Pizza + Gelato = Italian Lover's Dream

Capofitto Forno

Everyone and anyone in Philly knows the famous artisan gelato, Capogiro. The Capogiro Family has come up with their best combination yet- pizza and gelato. This new Italian restaurant called Capofitto Forno is located in Old City. Their focus is the two Italian favorites:  Neapolitan pizza which has a light, crisp and airy crust made in their wood-burning pizza oven and sweet gelato for an after dinner treat.

My mom, sister, Catherine and I recently went here to eat for dinner to check it out and we are glad that we did! Capofitto is a great place to go to when you’re with your family and want to dine "family-style" or to share. To start off, we shared  two appetizers. First was the Arancini Gialle which is fried risotto, pecorino, fontina, saffron “balls”.  They were served warm on a bed of parmesan cheese and were absolutely delicious.

Second, we got the cheese plate. It’s great, you get to choose 5 different cheeses and it comes with a lot! To accompany your selection of cheeses, you get a selection of candied fruit and nuts came with it. We've never got a cheese plate with candied fruit before, so it was a nice spin on it!

For our entrée, we had to get pizza! Wood-burning pizza is the best because it so fresh and cooked right in front of your eyes. The pizza we shared included gorgonzola cheese, mushrooms, red onion and truffle oil. The crisp flaky crust and cheese really made the flavors stand out. The size of the pizza was perfect because we each had two slices each. We were very satisfied.

For dessert, Capofitto has a variety of desserts, gelato and sorberto since it is a gelataria. What made me love the atmosphere of this restaurant is when you first walk in, it is like a little gelato cafe with small tables and a counter to sit at. It reminds me of a place I went to get gelato when I was visiting Italy in Sienna. My mom got the tangerine sorbet, Catherine got the pistachio gelato and I got the Irish coffee gelato. It was the perfect end to the meal!

Family-Friendly Happy Hour

Nomad Roman 

My family was in the city and we needed a place to go for dinner. I have a mom, dad, 28 year old sister and a 13 year old brother. My brother can be a picky eater, which 13 year old isn’t? So we have a joke in our family, that the restaurant has to be “BF” or “bubby friendly” because “bubby” is one of our nicknames for my brother, Matthew.

Families who are dining out in Philly: if you’re looking for a great restaurant with an amazing deal, dine at Nomad Roman. I know finding places in the city can be tough to bring children, but Nomad is the place to be.

Nomad Roman offers locally grown, organic produce and all natural meats. The pizza is prepared in a wood-fired brick oven and cooked right in front of your eyes. Who wouldn’t love a delicious meal like that, something with fresh with local ingredients?

The best time to go is during their happy hour which is 4:30pm-6:30pm. During this time, all pizzas are $5 and $7, which is basically half-priced and beer is $4 and wine is $5. My family was in sort of a rush because my parents and brother still had to drive home from the city because my brother had an early morning at school. The service couldn’t have been more helpful and quick.

What’s great about the pies here are that they’re personal-sized and just the right amount. Matthew is a pizza connoisseur and loves their margherita pizza, so he ordered that. Both my sister, Catherine and my dad got the Spicy Soppressata which included: Italian tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, soppressata, oregano, garlic, red pepper flakes, parmesan, honey and sea salt. They loved the heat from the spicy soppressata. My mom got the Pepperoni Pizza which included: Italian tomatoes, mozzarella, Applegate Farms Pepperoni, parmesan and sea salt. She loved the size and flavor of the pepperoni. I ordered the Trenton Tomato Pie which was an “upside down” pizza which included: Italian tomatoes, mozzarella, oregano, garlic, crushed red pepper, parmigiano and basil. I loved how the pizza had a little “kick” to it due to the crushed red pepper.

Five personal pizzas for only for $35! Which family of five can say that they dine out in Philly for $35? I’m telling you next time you’re in Philly, try Nomad Roman for happy hour! It’s a great and affordable place to go with family or friends! Definitely will return.

Zavino Has It All!

Zavino Wine Bar Pizzeria

Located on "restaurant row" of 13th Street in Midtown Village, Zavino Wine Bar Pizzeria is the place to be! This restaurant offers daily specials of authentic Neapolitan pizza, homemade pasta, and meats and cheeses all incorporating seasonal items. These seasonal items are fresh and local ingredients that make the restaurant so unique.

I recently went to dine at Zavino Wine Bar Pizzeria with my mom and sister for lunch one day. We've always been wanting to try it there. They're aren't that many pizza places in downtown Philadelphia, so we were excited to see what Zavino had to offer!

My mom,  sister and I each got our own pizza because we  weren't sure of the size of the personalized size pizza. We thought it would be the right amount for one person. But two people can definitely share one of these pizzas! 

My mom and I each got "The Stache" pizza which includes: whole wheat crust, pistachio pesto, mozzarella, parmesan, lemon vinaigrette and baby arugula. My sister got the "Garden Pizza" which is the chef's seasonal selection. My mom and I loved the pistachio pizza and my sister loved the freshness of the seasoned vegetables.

We will definitely be back to try more of Zavino's creations! Now is the perfect time to go as well because with the warm weather. You can dine outside enjoying the beautiful sights of Philly and people watching!