Stella Pizza

I was still on a high from eating at Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix a few days ago. I knew of the Stella Pizza in Philly that Stephen Starr just opened not that many days ago and had heard of the research trip that he and his staff had taken through New York City; New Heaven, Ct; and even a pilgrimage to Pizzeria Bianco before firing up the first pizza in the restaurant. The curiosity killed the cat. I couldn’t wait any longer! I grabbed my friend, L, who had just spent a year enjoying Italian life while studying in Rome.

Asparagus, Sunny-side-up Egg, Parmesan, Vinaigrette
 
We decided to start with a few appetizers while our pies were being cooked in the oven.
 
The asparagus was a bit salty. We didn’t think the vegetable itself was anything special but it was good with the cheese and the egg. As most people can tell you, everything tastes better with an egg on top.
 
 
 

Broccoli Rabe, Garlic, Ricotta Salata
 
The broccoli rabe was mushy but still quite tasty. There was a slight spiciness to it and we liked the cheese that had been sprinkled on top as it gave the dish a different character.




 
 
 
 
 

Sitting at the counter in front of the open kitchen, we had a good view of the staff making the pizzas and the pies being baked in an oven made by the same manufacturer who built the Pizzeria Bianco oven.

 Tartufo. Black Truffle, Fontina, Egg, Parmesan

The pizza was brought to us with the whole egg on top, then our waiter broke the egg and let the yoke run everywhere.

The pie had a very nice aroma from the wood burning oven with the aroma further enhanced by the truffle and the egg. The dough could be a bit crisper and thinner but I could understand that it needed the weight to hold up the egg and absorb the moisture. The flavors were all good with the pie giving a very fulfilling feeling when you bit into the slice. It’s a very satisfying pizza.

Baby Spinach, Sun Dried Tomato, Mozzarella, Pine Nuts.

The crust was thin and crispy with the strong scent of garlic drifting in every direction. This pizza had a much different character than our other pie with the thinner and crispier crust. It didn’t give us that heavy feeling with each bite but it was as tasty and as good and just as satisfying.

Abbruzze Pepperoni, Oregano, Mozzarella, Tomato.

We got friendly with the guy next to us and we traded slices.

The red sauce was excellent. It had a very natural tomato taste with just the right amount of sweetness and acidity. I thought the pepperoni was a bit salty but the sauce balanced it out nicely. The crust on this pizza was very thin. It would have been excellent if the pie had stayed in the oven for a few more seconds to get the crust a little bit crisper.

Sitting only a few feet away and across from Starr’s Culinary Director, Chris Painter, we could see that he was keeping a hawk’s eye on everything in this infancy of the restaurant. He checked every single pie that came out of the oven before putting on the toppings and running the slicer through them. We also noticed that he was tossing a lot of pies in the trash. He was tossing on average one in every five pies. I applaud their strict adhesion to quality instead of profit (not that Starr has to worry about profit in any of his ventures), but that also showed that the kitchen had much to improve on its betting average.


So…was it a Pizzeria Bianco, a Pepe’s or any of the places in the pizza holy land of New York City? L liked the pizzas very much. She thought they were comparable to those in Italy but just shy of the best she had there. I do not know Starr’s intention with the direction of this restaurant. However, with only a few days in business under its belt, we can safely say that even with a few [minor] issues to address, its Neo-Neapolitan style pizza has already stood a step head of many of the pizza restaurants in this city. A city which seems to have a pizza joint at every street corner.