Skip the Gimmicks, Enjoy the Pizza at Birra
Trey Popp urges you to skip the Birra Bowl but don’t ignore the East Passyunk gastro-bar with the “red-sauce soul.”
Birra’s normal pizzas, anchored by thin crusts with just the right amount of crackle, are terrific—from a caper-y puttanesca stoked with whole anchovy fillets to a pie strewn with exotic mushrooms and truffle shavings. Same goes for the cheeseburger pizza, another novelty act whose aged beef and homemade pickles turn a complete gimmick into pub-grub gold. Salads are large and lovely, built from flawless mesclun greens that nestle slender enoki mushrooms and fat royal trumpets, or a color-wheel dice of roasted vegetables. Use one to balance out a buttery trio of prosciutto-wrapped scallops.
Two Stars – Good
Stupid Human Tricks [Philadelphia magazine]
Birra [Official Site]
