Members-only Palizzi Social Club serves great food and nostalgia - Review - Philadelphia - The Infatuation
"If a members-only restaurant like Palizzi Social Club existed in New York or Chicago, it’d be filled with a bunch of elitists who paid thousands of dollars for a membership just so they could eat caviar-topped fritto misto with someone claiming to be a descendant of the Rockefellers. But it’s in Philly, on a quiet, residential block right off East Passyunk, no less, in the same rowhome it’s been in since 1918. It costs $20 for a year-long membership, and $40 more to join the newly minted President’s Club upstairs (you have to be an existing member for at least two years, but it gets you access to live jazz and a martini bar). Ring the doorbell, show your membership card to the door man, and step inside a red-sauce scented living museum. The throwback 30-seat space is packed with framed black-and-white photos of the founding club members, shiny vinyl bar seats, and a cigarette machine from a time when they were endorsed by the family doctor. Locals come for their weekly pasta fix, a few drinks at the bar, and occasionally to hear live music from a boozy lounge singer with a strong resemblance to Dean Martin. It’s the kind of place that feels like it’s your 100th visit, even when it’s your first—within minutes, you’re asking the lady next to you where she got her shirt, and she’s giving you the number of her tailor before she goes back to humming Sinatra and twirling spaghetti. It doesn’t hurt that while all this is going on, you’re being served strong martinis and negronis—all made with Italian liqueurs, like grappa and fernet, with twists of things like chili salt or ginger cordial. The food, though, is what will make you want to forge a membership card. The menu is inspired by the club’s origins, in Vasto, Italy; the chef’s family roots in Sicily; and his mom’s recipes (if you’re lucky, Dolores will be your server). From the caesar salad and charred octopus to crab spaghetti and lamb chops, everything is delicious, and much of it is sourced from the Italian Market. There are a few specials every night, and if they’re in stromboli or pizza form, they’re unmissable. But there are some dishes that never change, like the buttery and bitter escarole and beans, or the decadent raviolo vasto that’s so big that it could double as a hat. At its core, the social club is really about the neighborhood. It keeps the same regulars coming back every week to eat comforting Italian classics and sip on prosecco drinks until their Uncle Tony’s jokes are actually funny. As such, Palizzi doesn’t technically allow reviews. And while we got permission for this one, we didn’t break the no-pictures rule hanging in bold print on the wall. You’ll just have to use your imagination. Food Rundown Classic Caesar The caesar here is simple, perfectly dressed, and delicious. Pepperoni Stromboli If you’re at Palizzi and this is available, you have to order it. The crust is crisp and buttery on the outside and chewy on the inside. If you needed one example to show how a stromboli could compete with a pizza, this is it. Octopus Perfect char on the outside, tender on the inside, and topped with a simple salsa verde and lemon. A great way to pregame some pasta. Raviolo Vasto One large raviolo to end all other raviolo. It’s filled with a creamy spinach-ricotta mix, and topped with an egg yolk that melts lusciously into the brown butter sauce that surrounds it. It’s decadent, so share it amongst a few. Crab Spaghetti Al dente spaghetti is tossed in crab gravy. It’s sweet, it’s briny, it’s tangy, and one of the best pastas in town." - Candis R. McLean
