Think pizza in Italy and the first image that will likely spring to mind is that of a Neapolitan-style pie: relatively small, circular, and leopard-spotted by char from the blistering heat of a wood-fired oven. While these southern Italian-style pizzas are becoming easier to find — at Anthony’s Coal Fired in Mount Laurel; at Villa Barone in Collingswood; at Bruno’s in Haddon Township, and at Pizzeria Vetri, Brigantessa, Nomad, and Bufad in Philadelphia — there is another, lesser known, but no less distinct Italian pizza tradition that has gone uncelebrated in the area. Until now.
Rittenhouse newcomer Rione, opened in May, serves Roman style “pizza al taglio,” which translates to pizza “by the cut.” Walk in to the sunny storefront on 21st Street and you’ll face a counter spread with a pizza tapestry in stripes of several hues. Light green zucchini; dark green broccoli rabe and basil; red marinara, and pink prosciutto cotto (ham) or sliced fresh figs.
