/https://irs3.4sqi.net/img/general/720x540/A5QUOY1DGAHLT3HV1IFW3AXVUHVSXG5SJTR1WLR5Z2THLWS5.jpg)
"Please keep in mind we are a one-man, one-oven operation," notes the Original Tacconelli’s website. "Waiting time may vary." Indeed.
This is Philadelphia’s pizzeria célèbre, so expect a wait. Especially if you haven’t reserved dough, in which case you may wait until tomorrow (Tacconelli’s advises that the best time to call is between Wednesday and Sunday after 10 a.m.). It may not always have been this complicated to get a pie (let’s assume times were simpler in 1946, when the place opened), but most who taste it say it’s worth the effort.
There are four pies: Tomato (no cheese), regular (a little cheese and sauce), white (salt, pepper, cheese, and garlic), and the Margerita (sic) (fresh basil and mozz). These are wide crusts, liberally sauced and topped, and not uniform. You can customize with spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, pepperoni, sausage, sweet peppers, anchovies, onions, prosciutto, basil, and extra cheese — just remember there’s a three-topping max per pie, and that the owner at times prefers a two-topping limit (nothing like arbitrary rules).
The move at Tacconelli's may be the "Signature," often unlisted: white pizza with spinach and chunks of tomato and garlic. Consider this the kind of place to take friends so you can order more pies.
— Arthur Bovino, 101 Best Pizzas in America 2015, 8/6/2015
