As a native New Yorker, my knowledge of hole–in–the–wall pizza joints is as refined as it is extensive. When I walked up to Pizza Dads in Brewerytown and saw a cartoon pizza scrawled on the window and diner–style booths, I thought I knew exactly what I was in for. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I ordered the Cyndi, a red pie topped with mozzarella, arugula, roasted beets, and goat cheese and drizzled with balsamic glaze. The earthiness of the beets and goat cheese paired with the fresh arugula is a rich twist on typical red pie fare; such attention to detail is not characteristic of a hole–in–the–wall pizza shop.
As I downed my second slice (the Jane—Pizza Dads' "classic" pie, topped with grana padano, aged provolone, and a few of the spinach leaves peeled off just seconds before serving, that still bears hints of the Cyndi’s unique flavor), I noticed how many passers–by waved to the employees in Pizza Dad’s and stopped to chat: this was clearly a neighborhood favorite.
The reason was obvious. On my way out, as I lamented that my vegetarianism prevented me from eating the employee–favorite Randolph (jerk chicken and pineapple), the wonderfully outgoing and kind staff members offered me a Leo white pie to take home to my friends. Maintaining Pizza Dads' persistent attention to detail, the pizza baker himself asked me if I wanted my Leo lightly or heavily cooked. He recommended light, and cooked the pizza crust to perfection: not so thick that it felt gross, but not so thin that it was crunchy.
Whether you’re a pizza connoisseur looking for a new haunt or an average Penn student looking to order a pie for a club GBM, you won’t be disappointed by a Pizza Dads pie and the treasure trove of flavor within it.
