Thursday, June 4, 2009

Tacconelli's Pizza






I'd never had a Tacconelli's Pizza until last night. I admit I am a bit skeptical of hype, and most restaurants can't ever live up to the near-mythical status that writers tend to give to obscure, mind-numbingly authentic eateries that have been around since 1918. Some folks told me "yeah, it's good, but it's just pizza" But I also got a lot of "you've never been there? what the hell is wrong with you? no wonder you think Lazaro's is good".

So the verdict is Tacconelli's wins. This pizza is incredible. And it really is something special, and not in that duck proscuitto with goat cheese kind of way. Halfway through my second bottle of wine I was just staring at my 6th slice in awe. It doesn't look like much, the toppings are fairly standard. It's the sauce, which is really good, maybe the best, and the perfect crust. Margerita pizza was amazing. Sausage & Onions, fantastic. All very light on the cheese (even the white pie) which is different but it helps the crust stay crispy, and you don't fall asleep after eating 7 slices. Delicious.

It is suggested that you reserve your dough ahead of time. And it might take 2 hours to get your pizza. So make sure you brought some beer or a few bottles of wine, and a bunch of other people. This is not a pretentious restaurant marketing ploy. There's one guy and one oven, the same oven the family has been using for almost 100 years. Closed on mondays & tuesdays. They do take out also. If you see a guy trying to ride a bike down delaware ave with three pizzas balanced on the handlebars, it's probably me.

Tacconelli's
2604 E Somerset
Philadelphia

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is one of the best dining experiences in town. Bring lots of wine or beer and hang out with your friends for a couple of hours for under 20 a person. The pizza is the best too. Go for the white pie with or without prosciutto.

carrie Yotter said...

hawk, call me if you ever head back that way! i live just a few blocks away, and never think to go.