Mummer

No big deal. They don't make any more dough than they can bake in a day. If they're really busy, they may not have the dough to take your dough. So you call ahead to make sure you're not disappointed. I've been there when we've had an "unreserved" pie - on a weekend, even. It's like making a reservation exactly 30 days in advance. Part real, part folklore.

This (in reverse order) was a Pizza Club itinerary in the fall of 2004. cdh brought a tomato pie to our gathering place at the farm/park on the fringes of Norristown. Then we drove across the river to Franzone's where we had several pies, including one we called the Holly special, as the "smoked sausage" was a hot dog. (He was with us only in spirit.) Go to Franzone's, but choose real sausage if you're porkin'.

After all, we left there 11 hours ago. Was somebody taking notes?

Thanks Philadining for getting us together, thanks everybody for bringing spirit to the meal, and, of course, thanks Shola for being Shola.

I think it was the Country Club Diner in the Northeast that received three Laban bells. Following a change of ownership - perhaps there's a pattern here - the bells assessment was revised. My recollection could be faulty, of course, due to extensive ringing of my bell.

Long before he was a pudding spokesman, Bill Cosby joked that Philadelphians put mustard on Jello.

What Rich and Katie said! Kudos to Jim and Caribou. And God bless the DDC. Meat-a-thon, anyone? How about Newark, NJ on March 4?

Most street food is for the breakfast and lunch business. My pal George at 23rd and Chestnut leaves between 2 and 3 each afternoon. Every afternoon but Friday, he has to prep for an early tomorrow morning. His pretzels, and some other items, are delivered to his cart.

I've been told that burger gangs can lead to dining clubs. Who know's what might happen then... Just say no.

Of course, I'd be inclined to like such a place. It takes me back to my childhood, when burgers were made with fresh meat and the extra was served in the metal milk shake canister. The thing I noticed on my first visit to Charlie's was that pairs ordered whatever burgers and fries they wanted with a shared milkshake. Get one! The place that did so in American Fork, UT was Don's Drive-in, home of the hobo hamburger. If they'd had the right marketing consultant back then, you might be able to get a hobo hamburger in every town in America today. Of course, it would be nothing like the original. Go to Charlie's in Folsom for the original. Hint: It's around the corner from where Mapquest tells you.

To me, this room isn't the same without Ted Gerike on the piano. It wasn't Bobby Short at the Carlisle, but Ted made the old SHH a destination for me. As the Starr empire shows, it's not always about the food.

I'll bet the food's awful at Buca di Babbo... And such large portions, too!

I think I get it, Sandy; you don't know when you're getting that first paycheck. Planning the party is great, but the invitation might be premature...

Source of these beauties: Sulmona Suprimo Old Italian and Pescara I work at 23rd and Chestnut, so I've been there more than a few times. (I had a Sulmona yesterday - that fresh Mozz!) See Primo's webpage for details.

Damn, Philadining...and you removed the preliminary menu from the ISO thread. Not only is it fun guessing what's on those plates while trying to remember what was posted yesterday, but another SK game is one of how far Shola decided to stray from the advanced menu. Not that I've ever complained about his creative wandering...

Yeah, like, if you're reheating them yourself...

Huh? Were you watching people exit the southbound Metroliner at 30th Street Station? Actually, I've heard that some marchers aren't musicians, so they pursue their post-parade partying prematurely.

Pictures! We need pictures!

And to think that I didn't use the same restroom as Louis Prima (or Keely Smith) at DeLorenzo's Hudson Street. Zooma Zooma! BTW, I had a couple-a gourmet slices from Two Red Boots on Chestnut for lunch today. Pretty good stuff.

I sacrificed myself for the good of this board and revisited a couple of cheesesteak joints I'd posted about upthread. In addition to great eats, I wanted to update my phone photos with ones taken with my new Casio. (An Exilim EX-Z750.) This is a Cheesesteak Italian from Dakota Pizza Company in Wynnewood, across the parking lot from Sang Kee Asian Bistro. You can have one during your wait for a table there. It is, indeed, broccoli rabe, with roasted peppers and sharp provolone. There were a few seeds on this roll. I don't think I had fried onions on the one upthread. This is a "Charlie special" from George's food cart at 23rd and Chestnut. The tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and sweet peppers go onto the grill and steam into the meat above it. I bust George because he almost always uses American rather than provolone. (But it's my choice to order on his cell rather than watching to make sure.) In response to a question upthread, George did mind somebody's cart around 16th and Walnut for a brief period several years ago. Since it was in my camera... ...yesterday, I ate this Suprimo from Primo's on Chestnut Street. Fresh mozz, prosciutto and roasted peppers. I liked the upthread Sulmona better as it has a symphony of flavors and this one screamed salt. (Not enough to keep me from finishing it, however.)

Ain't it grand that you can get a sammie with fresh mozz here? Primo's calls this a Sulmona, with Genoa salami and a two halved pepper poppers - marinated cherry peppers stuffed with sharp provolone and prosciutto. You can see them peeking out between the mozzarella rounds.

Further east from the other Delorenzo's on Hamilton is Massimo's Restaurante Caffe, a full service byob. They make nice pizzas from their wood fired brick oven.

Take anything from Isgro's - 10th and Christian. They may not be filling cannoli to order because of the holiday, but "suffer" thru the pre-filled ones. And if the case still has a pastry that looks like a peach, don't leave without it! Isgro's - the correct link with pictures

Here's an Old Italian, also from Primo's Center City West. Sharp provolone, proscuitto, and dry cured capacola. My choices - oil, lettuce, tomato and sweet peppers.

I'll add some pizza porn to cdh's notes about Conte's: Sorry, nothing in my camera from Top Road.