Pizzeria Stella

Pizzeria Stella has been calling to me since it opened. I love a good pie, and my friend Quinn lives around the block. I was (an still am) thrown off by Starr's comments that good pizza isn't available in Philly. Tacconelli's has always been a special treat for me, and it's widely considered some of the best pizza in the country, not just Philadelphia. Is Starr just pimping up his new place? Or does he really believe that if it's not under his watch, it's not that good? I may never know.

For an appetizer, Quinn and I split arancini. It's a creamy, buttery, mushroom risotto rolled into a ball, lightly breaded and deep fried. The outside has the texture of hushpuppy. The contrast of the fried outside and the delicious pasta inside truly makes a great dish. I don't remember having arancini before, so I don't have anything else to compare it to, but this was a great way to start our meal.

Stella is likely the fanciest pizza you will find in Philadelphia, and truth be told, it is some of the best. My mouth is watering a bit just thinking about it. They are small, at 12 inches in diameter. Much has been made of the pistachio pizza, and I was quite happy with our decision to split it. It is a white pizza topped with chopped pistachios, red onion, fontina, and olive oil. The combination and ratio of these toppings was great, and having nuts on a pizza tasted completely natural.

Our second pie was the Piccante: capicola (prosciutto-like spied and cured ham), provolone, crushed red pepper, and tomato sauce. The sauce is great; sweet and tangy, but still only a compliment to the other toppings. This pie was good, but the capicola was much too salty, and seemed to dominate the whole pie. Quinn disagreed with me though. The Piccante was her favorite, while I preferred the pistachio.

Sadly, the beer list here is weak. The beers are either not very good, overpriced, and in some cases, both. I'm interested in how Starr's beer garden shapes up. The rest of the menu is rounded out with twelve pies in total, and there should be one that would please any palate. Menu can be seen here. The service and atmosphere are right in line with Starr's other locations. The open kitchen where the pies are made and the prominent oven are gimmicky. But they're cool gimmicks nonetheless.

Bottom Line: Pizzas are small and expensive, but delicious. The outdoor seating here makes this a great summer or spring dinner. You'll drop around $50 for two without drinks, but it is worth it. The pies are really great, and the medley of toppings is a real treat.

Essentials:

420 S 2nd St (2nd and Lombard)

215-320-8000

Hours: M-T 11:30-10, F 11:30-11, Sat 11-11, Sun 11-10

Pies: 10-17

Cash Only: No

Reservations: Not accepted. They take a cell phone number when you show up and let you walk around until your table is ready