Pastificio

1528 Packer Avenue
Packer Park Shopping Center
Philadelphia, PA 19145
(215) 467-1111
Website

If there is a mecca for hoagies it's Philly. If there is an eden inside that fantasy world, it's South Philly. You can literally find a different sandwich every couple of blocks, all unique, and almost all delicious. Pastificio is located in a strip mall by Chickie and Pete's, and the sandwiches there could inspire pilgrimages.

One part pasta company, one part Italian market, one part sandwich church, they pack a lot into a narrow but long footprint.

They also sport their own wrappers, which is a nice touch.

The hoagies come on Abruzzi bakery rolls, which are perfectly crunchy and chewy, and rank among the best in the area (and obviously the world). Below are the namesake "Pastificio" on top, and the "Stu Gatz" below.

The Stu Gatz is a simple creation, packed with mortadella, sliced cured green olives, 4 cheese Italian blend (Asiago, Parmesan, American, Romano – packs lots of flavor for one kind of cheese), and sliced tomato. This sandwich is perfection. Salty and briny olives transform this from a fancy ham sandwich into something magical.

The tomato cuts the salt just a bit, and the pistachio flecked ham is rich enough to stand as the main meat.

I honestly could barely put this down to chew.

The proportions are spot on as well. Look at that perfectly thin-sliced meat to bread ratio.

The Pastificio is Italian hoagie holiness. Sopressata, capicola, and sharp provolone. My two favorite meats and favorite cheese (for hoagies). Everything was sliced razor thin (as it should be), and the typical Thuman's "The Deli Best" quality was apparent. Shredded lettuce, thinly sliced onion, tomato, banana peppers, and a shake of salt/pepper/oregano rounded out the party.

And, of course I got my usual oil AND "little bit of mayo."

Again, everything was in perfect balance, and this Italian was quickly devoured. But not before I savored every bite.

They also have a great selection of frozen pasta, sauces, and various meats. Come for lunch, take home dinner. This place deserves every cheesesteak.

Frankie's Cafe

25 South Eagle Road
Havertown, PA 19083
(610) 449-8771
Facebook

I was recently looking for somewhere to eat before a show at the Tower, but didn't feel like Pica's. I decided to try a little corner bar that offered some home-style South Philly Italian that was recommended to me.

Frankie's is a two floor space with a bar on the first and a restaurant on the second. I chose to sidle up to the bar and grab some sandwiches (and beers). Two of the menu items I have a hard time passing up just about anytime I see them. A meatball sandwich and a chicken cutlet. I also feel these are great barometers of a place's ability to do Italian comfort food. One thing you will note, the chips are fried fresh, which is a nice touch.

The chicken cutlet was nicely fried, with a crispy seasoning and nice thin slices of meat. The provolone was melted and in good proportion to the rest of the fillings. As usual, the garlicy broccoli rabe added some bitterness and zest to the heavy sandwich.

The side of "gravy" was fresh, acidic, and a welcome addition to the chicken cutlet sandwich. Dipped or ladled, marinara usually doesn't disappoint.

The meatball was similarly smothered in cheese, and again, melted to a delicious coverage.

The meatballs themselves were light, juicy, and had plenty of seasoning. The bread was toasted to help hold it together with the sloppy mess going on in the middle. It was perfect comfort food, and didn't break the bank at about $9 a sandwich.

Add great lighting/atmosphere (darkness) with some reasonably priced drafts and you've got one heck of a joint.

Vito & Nick's Pizzeria

8433 S Pulaski Rd.
Chicago, IL 60652
(773) 735-2050
Website

Chicago is a town pegged as a deep dish pizza haven. But this is not accurate at all. In fact, most of my Chicago friends prefer thin crust, but will also dabble in the pizza casserole every tourist seeks out when offered. Vito and Nick's is my favorite type of place. Low key, reasonably priced, draped in history, tradition and warmth.

The takeout side is cut from a scene of lost America. I LOVED it.

Oh but wait, the dining room doesn't disappoint either. The lights are a permanent fixture, as are many of the folks sitting at the bar.

The shrine to the founders.

They utilize the crisscut method of slicing that is a staple of Chicago thin crust pizza. The half sausage half plain pizza was a definite feast. There were ALMOST leftovers. The sausage balls are house-made and contain just enough spice and fat. The cheese gets nicely blistered from its stop in the oven.

The cheese and sauce extended all the way to the crust, which is a requirement unless you enjoy eating dry crust like some sort of psycho.

The crust itself was buttery and flaky, and had a nice crackery crunch.

I love when the pizza is cut in this manner, as the slices are somewhat small. This enables me to eat fifteen slices of pizza, and not be too weighed down.

Although it is not in the greatest neighborhood, it is worth the short drive from Midway. And well worth the price of admission.

Forno Antico Pizza Napolitana

416 E. Main Street
Collegeville, PA 19426
(610) 454-1130
Website

A new pizza place in Collegeville recently opened up and I decided to give my old stomping grounds a return trip.

They opened in what I believe was an old catholic elementary school. And if that's not what it was, they had me fooled. If you didn't know, this place is so Italian they even sell fountains. All of my Italian friends LOVE fountains.

They opened with the promise of brick oven pizza, and the freshest ingredients. And they were not lying. The oven is a thing of beauty. Ciro Nuzzolese (owner) is the man in charge of the pizza game, and he puts a whole lot of love and care into each pie.

He's got a seasoned professional resume that started in childhood, working beside his grandfather in Italy at the family's Port Alba Antica Ristorant in Napoli. It's obvious that he had to bring Italy to us with the custom igloo oven, which is a thing of beauty.

The Margherita Del Re features a perfectly charred crust, fresh buffalo mozzarella, and a sweet San Marzano tomato sauce.  It is a perfect pizza.

The 800 degree oven is evident in the even blistering of the crust, despite the pie's quite brief trip into the oven (just two minutes according to Ciro). It's due to this quick, high-fire timing that the fresh basil maintains some moisture and doesn't burn away to nothing while it's in there.

Heated with wood, the oven is also hooked up to a gas line, in order to maintain an even temperature throughout every lunch & dinner service. The beautiful char, however, is solely the result of the wood's flame.

The veal parm was a perfectly simple example of one of my favorite comfort foods. Again, the San Marzano sauce shined (tart and sweet at the same time), and the thin tender veal was breaded and fried crispy. Just how it should be.

The lobster ravioli (another comfort go-to for me) was fresh, rich, and satisfying. I could barely fit all of the food in, but somehow I overcame adversity and demolished it. The price is extremely reasonable here, and the food is top notch, It's not fancy, but it's done really well. Also, it's a BYOB, so you can afford to splurge on the food. Highly recommended if you are anywhere near the Collegeville area.

Even if you're not "in the area," I'd say it's worth the trip.

Pica's Restaurant (Pica's Pizza)

7803 W Chester Pike
Upper Darby, PA 19082
(610) 789-7770
Website

Pica's was all over the news recently due to Tina Fey bringing some pizza from her hometown of Upper Darb's to a late night talk show. As it was already one of my favorites, I figured it was high time to cash in on the sudden popularity, far after it was still relevant.

While waiting, it was difficult not to overhear EVERYONE talking about the recent TV appearance. And of course, wherever there is celebrity gossip/bottomless sodas, the Evster from every girl's favorite reality show blog "TV My Wife Watches" will also be found. I am pretty sure he stalked me and happened to show up at the same time, completely independent. Below you will see him right after he ditched his beautiful wife who was waiting for their table, and before he stole some of my pizza. It's a real who's who of DelCo.

They make it a point to say that bread and peppers doesn't come with pizza. It costs an extra $3, and is probably worth it if you are like me and don't care how many calories you eat or don't listen when your doctor tells you that if you don't stop eating so much food you are more likely to die.

The Greek Salad is a big meh, especially at $11.50. Olives, feta, tomatoes, eggs and onions served on mixed greens. I mean, it's not bad, but you aren't here for freaking salad. You know what, just get it. Whatever. God, now I sound like Evster.

The calamari was surprisingly good. It was fried crispy, and had a light breading on it. The marinara was pretty tasty.

Perfect chew on the squid and just the right amount of salt.

Now, for the real reason to go to Pica's. The pizza. Square pie, cheese on bottom, sweet garlicy sauce on top. It's not too thick, but certainly not thin crust. I can eat an unbelievable amount, as it is not heavy at all (relatively speaking). The perfect amount of buttery char makes the dough just right, and the crust has sauce baked into it.

The pepperonis are a large, thin deli style. They drape the entire pizza, like some delicious window treatments.

Look at the golden bottom of the pie. A product of the signature pans they are baked in. Perfection. You can see how airy the dough is and you can almost taste that buttery crispness.

The plain pie is also fantastic. It gets way better when it cools a bit, and the flavors really meld. These are both larges, and they are a pretty decent value for the money. I could have gotten another pie to go, just for a midnight snack.

Did I mention Pica's interior is like the shitty family restaurant you grew up going to in the 1980's-1990's? It's amazing. I love everything about this place. But mostly the ridiculously good pizza.