South Philadelphia’s San Lucas Pizzeria Among America’s Best, New York Times Says

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A South Philadelphia pizzeria has been named one of the best in America, according to the New York Times.

The newspaper’s food critic listed 22 of the country’s best shops, including San Lucas Pizza along Bouvier Street.

The Philadelphia store opened in 2005 and was founded by Valentin Palillero and his wife Eva Mendez.

According to the New York Times, the couple seamlessly blends a simple crust with a variety of ingredients found in Mexican cuisine – to the delight of anyone lucky enough to stumble upon it.

The Times says we’re currently experiencing something of a pizza renaissance. Wood-fired pizzerias took off in the United States in the early 2000s. The years since have challenged the culinary world to find ways to elevate something that could be considered quite simple.

The result, according to the Times, is a subculture of pizza-making professionals that is giving way to a proliferation of innovation in cities large and small across America.

So, after tasting cheese offerings from one corner of the United States to the other, they selected the 22 best.

The Mendezes were thrilled about the honor, and not just about what the Times said about their pizza.

The newspaper also called San Lucas Pizzeria a living nexus in South Philadelphia, bringing cultures together over something both culinary and conversational.