A Look Around the South Philly Pizza Parlor Throwback

Grid View

• Gennaro's oozes with an old school pizza parlor vibe.
• The ads are a common thread of the decor.
• Little touches like the table signage add to the vibe.
• A wall-mounted mirror makes the tiny space feel larger.
• The wall is covered in period ads and military victory announcements.
• The simple design of the box is bold and memorable.
• No slices, no credit cards, and no cry babies.

Mike Giammarino opened Gennaro's Tomato Pie 7 weeks ago at 1429 Jackson Street, and it couldn't have gone better if he had written a script. They're busy all of the time, the very fickle South Philly locals love the pizza, and there's serious buzz with Philly critics as well as some national attention for Giammarino's concept. "This is the first one, but we're planning on opening more once we get the operation running smoothly," Giammarino told Eater. "We designed this portable electric oven that simulates the flavors of a coal oven, but can be put anywhere in any-sized restaurant space, so expansion should be fairly easy." The decor is a total throwback to the 1940s, recreating a time in America's history when pizza parlors were all the rage.

The space is small and the hours are odd, but the product is fantastic (FYI: no slices and no credit cards), and Giammarino and his crew have hit the ground running. It looks like Gennaro's is going to be a fixture in the neighborhood for quite some time.

· All Gennaro's Coverage [~EPHI~]
· All Eater Inside Coverage [~EPHI~]