Tale of the Pie: Tacconelli's Pizzeria

It's pretty ballsy for a pizza shop to require customers to make a reservation for their crust. For some, that may add to the mystique that has surrounded Tacconelli's for as long as I can remember. For others, that prerequisite (and the statement on their website that "well-behaved children are welcome") can leave a bad taste in their mouths before they even have a bite.

However, that taste will quickly be replaced by one of a delectable pie.

Since my mom is really awesome and super supportive of our blogging endeavour, she decided we should celebrate her birthday at the infamous Tacconelli's so we can add another review to the site. A party of eight adults and one nibble, we arrived at the modest, yet surprisingly spacious, shop with beer and wine in hand ready to put those pies to the test. We ordered one regular, one pepperoni, one margherita and one white specialty.


The winners? It was a tie between the pepperoni and the white specialty. On all of the pies, the star of the show is definitely the crust. Thin, crispy and light, it was what made this pizza stand out for me. However, I must say that a few slices seemed to be a tad charred.

Pies (with the exception or the whites) are served red-top style and the sauce is both ample and good, somewhere in between the sweet and savory varieties and on the thicker side. The toppings were generously disributed but not overdone, and tasted very fresh. Pepperoni had a nice spicy taste, which I believe added that extra oomph needed to flavor the sauce.

The white specialty had just the right amount of garlic, spinach and tomatoes. And the mozzerella on the margharita was delicious. Speaking of cheese, the regular pies are a bit light on cheese, so any cheese lovers should stick to the margherita or whites.

Service was very good - our waitress even brought us extra plates, napkins and utensils for cake without any request.

Oh, and you can really get your nosh on here without getting filled up, so be sure to reserve enough dough. Two people can easily polish off one pie. And if you're really hungry, you might be able to eat one yourself.

Read the Philly Mag review>>

Pros: Light, thin, crispy crust; plenty of sauce; fresh toppings
Cons: Crust burnt in a few spots, sauce not super-flavorful

Tacconelli's Pizzeria
2604 E Somerset St
Philadelphia, PA 19134
(215) 425-4983



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The Pizza Project
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