZZA HUNT OF 2006, so let's move to flavor: First off, Coke. There is a major Coke problem in this city. Seriously, it seems like a lot of bars and restaurants in this city put aspirin or something in their Cokes, because it tastes chalky and awful. So I was happy to discover that Pietro's Coke was aspirin-free and tasty. The pie came out, and it looked beautiful. White mozarella cheese, thick chunks of tomato in the sauce, big thick pepperoni's. And it tasted almost as good as it looked, especially the thick pepperoni's. I tore through four slices in a hurry. Finally, service. It was ok. Not bad, but certainly not personable. Typical late lunch service. The Johnny Goodtimes Final Grade for Pietro's on Walnut was the same as Trivia Art's: 3 pepperonis out of a possible 5. A good solid selection to start THE GREAT PIZZA HUNT OF 2006.

Posted at 8:03 PM | Email to a friend | Comments (3)

March 14, 2006

Who's got the best pizza in Philly?

Yo peeps. I wanna find out who has the best pizza in the area. Need a little help. Please post under commetns below who you think has the best pie in or near Philly. I'll try out a bunch of them, and find out, once and for all, who has the best. Also, the bracket challenge will be up as soon as I can figure out how we did it last year, so check back soon.

Posted at 10:57 AM | Email to a friend | Comments (38)