Philadelphia Citypaper:
Joey Rocco, who worked as a teacher in Toms River for 30 years before retiring, got his start in the pizza biz early, running his father’s Kozy Korners store at 13th and Jackson as well as his uncle’s shops on the boardwalks of Seaside Heights and AC. Now the South Philly native’s doing his own thing with Joey’s Stone Fired Pizza, which soft-opened Saturday at 515 South Street (215-238-9999).
The pizza at the 64-seat Joey’s is thin crust and Neopolitan in style, with chunky imported plum tomatoes for the sauce and secret family blends for both the doughs (traditional or honey whole wheat) and cheese. They’re doing small 12-inch and large 16-inch pies, with pick-and-choose toppings like Fiorella’s sausage, imported capicola and pepperoni, calamata olives and house-roasted peppers. They’re also doing a handful of salads. No slices. (The “Stone†in the name refers to slabs of volcanic rock lining Rocco’s pizza ovens; he says they conduct heat in such a way that ensures the top and bottom of his pies cook evenly.)