Pizzeria Beddia

115 E Girard Ave
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.

Little Italy Pizza

901 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 922-1440
Website

I have passed this place so many times, yet I never thought to stop in. It looks sort of like a pizza chain from the outside, and given the plethora of mediocrity in the Philadelphia pizza scene, I usually don't stop somewhere unless I get a recommendation. There are just far too many places to not even try. That aside, I got a hot tip that they had some good eating at Little Italy, and so I stopped in to see what set them apart.

Although typically a starter, the pizza rolls were made to order, which I was informed of upon ordering, so I figured they would come out second. No problem, it was worth the wait. What is essentially a slice of sauce-less pizza rolled up and baked, was really quite good, as the dough at Little It's, is light and fluffy, yet very crisp and chewy. I really like the dough. The other thing they have going for them is the marinara. Fresh, light and packed with flavor, slightly sweet and slightly salty, it ended up being eaten with a spoon when the pepperoni roll was no more. That's how you know it's good.

The fresh mushroom slice was next. Cheesy, yet not too greasy, the mushrooms didn't add a whole lot, as can be expected. Again, the crust is really good here, so its a better than average slice, especially in a city with thousands of pizza places and tens of edible ones. Also the pizza sauce was done well, like the marinara, it was sweet and salty, the perfect combination.

When I saw the chicken, bacon, ranch slice, I knew what lay ahead of me, cholesterol be damned. Loaded with all three, there was no red sauce to be had. Just a delicious layer of ranch dressing to lubricate your gullet as the chicken, bacon and cheese snuck through. It was packed with toppings, packed with calories and packed with flavor. I would definitely order this one again next time I stop in.

Of course, glutton that I am, I couldn't pass up a taste of that beautiful Margarita pizza. Fresh mozzarella and basil atop a thin layer of sauce, this is the test of a good pizza place. Nowhere to hide, it's time to let the ingredients speak for themselves. Remarkably, this was the best thing I ate throughout the entire delicious meal. The sauce there is so good it really deserves a chance to shine. The slice was so thin and crispy, for a minute I thought I was in the Northeast (just kidding Tacconelli's). That aside, this place is one of the only others where I would get a slice of Margarita. It was excellent. Also, keep in mind that I am not trying to compare this place to any of the high end pizza joints that keep popping up (although they could hold their own), this place is $2.50 a slice, delicious pizza-joint pizza. Which, when all is said and done, is the way pizza should be.