See How Philadelphia's Pizzeria Beddia Makes the Best Pizza in America
Philadelphia locals call Joe Beddia the Pizza Jesus. Others refer to him as the Jiro of Pizza. What makes him worthy of such praise? He makes the best pizza in America (yep, we said it). Restaurant and drinks editor Andrew Knowlton spent a day at Pizzeria Beddia to see exactly how Beddia makes the country's best pies.
Andrew Thomas Lee1/28Every day at 9 a.m., you'll find Beddia at Pizzeria Beddia, in his happy place: Making dough.
Andrew Thomas Lee2/28Beddia works his dough magic on the simplest of ingredients: organic flour, yeast, water, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, and sugar.
Andrew Thomas Lee3/28Each morning, Beddia divides up the dough he made the previous day into 40 equal pieces, which will serve as the foundation for the evening's pies.
Andrew Thomas Lee4/28Beddia makes enough dough for 40 pies a day. He says it's all he can manage without killing himself.
Andrew Thomas Lee5/28Beddia listens to Howard Stern on the radio while he makes dough.
Andrew Thomas Lee6/28A doughy close-up.
Andrew Thomas Lee7/28Beddia arranges the classic letter board menu that hangs on the wall at Pizzeria Beddia.
Andrew Thomas Lee8/28No frills, just pizza.
Andrew Thomas Lee9/28Beddia's sauce couldn't be simpler: raw, crushed, canned New Jersey tomatoes; sea salt; and garlic.
Andrew Thomas Lee10/28Beddia's toppings are simple and classic—think house-made pork sausage, roasted onions, crimini mushrooms, and arugula.
Andrew Thomas Lee11/28Beddia uses exactly six ounces of sauce per pie, spreading it out in a spiral.
Andrew Thomas Lee12/28Beddia uses a mix of aged fresh and aged mozzarellas on his pies.
Andrew Thomas Lee13/28A 16-inch round tomato-and-cheese-pie at Pizzeria Beddia costs $19.
Andrew Thomas Lee14/28Pizzeria Beddia offers three different pies: a cheese pie, a spicy chile-laced pie, and a seasonal pie—this one's got spinach, fresh cream, spring onion, and red onion.
Andrew Thomas Lee15/28Beddia lives a five-minute walk away from the restaurant in Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood. He comes home for lunch each day after he makes dough in the morning.
Andrew Thomas Lee16/28He also fits some transcendental meditation into his lunch break at home.
Andrew Thomas Lee17/28John Walker, left, is Pizzeria Beddia's second and only other employee. Among his many duties around the shop are working the register and juicing fruits and vegetables for his and Beddia's daily juice fix.
Andrew Thomas Lee18/28The pizza arrabiata (left), seasonal pie, and cheese pie.
Andrew Thomas Lee19/28Beddia slices through a fresh cheese pie.
Andrew Thomas Lee20/28There's always leftover pizza dough, which Beddia bakes into little loaves and cuts into pieces for guests to help themselves to at the counter.
Andrew Thomas Lee21/28A few of Beddia's knickknacks, which include a bowl of dried Calabrian chiles and a miniature figurine of the Philadelphia 76ers' Charles Barkley.
Andrew Thomas Lee22/28Beddia and Walker take orders the old-fashioned way: by hand.
Andrew Thomas Lee23/28The view from the window.
Andrew Thomas Lee24/28Walker (left) and Beddia.
Andrew Thomas Lee25/28Closing up for the night.
Andrew Thomas Lee26/28Walker counting the night's cash on the basement stairs.
Andrew Thomas Lee27/28And, finally, a slice for Beddia.
Andrew Thomas Lee28/28Beddia locks up shop around 10:30 p.m., after selling all 40 pies.
