Six Spicy Pizzas So Worth the Heat
Spicy Arrabbiata pizza at Pizzeria Beddia
Yesterday I checked out Harp & Crown for the first time. I thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful space. Drank what felt like an especially timely cocktail titled “Dying Declaration” – bourbon, cinnamon tincture, bitters and tried the Spicy Soppressata pizza. Chef Karen Nicholas is the latest to add a deliberately spicy pizza to her pizza list.
At Harp & Crown, the spicy soppressata pizza is made hotter with sliced shishito peppers. Balance is brought to the dish with a drizzle of honey. It got us thinking about some of our other favorite spicy pizzas in Philadelphia.
Turns out we have a few. So here are our favorite spicy pizzas around Philadelphia, ranked:
- Arrabbiata (Angry) Pizza at Pizzeria Beddia – It might not be easy to get a pizza at Pizzeria Beddia but it is worth it. After all it has been called the best pizza in America by Bon Appetit. This sinus clearing pie gets its “angry” heat from pickled peppers and fresh peppers. The Old Gold cheese and wonderful dough will mute the fire, at least until the next bite.
- Spicy Jawn Pizza at Wm. Mulherin’s and Sons – Nipping at the heels of Beddia’s Angry Pizza is the Spicy Jawn. Much simpler to order (make reservations online, utilize your phone, have a place to eat it, etc.), it is probably our favorite pizza at this beautiful Fishtown restaurant. Made with pepperoni, hot coppa, caciocavallo, sharp provolone and long hots, this is a pizza that reads like a hoagie.
Spicy Soppressata at Harp & Crown
Spicy Soppressata Pizza at Harp & Crown – Get caught with an extra spicy shishito pepper and this pizza might go off the charts. But the balance from the honey drizzled on top keeps the heat under control.
- Piccante Pizza at Pizzeria Stella – The capicola and crushed red pepper on this pizza might have you flagging down the server for more water. Regardless, you’ll be pulling a second piece onto your plate before you even finish your first.
- Fennel Sausage Flatbread at Tria Taproom – It isn’t any coincidence that the fennel sausage flatbread at Tria’s reinvented beer bar comes with shishito peppers. Harp & Crown’s Nicholas was the opening chef here. The addition of pistachios makes this a must-order item every time we visit.
- Danger Pie at Clarkville – The “danger” here isn’t close to the same heat as you might expect from lets say”danger wings,” but add the optional soppressata and you’ll be pleased with the heat on this pizza.
