Went with Mike of the Satan’s Minions to Top Tomato (1107 Walnut) recently to try out their pizza, and found it to be a lot better than it was the last time I tried it, which was years ago. I got the marinara with mozzarella and a buffalo chicken slice. Both were very good, the marinara being a little bit better. The red sauce is excellent. And the prices are incredibly cheap. Here was Mike’s take:
On walking in to Top Tomato, two things struck me as a bit confusing. One: where am I? The décor, while very nice and certainly way above what one expects in a pizza parlor, has the look and feel of a coffee shop in Santa Fe. Two: where’s the waiter? The various booths and tables (of which there are plenty) had numbers in little stands on each. After a minute or two with no waiter apparent, as we walked up to the counter, I was still wondering about the numbers. Perhaps they only had table service when they were busy?

Overall, Top Tomato has good pizza at good prices, lots of variety, a endless soda fountain, and plenty of place to sit, all set in a nice (if somewhat un-Philadelphia like) décor. But remember, don’t wait to be seated, you’ll waste time standing that you could be eating. Overall, I give it 3.5 pepperonis.

Man, I hate giving out another 3.5, but all 3 places so far are very extremely good w/o being excellent, but I do heartily suggest all of them if you’re hungry. And Top Tomato is a borderline 4.

Trivia Art and I headed into South Philly last week to check out La Rosa Pizza (Broad and Snyder). The inside reminded a bit of Lorenzo’s on South. No tables or chairs, just booths to lean on. A painting of the Italian countryside on the wall and a ton of pizza boxes resting on counters directly behind the trays of Sicilian style pizza. You place your order, the lady takes your slice off the tray and pops it in the oven, and then you lean on a counter and eat it. No frills, but damn good pizza. Here was Art’s take.
LaRosa Pizza at Broad and Snyder may not be much to look at but that doesn’t mean they don’t make a mean pizza. Baked in rectangular trays, LaRosa’s pizza initially looks like it might be Sicillian but it isn’t. Instead the crust is a airy bread with crispy bottom, a delightful combination of fluffy and crunchy. The sauce had a hint of sweetness but not like the saccharin taste that you might find at a place like Lorenzo’s on South. The pepperoni was well cooked and crisp, although a little greasy, it was nothing a quick dab of a napkin couldn’t fix. My second piece of pizza was a white pizza. cheeses melted well into the crust and there was ample oregano and olive oil over top. I was certainly impressed with the pizza at LaRosa’s and will be back, might even get it delivered if they venture up into the G-Ho. 3 1/2 Pepperonis.

Yeah, I can go with 3 1/2, no problem. This is a perfect lunch pizza spot if you’re in South Philly and you’re in a hurry.

That’s right people. I am sitting in a Panera Bread Company in exciting Salisbury! Yes, in Maryland! When I was a kid, we always begged our parents to take us to the Salisbury Mall, 90 miles north of home and the closest real shopping center. As you can see, the mall is still doing great.

Well, my Metro deadline is in 2 minutes, and I still haven’t decided what I’m going to write about, so I’ll post some pizza reviews after I get done with that. Then continue driving north. In the meantime, here’s an article about why miserable rich people need to move their sorry asses out of Rittenhouse and out to the Mainline.