Philadelphia Pizza Craze Part Two: Square and Thick Crust Pies

The thing about pizza is that it can warm you up on a chilly winter night, fill your tummy after a long summer day at the beach, and everything in between. It's the perfect food for any time of year and you can't go wrong at many of Philly's pizza spots, new and old.

This post, the second in our quick series on Philadelphia's latest pizza craze, shares four square and thicker crust pies that we think are among the best in Philly. As we mentioned last post, we take with a grain of salt any discussion about the single "best" pie - especially when so many of today's hot new pizza joints are cooking with a similar style (like the ultra-thin Neapolitan pies that are all the rage).

To help you sample several of the "best" pizza in Philly - new and old - here are a few more pizzas we think you should try next. 

Salciccia from Square Pie with sausage, peppers, onions, mozzarella and red sauce. Brought to us by Gene Giuffi, the owner of Cochon BYOB, find these new square pies in the old Blue Belly BBQ corner in Queen Village. Giuffi taps his Brooklyn roots to make these thick crust, Sicilian-style pies, adding his own flair with meat toppings reminiscent of pork-focused Cochon just across the street. It's nice to see someone focusing on any other style than Neapolitan and they do a great job with a really thick crust.

The Salcicca from Square Pie Phily

Stogie Joe's Tavern: Square Pizza and Meatballs in South Philly

Stogie Joe’s Tavern has been on our to-do list ever since it made the 2010 Best of Philly. It took a year and half, but we finally made it with some friends and family before a Flyers game.

It surely will not take another year to visit Stogie Joe’s. The square pan pizza was amazing and the meatball sandwich lived up to the great review that a co-worker had given it.

Stogie Joe’s reminds me of Tacconelli’s. Neither will overwhelm you with the with latest and greatest food craze such as Spanish tapas or pork belly this/that. They are just every-man places offering food that has passed the test of time. The service is average, but you go for the experience of eating and drinking at a simple place doing it right, not the glamour of a fine dining establishment. I love places like Stogie Joe’s.

Better with the tomato sauce on top... 

Our group may as well have attempted to eat the whole menu. Between us all, we had plain square pizza, several strombolis, and meatball and chicken parm sandwiches.

Best of Philly To-Do List... and Yogorino

Since moving into Philadelphia about four years ago, I have really enjoyed reading Philadelphia Magazine for its new ideas of things to do and places to eat, hearty (and somewhat snooty) gossip, and extensive local feature stories. The biggest issue each year is the annual "Best of Philly" edition, which showcases the best food, drinks, shops, activities, people and more that Philadelphia and the surrounding 'burbs have to offer.

The 2010 Best of Philly list just came out, so today I settled into a shady bench in Rittenhouse Square to carefully read every review and start my own new to-do/eat/see list. Here's what I picked off the Best of Philly for 22ndandPhilly to check out in the coming months:

Fish - It's right down the road from 22nd Street (a.k.a. us) and Best of Philly listed it as the best new restaurant. We've walked by and peaked at the menu a few times, but will have go check it out now.
Ko Zee Doo - New Portuguese spot in Northern Liberties, named best new BYOB.
Le Virtu - Italian restaurant on Passyunk that supposedly has incredible pasta (just say duck ragu and we're there).
Paesano's - Italian sandwiches at 9th & Christian.
Stogie Joe's - Philly Mag says they have the best tomato pie. And Bradd loooooves tomato pie.
Supper - Foodie friends recently named this spot on South Street their current favorite. Philly Mag says it has the best bar snacks. And I looooove bar snacks.
Kanella - Recently went to the Greek BYOB for dinner and it was alright, but I still want to go back for brunch, which Best of Philly says is #1.
Garces Trading Company - We've stopped in to see it and buy wine, but I definitely want to go back and eat sometime.
Amis - Marc Vetri's newest got a Best of Philly nod for "power snacking." I like feeling powerful, plus we loved every bite of food at Vetri a few months ago, and my Vetri-groupie boss gave Amis a great review.
Dante & Luigi's - Best old school Italian. 'Nuff said.
Fork - I pass by Fork all the time but never think to eat there. Philly Mag gives it props for the best charcuterie.
Silk City - Been there late night for dancing (super fun, good music, but it quickly heated up to about 300 degrees and everyone got all sweaty and gross). Philly Mag says it has the best outdoor dining. It looks fun from the outside on Spring Garden St. 

One more spot would have made it onto this list - Yogorino, named the best frozen yogurt - but it was hot in the park and I got inspired reading the Best of Philly issue so I dashed over to 20th Street and grabbed a cup before I continued reading. Yogorino only offers the traditional, Greek-style flavor but then you can pick a slew of toppings. Philly Mag raved that its the smoothest and richest yogurt out there. I will say that it was much better than Sweet Endings (which I thought was pretty nasty) but I still wasn't thrilled. FroYo to me should taste like ice cream but smoother. Maybe thats just the Americanized version, but oh well, thats what I like. This "mini" size at Yogorino cost me $3.00 but don't let this pic fool you. The bottom half of the blue cup is curved, so it only holds about an inch of ice cream. The fresh strawberries and chocolate shavings I added helped, but I wouldn't go back. I miss my hometown shop, Denville Dairy!

Thank you Best of Philly for all these new ideas!