Stogie Joe's

Not really known for it's pizza Stogie Joe's has a close affiliation with a well known pizza place in Philadelphia, Santucci's.  Located at 1801 E Passyunk Ave this small restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating.  I went here with a good friend of mine before one of the last flyers games of the season for a quick bite before the game.  We shared a house salad, which on the menu states it's for two people.  I love this salad the greens always come out crispy and fresh.  The red wine vinaigrette dressing complements the salami and sharp provolone nicely.  This salad is quit large and could be a meal for someone.  

House Salad

We also shared what they call the "traditional" old style pizza.  This pizza is rectangle in shape and is different from you traditional pizza not only for it's shape but also for it's construction.  The cheese is placed on directly on top of the crust and then smothered with tomato sauce.  This gives the pizza a moist texture on top but helps to maintain the crispy out side of the crust.  The pizza was delicious to eat  with not an overwhelming saucy flavor for how much sauce they put on the pizza.  Another delicious entry I have enjoyed here in the past is the Stromboli.  If you are ever wondering around East Passyunk Avenue go and check it out.

Traditional Old Style Pizza

Nomad pizza

If your in the mood for an upscale pizza experience then you need to visit Nomad Pizza.  Located on 7th st. between South and Bainbridge this restaurant offers gourmet pizza at its finest.  The restaurant has two floors, the downstairs where the brick oven is and there is also an upstairs with a full bar complete with some nice draft selections that are seasonal.  The space is clean and modestly decorated with long wood tables and old movie posters that decorate the walls.  While we ate they were playing the original little rascals.

Upstairs bar area

Now to the food.   We started our meal with a serving of meatballs which the six of us split.  The meatballs are made in the traditional method of combining pork, veal, and beef.  They came to the table pretty quickly after we ordered them and were juicy, garlicky,  and had a good texture to go along with the little tomato sauce, sautéed spinach, and thin cracker they are served with.  The meatballs were very good and I would order them again.

Meatball App.

The six of us split 5 pizzas for dinner from the menu two of which were specials for the night.  The pizza are about 12-14 inches in diameter and are cut at the table when they come out to you.  The crust for the pizza has a nice consistency to it with a slightly crispy outside and chewy inside.  There is also a hint of charred flavor from the brick oven.

Broccoli rabe pizza

The broccoli rabe pizza was one of the nightly specials that we ordered.  This pizza had an earthy flavor with a hint of licorice from the fennel seeds that were used.  Accompanying the the broccoli rabe was a mild sausage that complimented the other flavors nicely.

  Quattro cebola (4 onion)

This next pizza is ideal for all you onion lovers out there.  The Quattro Cebola is a white pizza that combines for different kinds of onions with garlic and a mild cheese.  This pizza was a little strong with the onion and garlic after taste for me.

Spicy Soppressata

This next pizza we tried was from the regular menu and was a crowd pleaser.  Soppressata is a cured pork product that is becoming popular as a pepperoni substitute.  This pizza had a nice combination of flavors to make it one of my favorites for the night.  The hint of honey and the sweetness from the tomato sauce was a nice compliment to the spicy meat.  The buffalo mozzarella cheese and the smokiness from the brick oven made ever bite memorable.

 Truffle pecorino

The Truffle Pecorino pizza was also one of the highlights of the night's dinner.  This white pizza is served with truffles, a hint of onion, and and egg.  For those that know me I am not an egg lover but this pizza was delicious.  The rich truffle flavor was matched perfectly with the saltiness from the cheese and the sweet flavor from the onion.

The  Margarita Roman Style

The margarita pizza is the closest we came to a traditional pizza.  We ordered it Roman style which means it comes out with a very thin crispy crust.  The sweet basil a and the tangy tomato sauce complimented the buffalo mozzarella cheese perfectly.  I would definitely order this pizza again!

Nomad is becoming a popular restaurant in the South Philly area especially for people who are looking for a non traditional pizza experience.