Tale of the Pie: Perrotto's Pizza

We took a break from the Philly Mag Best Pizza list this week and decided to test a pie recommended by one of The Pizza Project's many Facebook friends. Okay, the "many" part of that statement is a lie, we totally need more Facebook fans, so if you're reading this, please like us! After making that request, why do I suddenly feel like I'm in sixth grade again?

While Perrotto's pie has always been on our local "to-try" list, we haven't exactly been in a rush to order one up because the Valley Forge Beef & Ale, the establishment where Perrotto's is housed, is ... well, in a nutshell, gross. Don't get me wrong, we've certainly spent a few enjoyable nights there, especially a few years ago when we would get our Saturday night dance on to the sweet sounds of DJ McNabb (not really his name, but he was usually wearing a McNabb jersey). But the place is DIRTY (as in windowsills lined with dust and tiny bugs) and they still allow smoking at the bar, so you basically smell like an ashtray within 10 seconds of walking in the place.

Putting those thoughts aside, we ordered a large pepperoni with a side of chicken fingers (which I remembered being quite good during a few late-night nibbles). Upon picking it up, we were glad to learn that Perrotto's operates in a small area separated from the rest of the Beef & Ale, so our pie was safe from the smoky confines of the bar.

A Very Civilized Night at Chap's Taproom

Chap's Taproom is definitely the best bar in the Norristown area. They have a very diverse, rotating selection of beverages. They have the requisite large televisions for viewing of the local sports teams. They have a very friendly, accomodating bar staff. They have a very good menu, with the Works roast beef and the wings serving as the unquestioned highlights. Hell, they even have a set of attractive twins working as servers!!! (I don't know...it's just cool to think about when bombed.)

But the really awesome thing about Chap's is that they are always looking for that next thing. They don't remain static. Sometimes their ideas are misses (from what I heard, their first venture into Comedy Night was an unmitigated disaster), but sometimes they really hit the right notes. And with a little work, the event we went to the other night could really be a hit. It was a beer dinner, and in this post I will give you the play-by-play of this inaugural event.

Course 1

When myself and the wife first rolled in (we were meeting our friends V and D - names omitted to protect our anonymity), we were greeted by our pal, a bartender named Mark, with a Samuel Adams Boston Lager. At first, we were really worried that the beers we would be served would be thimble-sized to preserve the aura of true fanciness. Instead, we were each poured a full 16-ounce glass. The food course that this beer accompanied was a cheese plate, along with grapes. Personally, I am not a big cheese person. But I ate it. It was fine. And the grapes were...grapes. I've yet to meet a person who could f*ck up grapes. So no complaints...other than the fact that I don't consider Sam Adams to be a very good beer. It is really just a step above the Miller Lites and the Bud Lights and the Yuenglings of the world. I would have liked a little more at a beer dinner.