We all know American pizza – that perfect midnight snack and college student staple that you can get at Allegro, New Style, College Pizza, and plenty of other places around Penn’s campus. What you may be less familiar with is real authentic Italian pizza – backed in a rectangular deep-dish pan, slathered with a smorgasbord of toppings, and sold by weight. Step into Taglio, and with a little imagination you’ll think Spruce Street was a small cobblestone alley in the heart of Rome or Naples.

“Al Taglio” means “by the cut,” which is how this kind of pizza is served in Italy. You simply decide what kind (or kinds) or pizza you want and how big a slice you can handle. It’ll then be cut right in front of you with a pair of sheers and tossed into the 2,500 pound Verona-imported oven. After a minute or so the gooey and piping hot pizza will be slid onto a scale, and you pay by weight ($8.50 or $11.50 per pound, depending on the toppings). The newest creation by Penn alum Marco Lentini (also the owner of Gia Pronto next door), Taglio is already a huge hit, to which the bustling lunchtime crown can attest. People love the ability to customize their lunch to their hearts’ content – a big slice of plain Pizza Margherita, perhaps? Or how about five different small slices, each topped with an array of exotic ingredients? Since you’re paying by the weight of your lunch, anything goes.

I decided to take advantage of this to try an assortment of as many of the 14 varieties as possible. My fist taste was of the plain red pizza, “solo il rosso.” It’s vegan-friendly, and forms the base of most of the more complicated pizzas. Combined with the crispy bottom and doughy interior, the flavor will make any vegan’s heart flutter. The San Marzano tomatoes used in the sauce are the only canned ingredient you’ll find in the entire restaurant. Don’t scoff at them though – they’re canned and shipped directly from Naples! My favorite pizza was the capriciossa, which layers big, meaty olives and mushrooms on top of prosciutto for a flavor combination you’d be hard-pressed to find outside of Italy. Sticking with meat, the uovo e prosciutto (that’s hard boiled egg and ham) is another topping combo that’ll transport your taste buds across the Atlantic, and the salsicca e peperoni is topped with delicious house made sausage. If you’re thinking vegetarian, the bianco is a cheese-lover’s delight, coated with as many rich cheeses as possible. The funghi (mushroom) is a perennial favorite; forget those plain button mushrooms: this is layered with thick slices of shitakes and creminis. Finally, if you’re up for something new, try the patate pizza. It’s covered in thin slices of garlicky potato, and has developed quite the cult following! Oh, and did I mention Taglio also serves up pasta by the pound (try the penne)?

A meal at Taglio will run you a little more than at a regular pizza joint, but this authentic Italian experience is worth every penny.

Taglio
3716 Spruce St
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 386-6587

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Taglio: A True Italian Pizza Experience

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