Restaurant in the Old Art Social Club in Philadelphia

Peer closely at the row of sleeky bar stools at Palizzi Social Club, the Eater Award-winning members-just eatery tucked away in a South Philly rowhome, and y'all might detect a taped-upward rip or two. But possessor Joey Baldino has no intention of replacing them. He'southward keeping up a tradition, which includes the normal wear and tear of a spot that's been feeding members for 100 years.

When it opened in 1918, Palizzi was one of several social clubs in Philly formed for immigrants from a specific area. At Palizzi, it was residents of the town of Vasto in the Abruzzo region of Italy meeting at the gild to talk politics over a drink or share a meal. As the years went past, the membership was expanded to include Italian-Americans from other parts of the boot, like Baldino's family from Calabria and Sicily.

In the 1950s, Ernest Mezzaroba, Baldino'due south uncle, took Palizzi over, calculation a bigger kitchen that allowed the society to host bigger community events: baptisms, gatherings later on weddings and funerals. Last year, Mezzaroba savage sick, and offered the club to Baldino.

Similar his uncle, Baldino expanded the kitchen, and so the membership criteria. But that'south just about all he changed.

Eater: Tell me nigh how Palizzi went from a individual club the public didn't know about to a restaurant everyone wants to become into.

Baldino: Before my uncle passed, he asked me if I wanted to proceed the tradition. And so information technology's not really a eating place, or a bar. It'south somewhere in-betwixt. It'southward a social club, and it's been the same since day one. In that location'due south really nothing that I changed. Everything that's in in that location was there, from the tables to the cigarette car to the pictures and the charter that are on the wall. I simply want to continue a tradition that ways so much to Philly and especially to my culture — it's something actually special that I concord dearest. And that's part of the reason I didn't want the blogging and the reviews and the critiques, because to me it'southward a special place and I don't desire it to exist judged in that way.

A photograph signed by Frank Sinatra hangs on the wall at Palizzi

Official

People did write about it anyway , fifty-fifty though y'all gear up rules to guard Palizzi from publicity — no blogging, no reviewing, no social media. Have you relaxed the rules since it opened?

I can't end people talking about information technology. But one time they get-go reviewing, that's where I draw the line. I merely don't think it's most that. If you desire to explain to people what information technology is and what it'south meant to Philly and my civilisation, and the people who came here and started information technology, that's really special and I call up it'southward neat, but as far as a restaurant review — I just want people to become at that place and stride into a different identify and time. Before there was social media, there were social clubs. A place where people can get together and talk and have a good time. And that'due south what I desire for this place. It'southward non a restaurant and it's not a bar — information technology'south hard to explain. Simply I'one thousand trying hard to continue the rules.

Speaking of the rules, is there a board who had to approve changing the club charter to open the membership to everyone?

At that place's an assembly with members who vote on these things, and it was a unanimous decision. It's actually a special identify and everybody should be able to be at that place, not just Italian-Americans.

Palizzi club members in an undated photo

Official

Did you expect Palizzi to get this much attention, and why exercise you recollect it'due south been such a hit?

It took me off guard. It's been a niggling fleck of a crazy ride. I definitely didn't recollect I was going to be as busy as I was off the bat. I remember it touches people. Even the photos on the wall, when I come across those original eight guys who started the place, they've got to exist and then proud of what it'southward get and what the customs has get. So I practice information technology for them. And I call back people really feel that. They know it'due south genuine — it's not a concept; information technology's the existent thing.

And the nutrient is function of that. It'due south traditional food that I would eat in my house, that my mom and my grandmother make, and the guys at the lodge would make. The fritto misto, the Italian sausage with broccoli rabe, the escarole and beans. The stromboli is my mom'south recipe. All that nutrient is a dying art, just information technology's home nutrient that Italians know. I recollect Palizzi feels similar a true identify, and that'south why it's resonated and so well with people.

Tripe with tomato, eggplant, cinnamon, and caciocavallo at Palizzi Social Club

Jason Varney

You must take made some changes since taking it over.

I painted a couple of walls. We had to become new plumbing and electrical, because the building was getting onetime. But other than that, all the photos, the bar, the stools, the tables and chairs, the checkered flooring — everything is original. It was a treasure trove of all this old stuff when I went in at that place, and I was like, "this is awesome." Nosotros only cleaned it up.

Does information technology always feel weird that people want to come to Palizzi merely they can't, since it's express to members? And now it has gotten so popular new memberships aren't being offered.

I like information technology considering nosotros're able to continue quality and control and not make it such a scene. We have people who come up who really feel like this is their society, so I'm happy with the people we take, and with the crew. We volition open memberships up over again, eventually, but correct at present nosotros're at a point where we're just putting smiles on a lot of people's faces. And that's the goal of the social club, back then and now. For the people who want memberships, I would say: Just hang in there.

Filippo Palizzi, the Vasto native the order is named afterward, looks over the dining room

Jason Varney

Palizzi Social Club is the Eater Philly Eatery of the Yr for 2017 . Over the next several months, we'll be publishing a feature story on each of the winners.

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Source: https://philly.eater.com/2017/12/11/16763170/palizzi-social-club-joey-baldino-best-new-restaurant-philadelphia-eater-awards

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