Tale of the Pie: Pizza Palace

The people at Bryn Mawr's Pizza Palace were really nice. The girl at the counter could not stop fawning over our kid. She asked him how old he was. She couldn't stop saying how cute he looked. If we wouldn‘t have thought it was vaguely psychotic, she probably would have pinched his cheeks a little. Generally, she was just an all-around sweetheart. It's people like this that make it really enjoyable to go out to eat.

It's also people like this who make it hard to tell you about a really mediocre pie.

Tale of the Pie: Padrino's Pizza & Family Restaurant

Before we have to change the name of this blog to The Beer Project, we fortunately have a pizza review for you. When we first walked into Padrino's, the savory aroma gave us pretty high hopes about the quality of the pie. Since it was a Lenten Friday, meat was off limits, so we decided to get a Sicilian in order to mix things up. In hindsight, that was a dumb choice, since Sicilians take much longer to make and waiting peacefully in a restaurant is not really the nibble's thing.

It's clear that Padrino's is definitely a local favorite. Everyone (with the exception of us) who walked through the door seemed to know at least one other person there. It was a clean and cozy little shop, with some cheesy old world murals on the wall (which Saucy rather liked).

Tale of the Pie: Tony's Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant

This blog is not called The Calamari Project. When we typically decide to try a restaurant's pizza, we will usually complete the order with a side to keep things interesting. Usually it is something like wings, mozzarella sticks, or, yes, calamari. If the appetizer should be particularly good, we, of course, mention it. Same with if it should be bad. But the grade that we present at the bottom pertains to the pizza. The pizza in other words is the main attraction and what every restaurant we go to is ultimately judged upon.

Except for this review. In this one, we will adjust our rules and downgrade this restaurant based on the taste of the worst calamari (nay, DISH) I have ever had in my time on the planet we call Earth. But let's get to the pizza.

Tony's Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant is a fairly nondescript strip-mall pizza joint next to a Wawa on Egypt Road in Norristown. I saw it one day when I stopped into said Wawa to see if they had a bathroom in which my toddler could urinate. They didn't, but one positive of the attempt was that I determined that we would try Tony's Pizzeria some time in the near future. When we did decide to try it, I was a little concerned when I showed up to pick it up. The place was very empty. It was just the dudes making the pizzas, me, and a couple sitting at a table. I believe that one of the individuals dining there was certifiably insane, but that is neither here nor there. There was a little bit of a problem with the service as it took the two college-aged fellows behind the counter at least five minutes to ask if I, like, wanted my pizza or something. However, if this place could say that the biggest problem they had were a couple of workers being slow on customer service, they would be very lucky. It was not until I returned home with the pie that I realized the bigger issue.

Tale of the Pie: Tosco Pizza & Italian Restaurant

While driving home from a kiddie Halloween party at the library, we decided to stop in Tosco's on a whim. To sum up our experience: average pie, average price, below average atmosphere.

We ordered a large pepperoni and a side of mozzerella sticks. Sauce was pretty tasty, a rich, tomato-y flavor. For the most part, there was an ample amount; however, I found my first slice to be lacking in much sauce and therefore lacking in flavor. Just the right amount of gooey cheese. The crust was okay, a little thick for my taste and a tad dry, especially at the edge. But it folded nicely and made the pie pretty easy to consume. Pepperoni amount was good; taste was nothing to write home about. Overall flavor is pretty good, execept on the slice without much sauce. Mozz sticks were quite good: cheese was oozing and the accompanying sauce was quite delicious.

Our server was fast and attentive. However, if we ever decide to enjoy a Tosco pie again, it will be in the comfort of our own home. While the place was pretty busy for a Thursday night, the clientele leaves something to be desired. A dirty, crazy-eyed loon wandering dangerously close to pie preparation area. A group of loud teenagers dining in their wife beaters and burping loudly (at one point, the nibble hilariously said "excuse me" for them). A lonely old man trying to chat up the waitress and anyone else who made the mistake of looking his way.

So if you're looking to try Tosco's, we wouldn't warn against it. But we definitely recommend getting your pie to go!

Pros: Very good mozz sticks and dip; decent sauce on pie
Cons: Thick, dry crust; atmosphere and fellow diners

Tosco Pizza & Italian Restaurant
610-539-6800           

2908 West Ridge Pike
Norristown, PA 19403

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The Pizza Project
Just a nibble: http://twitter.com/ThePizzaProject
Single slice: http://www.facebook.com/ThePizzaProject
The full pie: http://thepizzaproject.blogspot.com/

Tale of the Pie: Affamato's Pizza & Italian Restaurant

Before we launched The Pizza Project as a blog, it was simply a spreadsheet we used to keep track of the best and worst pie attributes from local pizzerias. Some of the worst belonged to an establishment by the name of Paesano's. So it's not exactly a surprise that Paesano's has since closed down and been replaced by a new pizza shop: Affamato's Pizza & Italian Restaurant.

With hopes that the same owners weren't simply reopening under a new name, we decided to give Affamato's a try. And while their pie was definitely a million times better than Paesano's, it still has some room for improvement.

We ordered a large pepperoni with a side of mozzerella sticks. At first bite, the crust seemed to be nearly perfect in texture and form. Curiously though, it got thicker and chewier with each subsequent bite, making the edge basically inedible. Light on the sauce, which was a bit watery, definitely not a robust tomato-y red. Heavy on the cheese, which I wouldn't really complain about, but if you're not a major cheese lover, you may find it a bit tough to swallow...literally. The pie was topped with just the right amount of flavorful pepperoni.

Mozz sticks (and accompanying sauce) were pretty run of the mill, and perhaps a bit cold because the cheese wasn't oozing.

Hubby picked up the pie - it was ready in 10-12 minutes even though they quoted us 20 (so get there early if you don't want a cold one). Friendly cashier and a significant difference in the number of people there picking up orders (from the extremely empty Paesano's).

To sum it up, it was an average pie, but we'd consider giving them another try a few months down the road (since they just recently opened).

Pros: Fast, friendly service, tasty pepperoni
Cons: Crust got too thick and chewy, sauce sparse and thin

Affamato's Pizza & Italian Restaurant
431 S. Trooper Road
Norristown, PA 19403
610.666.6800

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The Pizza Project
Just a nibble: http://twitter.com/ThePizzaProject
Single slice: http://www.facebook.com/ThePizzaProject
The full pie: http://thepizzaproject.blogspot.com/

Tale of the Pie: Franzone's Pizzeria

Yes, my grandparents definitely had those same glasses

Another weekend, another Philly Mag "Best Pizza" spot. This time it was Franzone's in Bridgeport, a pizzeria apparently in business since 1955.

Upon arriving at this neighborhood spot with the hubby and nibble, I immediately decided that I would not look around extensively while we wined and dined. That's because I'm a bit of a clean freak, and this place was not up to par. And let's just say that our fellow diners made the Via Veneto's crowd look runway-ready.

When we saw that a half carafe of wine was only $6.95, we couldn't help but order it and laugh about what we might be getting. It ended up being a chilled red, most likely from a Carlo Rossi or Paisano jug. Oh, and two mini, slightly dirty, old-school Italian glasses that I remember being part of my grandparent's glassware collection. Beer is also quite cheap for a decent selection - $3 for a bottle of  Russian River Damnation, Golden Monkey, Prima Pils or Summer Love from Victory, or Dogfish Head Festina Pêche.

The Rare Night Out: Audubon Ale House

Ok, so it wasn't really a "night" per se, but still, my mother-in-law was nice enough to stop in for 90 minutes and babysit. This gave us ample time to head to the Audubon Ale House for dinner and a couple of drinks. I don't know if I would give this establishment "hidden jewel" status, but I do think that it is an underrated choice when looking to spend some quality time in the local bar. So with time of the essence we chose to hit it up in lieu of other choices, The Saloon and the always reliable Chap's.

Tale of the Pie: Via Veneto Pizza

So Saucy's been doing great with the diet, and only a moderate amount of complaining (believe it or not). But we decided to take Friday night off to have a family outing and a few slices.

Our destination? Via Veneto's. Just a bit of background for you: the "disappointing pie" we refer to in our very first post, Getting to the Crust of the Matter, was actually from Via Veneto's. But the shop is about 15-20 minutes from our house on a good day and Saucy picked it up on a snowy February evening. And after the 30 minute or longer ride home, it really wasn't that hot. I mean temperature-wise and taste-wise.

Tale of the Pie: Nonna Rosa Pizzeria and Restaurant

Another Friday, another pizza. This time, we decided to try out Nonna Rosa Pizzeria and Restaurant. Until Lent is over, pepperoni and buffalo wings are an absolute no-no, so we ordered a plain pie with extra sauce and a mozzarella sticks appetizer.

The pie was delivered in a fair amount of time for a pizza joint in the heart of No-Meat season. I would say it arrived about 45 minutes after the phone call. Even better, the delivery guy showed an admirable amount of honesty when, after he had quoted me the price of $18 (an affordable price for a large pie and sticks), I stated that I had a $2 coupon. Instead of just saying it had already been taken off, which I would have believed, he shaved the price of the coupon off of the $18. This act, along with the fact that Nonna Rosa has yet to jump on the delivery charge revolution, earned the delivery guy a very hearty 25 percent tip.

Tale of the Pie: Paesano Pizza

Oofah. Talk about a bad pie. Our level of disappointment might be partly due to the fact that the last two pizza joints we reviewed (Oaks, Gino's) were quite good. Or perhaps the pie just totally sucked.

We originally ordered for delivery, but when we were quoted a time estimate of an hour, we decided to pick up because I was too darn hungry to wait. Paesano's must be going green and delivering by foot because there was literally no one else in the place when the hubby picked up the pie. So we're not exactly sure what would have taken an hour.

Tale of the Pie: Paradise Pizza

Full disclosure: Before it became this blog, The Pizza Project was just an Excel spreadsheet printed out and stashed away in one of our kitchen drawers. In all honesty, we ate this Paradise pie a few weeks ago, so the experience isn't super-fresh in my mind, but I remember it was tasty and have a few spreadsheet notes to share.

We had tried Paradise Pizza a few times when we first moved into our house - most memorably when we invited my dad, sister and two very good friends over to help us paint half the house ... in one day. Yes, clearly we were homeowner virgins and this was our first time planning a painting project of this magnitude. After 12 continuous hours of painting, we figured we should feed them something and ordered from Paradise, as it was the closest spot to our new house.

I remember it being good, very good in fact. But we didn't continue to order their pizzas because they don't deliver. Yes, this may sound extremely lazy, given that it is only a five-minute drive from our house. But the truth is, when you're already sitting on the couch in your PJs or velour sweatsuit watching TV with a total winetooth, the last thing you want to do is bundle up and head outside to pick up your food.

Tale of the Pie: Kosmos Pizza & Grill

There was a time when the calendar turning to Valentine's Day meant a number of things. First, it meant a romantic dinner at a fancy restaurant. And when I say "fancy," yes, I mean that I would take the seat that wasn't facing the basketball game. Valentine's Day called for those sorts of sacrifices. Second, it meant a nightcap at a bar of my lady's choosing. Even if the beer list had less than 50 sophisticated beers to choose from, I would walk through the doors without complaint...as long as the watresses were hot. Third, of course, is the lovin'. Valentine's Day definitely meant action was in the offing. I would tell you all about the business that would take place, but I am trying to keep this platform as PG as possible (of course, if you are willing to supply the number for a major credit card and pay $1.99 per minute, you may feel free to call my cell phone and I will tell you all about it in heavy-breathing fashion).

However, things have changed now. I have a kid. This means the fancy restaurant is out, as is the trip to a bar offering alcoholic delights (I think I may still be getting the action! WOOHOO!). Instead, the wife and I decided to stay home and order a pizza. And on this blustery evening, we chose to try Kosmos Pizza and Grill in Jeffersonville, PA (Jeffersonville, of course, being the name one uses for Norristown to let other people know that they don't live next to a thriving crack house). Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from Kosmos. First of all, they are named after Kramer from Seinfeld. I don't really think he was Italian. Then there is the fact that the logo on the flyer - a low-rent looking globe of the world (is this African pizza?) - looks like it was designed by a graphic designer who flunked out of community college.