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Three views of Stella including a shot of the Margherita Pie (Photos courtesy of Pizzeria Stella)

OVERVIEW

Pizzeria Stella is the brand new pizzeria that Stephen Starr opened less than a month ago on Headhouse Square in Society Hill.

Located on the northwest corner of 2nd & Lombard Streets, Pizzeria Stella serves twelve signature wood-fired pizzas that they are calling “a cross between classic Neapolitan and New York style pizza” as well as meats, salads and antipasti.

The setting is laid-back and relaxed — this is intended to be fun and casual neighborhood restaurant that you can frequent without worrying about breaking the bank.

THE PIZZA

The twelve pizza varieties range from the traditional like the Margherita with san marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh basil to signature pies such as Sausage with sweet fennel sausage, hot peppers, garlic, and fresh basil; the Vongole with clams, guanciale and broccoli rabe; the San Daniele with prosciutto, smoked mozzarella, baby arugula, and ricotta salata; and the Tartufo with black truffle, fontina cheese, egg and parmesan.

Stella can seat 70 in its main dining room. (Photos courtesy of Stella)

THE OVEN

Stella features a large open kitchen where the pizzas are prepared and then cooked in a custom built wood-burning oven that can reach temperatures greater than 800 degrees.

The large oven is actually the focal point of the main dining room at Stella. There’s also counter seating that gives you an even better view of the pizzas as they go into and come out of the oven.

Note: if you’re really into pizza, you will like these “front row” seats at the countertop bar — the pizza-making scene can be a little entrancing.

Left: A family-style table made of reclaimed wood from the Coney Island boardwalk; right: Tartufo Pie (Photos courtesy of Stella)

WINE & BEER

Stella complements their pizzas with a small but creative wine list, featuring a good selection of affordable, pizza-friendly Italian varietals available by both the glass and by the bottle.

Additional beverages include a selection of beers (including Yuengling Lager, Birra Moretti, Dogfish Head Brown Ale, and Lagunitas IPA to name a few) as well as non-alcoholic specialty sodas such as Birch Beer, Cherry Cream and house-made lemonade.

Left: Octopus and Calamari antipasti; right: Pepperoni pie. (Photos courtesy of Stella)

SALADS & ANTIPASTI

In addition to pizza, Stella also has a variety of salads such as: Grilled Radicchio with gorgonzola, raisins, onion and balsamic vinegar; Roasted Beet and Arugula with blood orange and extra virgin olive oil; and Romaine with romaine heart, cucumbers, cherry tomato and mint.

Antipasti selections include Octopus and Calamari with olives, new potatoes and red onions and Asparagus with a sunny side up egg, ricotta salata and extra virgin olive oil.

The selection of sliced, cured meats includes prosciutto di parma, coppa, and hot sopressatta.

For dessert, Pizzeria Stella will offer a selection of house-made gelato (below).

Clockwise from top left: house-made gelato; Stella's outside seating; the custom wood-fired oven (Photos courtesy of Stella)

THE DESIGN

With concrete floors and steel beams, Pizzeria Stella’s interior blends industrial elements with Italian accents such as wood paneling, postcards of Pisa and Chianti bottles lining the walls.

Sitting behind a carrera marble countertop bar, the wood-burning oven is covered mosaic-style with white tile and red “Stella” lettering.

Oversized ceiling fans hang above the main dining area, which is filled with a mixture of slate-top tables and large family-style tables made of reclaimed wood from the Coney Island boardwalk.

Stella has seating for 75 in its main dining room. And during warm weather, Stella will be able to accommodate 40 more guests al fresco under their striped awnings.

THE MENU

After the jump, we have the full 12-pizza menu.

WOOD OVEN PIZZAS

1. Margherita :: san marzano tomato, buffalo mozzarella, basil ………………….. 13
2. Marinara :: san marzano tomato, oregano, garlic …………………………………. 10
3. Finocchio :: black olive, caramelized fennel, mozzarella, tomato …………………. 13
4. Sausage :: wood roasted sausage, hot pepper, tomato, basil, mozzarella ……………. 15
5. Pepperoni :: abbruzze pepperoni, oregano, mozzarella, tomato …………………… 14
6. Tartufo :: black truffle, fontina, egg, parmesan …………………………………….. 17
7. San Daniele :: smoked mozzarella, prosciutto, baby arugula ……………………. 15
8. Pistachio :: red onion, pistachio, fontina, extra virgin olive oil ……………………. 14
9. Piccante :: capicola, aged provolone, crushed red pepper, tomato …………………. 13
10. Vongole :: clams, garlic, parsley, scamorza ……………………………………… 17
11. Spinach :: baby spinach, sun dried tomato, garlic, pine nuts ……………………… 14
12. Quattro Formaggi tomato, mozzarella, fontina, scamorza, taleggio …. 14

You can see the full menu here.

Pizzeria Stella [Official Site]