Philadelphia’s pizza scene was not great during my youth and early adult years. Thankfully, it’s improved significantly over the first quarter of the 21st century, especially in the past few years.
With that growth in good options for both slices and whole pies, the city’s pizza hub has moved north. For most of my life, if asked what the best section of the city was for pizza, I would have instinctually gone with South Philly. But that’s no longer the case.
The formerly working-class, but now heavily gentrified neighborhoods that are north of the city’s historic district – Fishtown, Northern Liberties and Port Richmond – are likely home to more of Philadelphia’s most highly regarded pizzerias than any other part of town at this point.
Perhaps the most hyped of all of the newer pizzerias in that section of Philly has been Liguria Pizzeria, which opened in Fishtown this past spring. Their pizza and cheesesteaks have been receiving a huge amount of praise both online and from the local media.
It was my intention to visit them last week with my friend and periodic dining partner, Jim, to sample both. But as the day of our lunch approached, I balked at the idea of eating even half of yet another cheesesteak with way too much meat and cheese; a trend I’ve been increasingly bemoaning. And that was the impression I got from viewing a number of photos of Liguria’s steaks online.
So I made a last minute change in our plans.
There are a couple other pizza slice shops I’ve wanted to try within easy walking distance of Liguria in Fishtown. Plan B was to sample a slice at all three pizzerias to see if there was a clear winner.
We started at Liguria, arriving just as they opened for the day at 11 a.m.
There were several freshly made pies laid out behind the counter. As is usually the case when trying a new pizzeria, we ordered plain slices. I can always sample various toppings during future visits, but a basic cheese slice is the best way to judge quality.
The two slices looked fantastic. The crust had ample char and there appeared to be a good balance of Mozzarella and sauce along with Parmigiano Reggiano grated on top.
When I picked up my slice, I saw that the undercarriage was gorgeous and the crust was firm enough for there to be hardly any flop. The crunch that accompanied my first bite had to be among the loudest I’ve ever produced while eating pizza.
The flavor was certainly good, but not as sensational as I was expecting based on the raves this place has been receiving. First, as firm and crunchy as the crust was, it had a fairly neutral flavor.
And while the sauce and cheese were unquestionably high quality, they didn’t pack the intensity of flavor that I’ve experienced at a handful of pizzerias over the years – some of them in other areas, especially Connecticut, but also at least a couple in the Philly region.
From Liguria, we walked a few blocks south on Frankford Avenue to Marina’s Pizza, which also opened within the past year and has received its fair share of praise.
I stopped at Marina’s when it was fairly new to sample both the pizza and a cheesesteak but was told they had dropped the latter from their menu. As I really wanted a steak that day, I left without eating anything and didn’t return until last week with Jim.
We again beat the lunch rush and ordered a pair of plain slices. Although I didn’t see a menu posted, it can be viewed here.
The slices arguably didn’t have quite the visual appeal that those at Liguria possessed, but the crust again had a great undercarriage, minimal floppage and a nice crunch when I took my first bite.
While Jim didn’t agree, I thought both the crust and what came on top of it at Marina’s were slightly more flavorful than the slice from Liguria. The basil pieces helped a bit in that regard even after I removed most of them, but the sauce also seemed to pack at least a touch more flavor.
We both still had the appetite for a third slice and headed a little further south until reaching Girard Avenue, where Pizza Shackamaxon is located. It’s the veteran shop of the group, having opened in 2018.
They sell slices out of a window on one side of the shop. There is nowhere for customers to even stand inside, but there are a few small tables and a counter outside.
We arrived before Shackamaxon’s noon opening time and had a bit of a wait, but I was confident our patience would be paid off with a quality piece of pizza based on everything I’d read about them online.
That turned out to be misplaced optimism.
I actually did a double-take when the two slices were handed to me through the window. Not only was there a total lack of char on the crust, but the cheese and sauce were a greasy mess. We probably should have used napkins to soak up some of that grease, but we just dug right in after I photographed the slices.
While the difference in quality between the slices at Liguria and Marina’s was small with Jim and I disagreeing over which was better but liking both, the one from Shackamaxon was the worst of the day by a very wide margin. Aside from all the grease, the undercarriage was fairly lame and I didn’t even bother taking a photo to show the floppage out of fear that all of the cheese and sauce would slide off if I tried. And the flavor wasn’t comparable to either of the other places, while the crust was softer and lacked a significant crunch.
I have to believe based on their reputation that we had some bad luck and that they usually serve better pizza than what we had. Perhaps I’ll give them another shot. Then again, with the other two places so close, I’m not sure I’ll bother.
While we enjoyed our slices at Liguria and Marina’s, I was at least slightly disappointed that none of the three pizzas that we sampled were good enough to establish those pizzerias as a new Philly favorite following the recent disappointment experienced at Pizzeria Salvy, my former top choice in the city. I wrote about why they no longer occupy that spot at the bottom of this post a couple weeks ago.
For now, my favorite in the region is Joey’s Pizza way out in Thorndale, Chester County. But my search for great pizza in and around Philly will continue.
