A Taste of New Haven in Philly

I’m sure I’ve made clear in at least one old post that I consider Connecticut – especially the New Haven area – to be the pizza capital of the United States – and probably the world. They serve well-done pies with thin crust that is crispy to the point of brittleness while also providing a nice chew. The extremely hot coal-burning brick ovens that at least some of the better-known New Haven pizzerias use are likely responsible for this culinary magic trick. 

While Frank Pepe, the original and most famous purveyor of New Haven style pizza – known as apizza in that region – has expanded and added a handful of locations down the east coast, the Philly region hasn’t snagged a coveted outlet yet. 

However, I was pleased to discover within the past year that there is a pizzeria in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia that specializes in that style of pizza. My first visit to Eda’s Pizzeria came during one of my blog posting hiatuses, but I returned there last week. 

Eda’s operates out of Lucky’s Trading Co., which is the home of several different mostly takeout restaurants and also has a retro look that is right up my alley. 

To add to the New Haven vibe, the beverage case at Lucky’s included a selection of Foxon Park sodas, which is the soft drink of choice at many Connecticut pizzerias. I grabbed a cherry soda to wash down the pizza. 

One of the other restaurants operating out of the same space – Lucky’s Roadside Stand – had hot dogs on offer that day. As the same people own Lucky’s Last Chance, a highly regarded hamburger and hot dog restaurant that has two Philly locations, I decided to try a dog with chili, mustard and onions. 

The order was placed by phone in advance, so I was in and out of there with our food in about five minutes and back in my step-father’s car. There was a small family gathering at his and my mother’s home waiting for our return with dinner. 

Before getting to the photos and comments on Eda’s pizza, here are a couple shots of the pizza my wife and I ate during our last Connecticut visit in 2023 for comparison sake. The plain pie is from Zuppardi’s Apizza of West Haven, while the one with black olives on half is from Modern Apizza of New Haven. 

Now for Eda’s. We ordered one plain pie and another with mushrooms on half.

As you can see, achieving perfect symmetry is not the aim when a New Haven style pizza is sliced. Some slices are much bigger than others. I actually like that, as I almost always seem to want a small piece when I’m starting to get full, and there were a few of those available for the taking. 

While I didn’t ask, I think it’s a safe assumption that Eda’s does not use a coal-burning brick oven. But they do manage to turn out a nice thin and crispy crust that also has a pleasant chew, although it doesn’t reach the level of brittleness that the best Connecticut pizzerias achieve. 

In addition to a flavorful sauce and Mozzarella cheese, I believe they add a bit of Parmigiano Reggiano to their pies. It all comes together beautifully for an excellent overall flavor.

While Eda’s isn’t quite in the same league as the legendary New Haven area pizzerias, it’s plenty good enough to hold me over when I’m craving that style of pie and don’t have one of my occasional trips to Connecticut on the horizon. 

As for the hot dog, it looked a little worse for wear when I removed it from its takeout container, but it was well prepared with the sort of wrinkled skin that I like to see. The chili, onions and mustard also went well with it. I’ll have to visit Lucky’s Last Chance to try a dog and burger on sight at some point. 

I’ve got another pizza report on tap for next week, this time with the former colleagues that I call my Pizza Crew. We’ll be visiting a South Philly pizzeria that appears to make New York style pies based on the photos I’ve seen.