The Freezer Case: Whole Foods Fresh from Our Kitchen (Homemade)

Are you someone who loves cheese on your pizza? If so, this pizza from Whole Foods Plymouth Meeting is for you. I, on the other hand, am a person who likes sauce on my pizza. This isn't the pizza for me.

Let me get some positives out of the way early: The crust has a very nice texture. It's firm and floury with a crunchy cornmeal feel. They do something interesting with the pepperoni as well. Rather than cut it up into a bunch of pieces, they layer about five or six large pieces on the pie. I'm sure people can go either way with this, but I preferred it to the Wegman's school of pepperoni application, which is to cover every inch of the pie with the thin meat circles. It should also be said that the pepperoni's taste really stood out. It was both smoky and spicy. Finally, the wife liked the taste of the cheese. And that's a good thing for her because there was a ton of it.

The cheese layer was so thick, I could not see a hint of tomato sauce. When I turned the pizza sideways, the cheese layer was actually thicker than the crust. There were moments when it was actually difficult to swallow. What sauce was there was very ordinary. In other words, this is not the pizza for me. However, if you are down with mozzarella overload, run, don't walk, to get this pizza.

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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: SliCE (Rittenhouse Square)

When we went to Rittenhouse Square's economically named SliCEthe other day, we forgot our notepad. So I took notes via texts to my wife's phone. I figured I would then just look at the sent messages and I could recount the experience that way. One problem: I then proceeded to lose my phone that night. Being that I did not want to monopolize my wife's phone for a significant stretch, I was kind of stuck. Five days after the experience, the memory is starting to fade slightly so I had to snatch Spicy's mobile. I will now write a review of the pie, only rather than using the notes as the backbone of the review, I will type the texts in their entirety and then try to translate them as best as possible as extinguished memories hopefully return.

Tale of the Pie: Via Roma Pizzeria

I could sum up Via Roma's pizza in one word: average. There is nothing exhilarating about this pie, but there also aren't any elements that are particularly offensive.
We ordered a large pepperoni and side of wings (with extra hot sauce) to go. As we're finding with most takeout orders these days, the quoted completion time was too long and the pie was already done when we picked it up, resulting in a cold pizza by the time we got it home. The texture of the crust was decent, thin enough for the most part, but perhaps a bit too soft in certain spots. The sauce was of the watery tomato variety, not especially flavorful and definitely not generously applied. The amount of cheese was just right, as was the gooey texture, but again, it was nothing that would send your taste buds popping. The only part of the pizza that did have much taste was the pepperoni, with a bit of a tangy kick.

Frazzled, flustered, but quite a fine pie: Bake 425

Have you ever called a restaurant/eatery to place an order and been asked to call back because they were too busy? I certainly had not ... until we called Bake 425 last week to order a pie. Frazzled, frenzied, flustered ... I'm not sure which one best describes the employee we encountered there. After putting me on hold, he returned to the line with a million huffs and puffs and abruptly asked if I could call back in five minutes because he was just too busy at the moment. Normally, I would have been put off and selected a different establishment for my business, but I had been wanting to try Bake 425 for a while and on this day, we actually had the time to stop there (as it's a bit out of our way) on the way home from an outing to Strasburg with the nibble.

Bake 425 is an interesting concept from the owners of local Peace-A-Pizza chain: similar to a Mom's Bake at Home, but with completely organic, seasonal ingredients. After my five-minute wait, I called back and ordered a large Pepperoni. The guy was still quite flustered and quoted me a time of 35 minutes, which is a bit shocking for a pie that isn't even getting baked. But we headed over and decided to go inside after about 20 minutes.

In all fairness, Frazzled Freddy was the only employee there, and I do remember, from my many years is restaurant/food service, that being short-staffed really sucks, especially if you are trying to do a good job. But there was only one other customer in the store and the phone didn't seem to be ringing off the hook, so I'm not exactly sure why he was so overwhelmed. He did apologize for the delay and offered us extra pepperoni to compensate. Saucy naturally asked him to throw some extra sauce on there as well. After a few more minutes in the bright, modern store, Fred managed to get us our pie before the nibble re-colored the waiting bench with the crayons they luckily had out for customers.

After only two minutes in the oven, there was an unbelievable aroma emanating from the pie. I do believe the baking instructions need a bit of a tweak though, because the center of the pie was still not fully cooked after 15 minutes (the max time on the instructions). Perhaps this was partly due to the extra sauce. But since the sauce was highlight of the pie, I sure am glad we had extra.

It was of the thick, savory variety, with a strong tomato taste and just the right amount of sweetness (not as sweet as the Peace-A-Pizza sauce, for those of you familiar with it). The cheese was flavorful enough to stand out from the other ingredients, and just the right amount. The pepperoni was good, but nothing to write home about and paled in comparison to your typical uncured pepperoni flavor (Newman's and Whole Foods' come to mind).

Now the crust. The texture was decent - crispy yet still foldable. But the taste, eh. A bit Ritz cracker-esque when tasted solo. Luckily, the pie was so jammed with toppings that there wasn't even much of a naked edge.

All-in-all, we thoroughly enjoyed the pie and will probably try Bake 425 again. The nibble even asked for seconds, which is a rarity these days, since there are so many more important things to do than sitting at a dinner table.

If you decide to give it a go, be sure to look for a Groupon Now deal - we saved $5, bringing our total to a little over $8.

Bake 425
1012 West Lancaster Avenue
Bryn Mawr, PA  19010
610-525-6425

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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/

Chain Reaction: Peace A Pizza

It's been a while since we tried a pie from area staple Peace A Pizza. I used to get it quite frequently around work until the one in Liberty Place shut down. Couple this with the fact that Spicy said the location near the King of Prussia Mall was fairly empty on a holiday-shopping Saturday and it had me a little worried for the business's financial security. At the end of the day, of course, it is not my job to worry about how much cash is rolling in for the establishment. I am only here to review their pizza.

We ordered two pies, one a plain pie (which was free with a coupon) and the other a Brooklyn Bridge style pizza, which came with pepperoni, Italian sausage, peppers, and onions. Normally, it would also come with black olives, but we requested that they be left off. While we asked for no extra sauce on the cheese pie, it was still ample and I must say that I do have a weakness for the sweet brand of sauce they use on their pizza. The cheese provided on the pie I found to be the perfect amount, although I would not say that it was incredibly flavorful. Meanwhile, I have always found their dough to be a tad thick, almost to the point where you get a bit of a moist feel as if it can sometimes not be cooked all the way through.

The Freezer Case: Open Nature Uncured Pepperoni Pizza

Wednesdays are a rough day for me. I go to work, put in a hard day's labor, and, when I return to the homefront, I am handed a kid and Spicy sets off to gallivanting about town (actually, it's just a pilates class). Since I am inept in the culinary department, this means that I do not get to eat until at least 8 p.m. Factor in the time for a Saucy Jr. bath if the need happens to fall on one of these days, and by the time I am set to dine on Hump Day, I can eat just about anything.

However, if given the option, I would prefer that I not be asked to eat an "Open Nature" frozen pizza.

Tale of the Pie Aruba Edition: Tomato Charlie's

If you've been concerned about the lack of new posts during the past week, don't despair. We have not abandoned the blog; it's just that several of us have been in Aruba celebrating Emmental's wedding. Now that we're back, we've got two pizza reviews and any number of random posts (how to survive air travel with a rambunctious nearly-two-year-old, slightly aimless rant about the Marriott beach bar waiter who tried to overcharge us for the $8.50 drink special of the day because they "forgot" to update the specials board from the previous day, Balashi beer in 50 words or less, etc.) coming your way.

Naturally, we had to give Aruba's pizza a try. Our first stop was Tomato Charlie's, located along the Blvd/Prominade at the Brickell Bay Beach Club (Palm/Eagle beach area). Saucy and I started with the Bruschetta while our friend had a Tomato Charlie's Italian Salad. We then shared a medium pie, half pepperoni and half plain. The bruschetta was pretty good, nothing that would knock your socks off, but a tasty little nibble. It was topped with shredded mozzarella, which was definitely a bruschetta first for me. The salad seemed to be lacking in toppings, a bit of a disappointment when considering the over $10 price tag.

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: 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.

Tale of the Pie: Pepperoncini Restaurant & Bar

The hubby and I celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary yesterday. To mark the occasion, we went out to dinner on Friday (anticipating that Saturday would not offer the ideal conditions for a night out) to Pepperoncini Restaurant & Bar in Conshohocken. Why did we choose Pepperoncini? For one, I had received a $25 coupon courtesy of BirthdayPak (any ladies who are not registered for this free offer should definitely check it out at http://www.getmybirthdaypak.com/). And secondly, we found some pretty positive reviews for their thin crust pizzas online.

Philly's Ciao Pizza Makes Pretty Good Slice for Hefty Price

Being that I was pretty busy at work on this day, I did not have time for a long lunch. I couldn't stand in line for a half-hour for an $8 salad nor could I risk a lengthy line at the one-cashier Americanized Mejicano staple Hot Tamales (review coming soon). No, I just needed it fast, cheap dirty, and served on a paper plate (OK, I would rather it wasn't dirty). So I went for a quick slice.

The destination I chose was Ciao Pizza, a storefront on Chestnut St. in the area of Liberty Place. First, I must compliment the staff. This is because the dude who inserted my slice into the oven for reheating did not mock me when I stated my order as a "plain, pepperoni slice." He simply waited for my clarification and went about his business with aplomb and grace. The next thing I had to do before eating my slice was pay. When I stepped to the cashier and told him what I had ordered, he said something that I found to be somewhat ridiculous: "$3." Two things: 1) I thought right away that it would be very difficult for the slice to live up to this payment and 2) it was made doubly annoying because the price was not listed on a board above the oven nor was it even on the printed takeaway menu; it made me feel as if they probably looked at me, decided how stupid and gullible I looked, and pulled a price out of their arse that they thought I was crazy enough to pay.

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.

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.

Tale of the Pie: Charlie's Pizzeria

As mentioned in our post on Philly Mag's Best Pizza issue, we're visiting all of the local spots recommended in the article. First up was Charlie's Pizzeria in East Norriton.

Because it's about 15 minutes from our house, we planned on eating in, so the pie didn't get cold during the ride home. But before we even got in the door, we thought we might be changing those plans. There are a few tables in the back, but it didn't seem like the spot for a nice Friday night out with our 18-month-old. Plus, once I did get inside, I realized that the temperature was hot enough that they could have been cooking the pizzas right on the counter.

The Recipe Files: Pepperoni & Marinated Mozz on a Rustic Crust

Back on the good foot after the holiday weekend, I decided to bake a healthy pizza with a wheat crust I had purchased in Giant's organic section a few weeks ago.

Ingredients:
Rustic Crust Organic Great Grains
Rustic Crust Pizza Sauce
Uncured pepperoni
Fresh mozzarella balls marinated in olive oil, herbs and red pepper (got these at Trader Joe's)
Lowfat shredded mozzarella (also from Trader Joe'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.

Chain Reaction: Bertucci's Italian Restaurant

What can I say? I have always liked Bertucci's. I know it isn't authentic Italian, but their Rigatoni Abruzzi is one of my favorite meals. Well, I am glad to say that their pizza is just as good, whether it's made from some Sicilian dude fresh off the boat, a couple hombres hoping to get their green cards, or whatever.

Had it the other day when we went to Elio Totino's for a little Easter dinner. We bought a Roman-style sausage and pepperoni pie for $19, and with a coupon we also bought a large plain pie for $5. So it was $24.91 for enough pizza to feed an army. Not bad when you consider that they also provided us with about eight of their very delicious rolls along with some olive oil and a heaping helping of extra sauce for dipping (no charge for the additional red, a big plus).

Tale of Pie: Marzella's Pizza

It had been a while since the last time I had eaten anything from Marzella’s. From what I remembered as a child the food was good and greasy. That still holds up today, the only thing missing was the big pig holding a pizza outside the restaurant.

We called ahead for pick-up and ordered a small pepperoni pie and a small steak Stromboli with sauce inside. When we went to pick-up the order the place was packed with people waiting to order their food. Although we had already placed our order we had to wait in line while people were deciding what to order, all I’m saying is get another register and help the 70 year-old lady out up front.

The Freezer Case: Freschetta Simply Inspired Rustic Pepperoni Pomodoro

Spicy here, checking in from a rough few weeks. I've got strep throat and the nibble's had back-to-back illnesses: first an upper respiratory infection, now an ear infection and two pink eyes. In 15 months, he's barely been sick at all (outside of minor colds), so I guess we're getting it all at once. When things get hectic around here (or I just can't make it to the grocery store), I'll occasionally use Genuardi's grocery delivery service, which is precisely how we ended up with the Freschetta Simply Inspired Rustic Pepperoni Pomodoro.

For the most part, the delivery service is great: you get the same sale prices available at the store and you can also get free delivery as long as you order five things from their list of hot items that week (which is quite a long and varied list, so it's pretty easy to do). However, there are two major drawbacks. First, items you have ordered may be out of stock, but you don't find that out until the groceries are delivered. Second, unless you have a few hours to spend reading the fine print online for each item ordered, you may end up with enough flank steak to feed the neighborhood or a pizza with mushrooms.

The Freezer Case: 365 Everyday Value Uncured Pepperoni Pizza



Hey, if Kim Kardashian can get her pie
on after Pilates, no reason why I can't.
Must be why we look so similar ...

As Pilates night has quickly become frozen pizza night at the McGilliguddy residence, we have another freezer case review for you: Whole Foods' 365 Everyday Value Uncured Pepperoni Pizza. Kind of ironic that I top off an excruciating hour-long workout by stuffing my face with pizza, but I suppose this one must have been at least a tad healthy, since it is from Whole Foods, right?


Healthy or not, it certainly was delicious! It looked a bit small in diameter when I first put it in the oven, but since we were dining after the nibble's bedtime, it ended up being just the right amount for the two of us. With an ample amount of flavorful sauce topped with the tastiest pepperoni and a layer of gooey-but-not-greasy cheese, the pie was delectable - one of the best frozens we've ever tasted! The uncured peperoni had a bit of zing to it and the toppings were spread to the edge of the crust, so much so that there was no leftover crust remaining on the hubby's plate - definitely a rarity for a frozen. The crust was hearty, but not too doughy or dense. Probably even better than the crust on the pie we enjoyed at the Cold Point Pub last weekend.

In summary, it was delish and we will definitely be getting it again. Although if we're eating with the nibble, we'll probably need a second pie ...