Found: The absolute BEST pizza in the entire country
Gather round, friends, for we have a proclamation to deliver. According to Bon Appétit, THE food magazine for foodies, the best pizza in the county has officially been discovered and it’s time to share that news. Pizzeria Beddia in Philadelphia is officially the best pizza from sea to shining sea. Who wants to road trip to Philly?
The family-owned business not only boasts the best pizza, but they’ve also got a pretty unusual business model, too. According to their website, they don’t have a phone. So if you want a pizza you’ve got to show up in person to place your order. On top of that, they only make 40 pizzas A DAY. I know I’ve made jokes about eating more than 40 pizzas a day.
“Pizzeria Beddia was one of those beautiful eating experiences that still haunts me,” writes BA’s Andrew Knowlton. His description of the pie-making process is absolutely drool-worthy. So what makes these pies so exceptional?
For starters, the owners keep it simple, offering a rotating roster of three types of pies a day.
But there’s more to it than that. First there’s the dough, which owner Joe Beddia tells Knowlton takes half the day to make. He also doesn’t use a wood-fired oven, opting instead for a gas deck oven. “It produces a real dry heat that I prefer,” Beddia tells Knowlton. “Plus, there’s a bit more room for error.”
The pies take longer (about 10 minutes) to heat because the temperature is lower, but the result, according to Knowlton is “a well-done pie, crispy on the bottom, soft but not watery on the top, with deep charring along the crust’s edge.”
In addition to your classic mozz with freshly cut tomatoes, Beddia tops pies off with Old Gold, a local dairy farm cheese, that has a Gouda-like bite. And then he seasons the pie with oregano and adds a spiral of EVOO. Sounds dreamy.
It’s so dreamy that hungry patrons start lining up at 3:45pm in the afternoon, over an hour before the shop opens. There are only 40 pies, after all. If you show up, and you’re number 42 in line, you might be out of luck. This is go time, guys. Are you that dedicated to two wait two hours in line for a chance at the best pizza in the country?
I mean, duh. The answer is yes.
According to Bon Appétit, a 16″ round pizza (so a large-ish) costs a $19. Sure, the Dominos closest to you might be a tad cheaper, but this is the best pizza in the NATION. Let’s not even put a price on its majesty.
You can check out Bon Appétit’s full story — with MORE pictures — on their site. Now excuse me, I’ve got a trip to Philly to plan. Who wants to pitch in for gas?
(Images via Pizzeria Beddia and via)
