Philadelphia, PA 19125
For the NKOTB (for those of you too young to know: New Kid On The Block) in the Philly (Fisthtown) pizza scene, Joe Beddia's new spot is small and non-descript, but the pizza speaks for itself.
As it was the soft opening during our visit, there was some help in the kitchen from Scott Schroder, of American Sardine Bar/South Philly Taproom fame.
The space itself is beautiful, with white subway tile and exposed brick.
Most everything is sourced locally, and the small menu reflects the quality over quantity approach that wins every time.
The hand shredded Old Gold Aged Cheese lends a bit of bite to the creamy mozzarella.
It is (at least in theory) a BYO restaurant, so some cheap domestics were brought and shared with the staff. There is only one table - standing only - so you either need to be lucky, or have previously fed the owner delicious BBQ *ahem* to eat-in at the restaurant.
The crust is absolute perfection. Thin, crisp and chewy, it's the ideal vessel for the zippy sauce and flavorful cheese. See a plain pizza above and below.
Not to mention the finishing drizzle of EVOO.
The salame and pickled chili pizza below was amazing. The bright vinegar bite of the chilies blended with a bit of heat to balance out the rich sausage. A great combo to say the least.
The (surprising?) favorite of the night was the final pie, with mushrooms and caramelized onions. The mushrooms were phenomenal, rich, earthy, flavor-packed, and a nice complement to the salty-sweet onions, creating a perfect matchup.
This older couple could not stop talking about the pizza. It was charming.
I can't say enough good things about Beddia. It's going to be a landmark institution, like Taconelli's, only closer and better.
1 comment:
Wow! Thanks for the kind words. Will try harder. joe
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