Prepping a pie at DeLorenzo’s
It’s a rarity, but a select few restaurants survive long enough to become an institution. Often these are eateries of the simplest variety, not catering to trends or fads, but sticking to a trusted, time-worn formula. Today, the Times of Trenton brings us news that we will soon lose what is thought of by many as the best pizza in the region. After 65 years, DeLorenzo’s Tomato Pies in Trenton will shut its doors on January 15. Its crispy thin-crust pies, sprinkled with cheese and crushed tomatoes (never sauce), garnered a cultlike following over the years, drawing pilgrimages from Philadelphia and beyond. “It’s time…to take a breather,” says owner Gary Amico. A second location that opened in 2008 will remain open, and – happily for Philly folks – the Amicos are considering a new outpost in Pennsylvania.
In the positive vein, historic Philadelphia confectionary Shane Candies has just relaunched, after a nearly year-long renovation by Eric and Ryan Berley (of nearby Franklin Fountain). The candy shop first opened in 1863, and was run by the Shane family for over a century before they sold it to suspender-and-bow-tie-wearing Berley brothers in May 2010. The pair has preserved the Victorian touches inside the Old City storefront, including the antique candy-making machinery, which has been revamped and is ready to start pumping out sweets, just in time for the holidays (110 Market St.; 215-922-1048).
