Pizza Review
When I saw the review, I felt Portnoy underscored this one. Now that I had it, and I like it better than he does, I get why *he* didn't go above an 8 even though I think it deserves it. It's a good slice. The crust here is a standout, fermented 72 hours, and made with a lower gluten flour than the typical high gluten stuff. It's a *light* crust. I love that. I've grown to hate chewy, dense, dry, crunchy crusts. Crispy yet light to chew all the way. This slice get that lightness down and avoids all those downfalls, but doesn't quite get the crispiness part down, which is fine, but would put it in the elite class. I feel it could use more sauce and cheese coverage up to the cornicione. It was a bit oily. But they were generous with the optional, added parm and the basil added was just the right amount. That Sicilian was the lightest one I've ever had. It's hard to even describe. I like this better than the crunchy/pillowy contrast you get in great Sicilan I've had. I'd rate it higher than the round, actually 8.5. But I'm gonna score the round here.

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Pizza Review
🤴🏻KING OF QUEENS ALERT👸🏻 🗽BEST OF NEW YORK ALERT🗽 Named after his daughter, Philomena’s was founded by “pizza dough genius” Dave Acocella in 2018. With apprenticeships under legendary Paul Giannone of Paulie Gee’s in Brooklyn & pizza wizard Gino Sorbillo, Acocella has a very impressive background in the business. Serving artisan pizza, he specializes in New York style (which is what I got), Neapolitan pies & Roman style inspired squares. The dough undergoes a serious 3 to 5 day fermentation process, creating higher hydration levels, requiring longer baking times & ultimately entails an easier digestion process for pizza-lovers. Classed up with some fresh basil & shaved Parmigiano, this is a sharp-looking 18” NY style pie that’s thinnish, light & airy with a rather tangy sourdough flavor. More soft & chewy than crispy, the dough has a beautifully charred undercarriage & crust that packs a decent amount of crunch. Fantastically firm with zero flop, the dough is also uniquely tasty thanks to the meticulous fermentation process in which the attention to detail is evident. The shredded mozzarella cheese blend is light & tight, slightly salty & moderately oily, creating an orange tinge, but still plenty flavorful. Lacking a creamy consistency, the mozz is actually marvelously melty, topped with shaved Parmigiano that yields a sharp & pungent taste. The sauce is somewhat subdued with a modest grease flow encroaching upon the flavor, rendering a mild saltiness, while remaining mostly savory. Amiss of sweetness, the sauce is more tangy & zesty, well-seasoned with plenty of kick but not quite as strong as the flavor of the dough, which dominates the pie in both taste & texture. A slightly sweeter sauce might help balance all of the flavors but this pizza grows on you, getting better & better with each bite. A lot of thought & care goes into the making of every pie & it shows. Overall, this is definitely destination pizza, well-constructed with quality taste & texture putting it among the top spots in Queens & all of New York.
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