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.


The pie itself ... pretty darn good. Red-top style with an ample amount of a thick sauce, which had a good flavor. The pizza was covered with thin-sliced spicy pepperoni, so much so that by my second slice I began to think that maybe it was a bit too much. Cheese was average in taste and consistency; but there was just the right amount of it.

The crust is where it begins to get a bit tricky. The last pie I had before Perrotto's was from Penny's, a suburban pizza institution renown for its uniquely thin, cornmeal dusted crust. Perrotto's crust is also cornmeal-style, but falls short in comparison because there is a bit too much cornmeal, which probably contributes to the fact that it was a bit dry. And they committed one of Saucy's pizza sins - too much edge without toppings/sauce.

The chicken fingers were as tasty as I remembered: thick crispy breading reminding me of delicious chicken finger lunches at Villanova's Corner Grille. Oowee were they good. Of course, they also probably accounted for 10 pounds of my Freshman 15.

We had two leftover slices that we reheated in the microwave the next day. They were quite good by my second-day standards, and I think it made me like the pie a bit more. It definitely has a unique flavor, but I can't put my finger on which aspect is the cause. Perhaps the combination of all of them. I guess we'll just have to order Perrotto's again to figure it out!

Pros: Ample, tasty sauce; thin, spicy pepperoni
Cons: Crust a bit dry, too much cornmeal

Perrotto's Pizza at Valley Forge Beef & Ale
827 S. Trooper Road
Norristown, PA  19403
610.666.1520