Philadelphia, PA - Come taste the family tradition of great pizza at Pietro’s Coal Oven Pizza. Stop by one of their Family-Style Restaurants on Walnut St. and South St. in Philadelphia, PA or Pietro’s Birreria location in Radnor, PA.
You can tell this pizza has got a rich history. Uncle Angelo arrived in America back in the 1930s with a passion for pizza. He worked hard and eventually bought his own pizzeria in Brooklyn. It was there that Uncle Angelo invented a recipe for coal oven pizza. That recipe has been perfected over 60 years and passed down through the generations. Diners at Patsy’s, Nick’s and Angelo’s in New York have enjoyed their pizzas, pastas and salads for years. Here in Philadelphia and Philadelphia’s Suburbs, you can feast on my Uncle Angelo’s secret recipe dishes at all three Pietro’s locations.
We stopped by Pietro’s Coal Oven Pizza on Walnut Street near Rittenhouse Square which opened 20 years ago. Pietro’s South Street opened 15 years ago. Reservations are easily made via OpenTable. Lunch and dinner are served everyday and brunch is served Saturday and Sundays from 11 am- 3 pm with $4 cocktails like Mimosas, Bellini, Champagne, Blood Marys, and Screwdrivers.
We loved the unique Caprese Bloody Mary which are made with homemade Bloody Mary mix, muddled basil, and caprese garnish. The mix is made with roasted whole plum tomatoes, no Tabasco, and fresh squeezed lemon. Other signature drinks include the Tintoretto with pomegranate purée and prosecco, Rossini with strawberry purée and moscato, or Pietro‘s Wall Banger fresh squeezed OJ, and citrus vodka.
Since the renovation, customers can sit at the large black marble top bar and enjoy drinks made with all fresh ingredients behind the bar. Neal Ross has updated the wine menu including selections from Italy and California. And what is better than pairing beer with pizza? You can also choose from a vast beer selection including 16 beers on tap.
The coal fired pizzas are what draws crowds to Pietro’s. Available in 13 or 16 inch pies, these pizzas are the real deal. Designed and built by hand, the coal oven delivers a unique flavor and bake not possible from wood or gas oven. The oven reaches heat up to 1200 degrees. The intense heat of the coal oven evenly bakes the pies to create a crispy and smokey crust. For brunch you can enjoy the Pietro‘s Brunch Pizza with bacon, egg, mozzarella, baby spinach and tomato or the Bianco Brunch Pizza with ham, egg, mozzarella cheese, tomato, and parmesan cheese.
Customers also enjoy the option of creating their own pizza starting with margherita sauce and topping with options like ricotta, smoked mozzarella, provolone, fontina, roasted eggplant, mushrooms, olives, roma tomatoes, meatballs, pancetta, grilled chicken, sausage, prosciutto and more.
One of our favorite pizzas with a kick of spice is the Barese Pizza with spicy pork sausage, hot pesto, tomato sauce, basil and mozzarella . Pietro’s Pizza offers smoked mozzarella, prosciutto and baby arugula, and the Short Rib Pizza is also unique with tender short rib, caramelized onions, parmesan, and alfredo truffle sauce.
All brunch options available on the weekends also include coffee and tea. Other entrees include Ham & Spinach Omelet with provolone cheese served with potatoes, Sunny Side Eggs Bake with potatoes, bacon, zucchini, parmesan, provolone, topped 2 sunny side eggs and baked in coal oven, Vegetable Frittata zucchini, asparagus, eggs, peppers, & mushrooms served with potatoes, and for all those with a sweet tooth Cannoli French Toast layered challah bread with cannoli cream & chocolate chips topped with powdered sugar.
For lunch or dinner there are plenty of other delicious options. Start with Fried Calamari, Stuffed Meatballs, Risotto Balls, Mussels, Bruschetta, and Caprese Salad. Fresh mozzarella is delivered to the restaurant every week. Other salad options include Beet Salad with baby kale, beets, spinach, gorgonzola, apricot, pistachio in a lemon mustard balsamic, Mediterranean Salad with mixed greens, red onions, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, yellow peppers, olives, feta cheese, and shrimp in house dressing, or Siciliana Salad with mixed greens, mozzarella, roasted peppers, olives, capers, anchovies, carrots, grape tomatoes and artichokes, in house dressing.
img_6106Many entrees can be ordered in family size portions to share 3-4 people and individual portions. As much as we love pizza, we cannot get enough of Pietro’s pasta. They’ve got homemade Cheese Ravioli in a blush cream sauce or tomato sauce and Lasagna with homemade pasta with bolognese meat sauce, bechamel and parmesan cheese baked to perfection. The Rigatoni Alla Vodka is absolutely killer with blush sauce, red onions, pork pancetta, vodka, and parmesan cheese. This might be our favorite dish in the entire restaurant. Other options include Gemelli Arugula Pollo with sautéed chicken breast, garlic, arugula, grape tomatoes, in a white wine sauce; and Linguini Cielo with chicken breast and shrimp, sautéed with onions and garlic in a blush sauce. They also offer gluten-free and whole wheat pasta options, as well as zucchini noodles!
One of the most popular dishes with customers is Chicken Parmesan with breaded chicken breast, lightly fried and oven baked with mozzarella cheese in marinara sauce served with spaghetti and vegetarians can enjoy Eggplant Parmesan with breaded eggplant lightly fried, topped with mozzarella in marinara sauce served with spaghetti marinara.
Other entrée options include Veal Marsala with veal cutlets sautéed in a marsala wine sauce with a blend of mushrooms sprinkled with pecorino cheese served with mushroom risotto; and Fra Diavolo Pasta with shrimp, calamari, salmon, chopped clams, and mussels, in a spicy marinara sauce over linguini pasta. Save yourself some room afterwards for dessert too! If you like something sweet you’ll love options like Cannolis, Pumpkin Cheesecake, or Chocolate Mousse. We also enjoyed sipping on a Citrus Bloom cocktail with citrus-infused gin, fresh lime juice, and St. Germain.
Pietro’s is part of the Aegean Restaurant Group including Estia, so giftcards can be used at either restaurant. Delivery options are available via Seamless, Caviar, Grubhub, and Postmates. We hope you’ll stop by soon to enjoy some classic style pizzas and pasta specialties “alla familia”. Buon “appetito”!
Stop by weekdays 11 am- 3pm for lunch specials each offered for $9.95 including Chicken Caesar Salad, Napolitana Salad, Fettuccine Salmon, Linguini Broccoli & Pollo, Risotto Mushroom & Pollo and Linguini Shrimp & Sausage.
