Pizza, Past and Present

For five generations, the Tacconelli family has been baking pizzas in the tradition of their patriarch, Giovanni, who came to Philadelphia from Italy in 1918 and opened up shop on East Somerset Street in Port Richmond as a bread maker before moving on to master the tomato pie. Since then, Tacconelli’s opened a second location in New Jersey and teamed up with another neighborhood staple, Mercer Cafe, to open a shared restaurant earlier this year at The Navy Yard in South Philly. By the time this photo was taken in 1970, the shop was nearly 50 years into its run. It shows Vincent Tacconelli pulling a pizza peel from the fire. Today, 45 year after that, Tacconelli’s still makes many a food-loving Philadelphian’s all-time favorite pie.

TACCONELLI’S PIZZERIA 2604 E. Somerset St. 215.425.4983 tacconellispizzeria.com
27 W. Main St., Maple Shade Township, NJ 856.667.4992 tacconellispizzerianj.com
MERCER CAFE 4920 S. 15th Street 267.457.5585 mercercafephilly.com