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.

3 Quick Thoughts on ... Philly Mag's Very Best Pizza Feature

On Sunday, my dad was telling us about the cover story of Philadelphia Magazine's July Issue: The Very Best Pizza. He said he had checked inside to see if our blog was mentioned. I had to smile to myself because he really meant it. Alas, The Pizza Project has not yet graced the pages of Philly Mag, but you never know what the future holds ...

I was excited to get our issue and read the feature, especially after being so disappointed by June's Best of The Shore cover story. Uh yeah, while I enjoy looking at some ripped, tanned, shirtless lifeguards, I was also interested in hearing about the best places to eat, drink and shop.

But about the article itself - it is great and definitely worth checking out. I love how they divided the winners by category: Crust, Sauce, Toppings, At a Table and Paper Plate. We've definitely got our work cut out for us with this guide of good pizzas to review.

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.