Review: Tony Roni's Tomato Pie (Willow Grove, PA)

We've written several times about the definition of "tomato pie."  In Trenton NJ and New Haven CT, it means "pizza" with a thin crisp crust, with more emphasis on a chunky tomato sauce and less emphasis on the cheese.  But in the suburbs west of Philly (and in Philly, too) it often means a bakery-sourced square crust, light and airy, with a thick application of often-sweet tomato sauce, and no cheese or a mere dusting of Parmesan. That sounds like the square slice from Brooklyn's L&B Spumoni Gardens, except that tomato pie is often served at room temperature.

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I have really enjoyed the good tomato pies I've tried (Corropolese, Conshy Bakery, Wegman's, Morabito's from Costco), but I typically want to add cheese and heat them, essentially creating a terrific slice of Sicilian or the NY "Granma" slice.  Anyhow, the twitterverse has been buzzing about the tomato pie from Tony Roni's, so on a trip eastward, I had occasion to exit the PA turnpike to Easton Rd (611) in Willow Grove.  I swung by Tony Roni's to get some slices to go.

Tony Roni's is a small local chain, with 7 locations around Philly. The first one was "Tony A's" in Conshohocken. The Willow Grove location is in a converted gas station. I've seen such a re-purposing before when a Starbucks took over a closed gas station; somehow that old-style architecture works nicely with a modern restaurant.

I was in a hurry, so I asked the friendly counterman for some tomato pie to go. There were only two slices ready -- one plain, one with a couple of slabs of fresh mozz and a sprinkle of fresh basil. I took them both -- total of $4.75 -- and continued on my journey.

Nice browning underneath

Later that night, I ate the slice with cheese at room temperature (even though the counterman had offered to heat them for me).  The crust was both thinner and denser than other tomato pies I've had. It sported a beautiful raised cornicione that reminded me of Greek pizza. Its texture was solid, and it provided a sturdy foundation for the excellent sauce. The sweet-ish sauce had a nice dusting of oregano, and I could taste the garlic and basil in the sauce. I ate it in a hurry.

The plain slice

It was not until the next night that I ate the plain slice. This one, I heated in the toaster oven. While I enjoyed the pizza-like quality that heating brought, it lost something. The delicate crust seemed somehow less in balance with the sweet sauce. This was no shortcoming of the pie, but a failure of my method; I think perhaps too much moisture was cooked out of it in my oven.

Every pizza maker claims that "our pie is the best" but few can offer any credible reasons why. Founder Tony Altomare not only tells you the details about his sauce and crust, he shows you. This YouTube video is a good investment of three minutes: Tony Crafts a Tomato Pie. Tony Roni's is putting out some superb signature tomato pie, and next time, I will try the pizza. What is remarkable for me is that, despite all the world-class tomato pie I've eaten, this was the first one that really sold me on the room temperature approach. No wonder it is so popular for Eagles football tailgate parties. Destination pie? I can't say that for sure until I've had the pizza. There is a passion behind this pie; make sure you try it.

Review: Pizza by Elizabeths (updated)

We made our first trip to Pizza by Elizabeths (Greenville, DE) in July of 2011. It was a quick stop for a takeout order that was re-heated at home, several hours after purchase. We liked it a lot and you can read our review here: P-B-E Review, July 2011 .

"The Montgomery" from our first visit

Because it's such an elegant dining spot (especially for a pizza-focused menu), we wanted to get back there and enjoy the dine-in experience. That opportunity came and we arrived at lunchtime. The place was busy but not full; we were seated promptly near a window in this large space. Our young server was attentive and helpful.

Rather than ordering one of the specialty pies on the menu (each named for a famous Elizabeth), we chose to custom-order our own pies. For PQ (Pizza Quixote), the toppings included conventional mozzarella, Italian sausage, and the chunky version of their red sauce. For EPBAC (eats pizza but avoids cheese), we got a bit more creative and ordered it with traditional red sauce, crab, and artichoke.

The view from our table. Click to enlarge

While we waited for the pizza, the server brought our drinks (cherry coke and mango iced tea) and a salad that we shared -- fresh field greens with curried/candied toasted pecans and a creamy balsamic dressing. Thumbs up to all of that!

Both pizzas had a wonderful crust, and this experience reinforces the Pizza Quixote Rule that pizza is defined by the crust. This crust was crisp and charred on the bottom, but softer and chewier throughout. It was neither Trenton/NY style nor Neapolitan, but probably closer to Neapolitan. In addition to its excellent texture, it had a nice yeasty flavor and of course there were no pizza bones left behind.

Mozzarella, sausage, chunky tomato, basil

The crab-artichoke pie?  This experience reinforced another Pizza Quixote Rule: when you define a pizza by its toppings, failure is likely. The crust on this one was cooked a tad darker, likely because it did not have the heavy cheese and chunky tomatoes to absorb the heat. We actually loved the crust. The red sauce was thinly applied, and probably was a bad choice to go with the other ingredients. I love fresh artichoke, and I enjoy canned artichoke in a salad, but this pie had big quarters of artichoke piled on, and it did not click at all. I pulled them off and ate them as a side dish.

The underside of the crust

From now on, if I want artichoke on my pizza, I will go to Artichoke Basille in NYC; see my reviews here: First visit to Artichoke Basille and here: Second visit to Artichoke Basille . The crab was another mistake. If seafood is going onto a pizza, it better be in a well-considered recipe that the pizza maker has created, as we found with the lobster-mascarpone pie at Cambridge 1, reviewed here: Cambridge 1 (MA) Pizza. This pizza was a failure, but it was my fault.

We brought home three slices of the experimental pie after eating the artichoke and crab toppings.  At home, I added some cheese and some soppressata slices before heating it in the toaster oven, and it was delicious.

My sausage pie was terrific; beyond the crust, the bright red chunky tomatoes were a highlight, bursting with a sweet/salty flavor. The sausage was good if not quite memorable. The cheese was a role player. There was a bit too much, and it had not developed any browning or bubbling on top. I rate the crust an 8.5, the tomatoes a 9, the cheese a 5, the sausage a 6. Overall, this pie comes in at 7.5. Not quite destination pie, but the combo of the lovely upscale space, good service, good sides, and very good pizza is powerful. One important suggestion: how about a Betty Draper pie?!

Review: Jack's Pizza & Pasta, Frazer PA

For a few years, I’ve driven along the seedy stretch of Lancaster Avenue (Route 30) in Frazer that spans from Malvern to Exton.  There’s a bunch of pizza joints, but none look especially promising. Searching around the food blogs, the only one that got a lot of attention was Jack’s Pizza & Pasta, at 577 Lancaster Avenue. You can’t trust everything you read on food blogs (except this one!) but the consensus seemed to be: good, not great, pizza, and world-class cheesesteaks.

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On a Friday night, EPBAC (eats pizza but avoids cheese) and I had taken VACK (vegetable-avoiding college kid) used-car shopping. That effort took us late enough into the evening that we did not feel like cooking. Our route home took us conveniently past Jack's, so it was time to find out about their wares.

Outside Jack's

Business was slow, winding down, around 8pm as we arrived. The counterman was friendly and helpful. We HAD to try the pizza, so we got two slices of the sausage-pepperoni pie. EPBAC ordered fries and the chicken steak (no cheese) with hot peppers; VACK went for cheesesteak with American cheese and hot peppers; I selected cheesesteak with American cheese and hot peppers on the side.

Interior at Jack's

The pizza, waiting on the counter, had looked decidedly ordinary.  Heated quickly, it arrived first and we dove in to it as our appetizer.

VACK, EPBAC

 It was not a stiff crust, and that compelled me to eat the first few bites with knife and fork. I reject, with extreme prejudice, the notion of folding a slice of pizza. Turning your slice into a sandwich gives you only the initial sensation of crust up and crust down.  Pizza is a three way sensory experience; you need crust on bottom while you put teeth and taste buds (not to mention olfactory receptors) to the sauce and cheese.

The sausage-pepperoni slice

This was an extremely greasy pie – oil oozed from the pepperoni, the sausage, the cheese. I was the only crust snob in the group, and I found the crust to be of ordinary, perhaps even Sysco, origin. But it had been cooked to a satisfying crispness and we all agreed the pie was very good. Not magic, but about as good as you can get with ordinary pizza-shop ingredients.  A reveal of the underside showed a honeycomb pattern common to lesser pies, but it did not diminish its overall merit.

Pretty ordinary down under

Meanwhile, I found the fries to be above average in flavor and texture. EPBAC loved them, declaring “better than McDonald’s” although I’m sure there must be higher praise for well-executed fries.

EPBAC could not finish this enormous chicken cheesesteak

Soon, the sandwiches arrived. They were massive, but I easily inhaled mine. I was delighted to see that my hot peppers were not the common red and green ones, but thin rings of mildly hot yellow banana peppers; they were  a delicious way to complement, not overwhelm, the savory beef and grilled onions.  I have a slight preference for whole slabs of beef, but this one was chopped into small pieces. Importantly, this was not a strategy here to disguise inferior gristly beef; this stuff was tender and tasty and gristle-free. Even at 8pm, the bread was soft and fresh. It was softer than ideal for me, but still a good basis for this sandwich.

I inhaled this cheesesteak

The excellent, albeit soft, roll

Jack’s is a dive, for sure, but in all the good ways. Good execution of important Philly-region fast food staples, fair prices, friendly and fast service. The pizza earns a 6.5. The cheesesteaks were superb, but a slight step down from Chester County’s best (Pepper Mill) and the surprising Appetites on Main in Exton. Let’s go with an 8 for the sandwiches. Service was a 10. Overall, we were very glad, and filled, to have stopped at Jack’s, and we will be back.