Don’t go to Phoenixville’s Vecchia Pizzeria expecting a vast selection of toppings and countless varieties of made-to-order pies. Owner Frank Nattle’s authentic Neapolitan-style eatery has just four pizzas on the menu: the Regina and traditional Margheritas, plus marinara and white. Extras include sopressata (an Italian dry salami), anchovies and more cheese. That’s it.
Simplicity and authentic Italian ingredients are what make Vecchia unique. Nattle imported two stonemasons from Italy to build his massive, domed oven, which is made from hunks of Mount Vesuvius. It’s right inside the entrance, sending that delicious wood-fired smell wafting out onto Bridge Street. Nattle’s San Marzano tomatoes, bufala mozzarella and “00” flour are all imported from Naples.
At $15, the Regina Margherita—Vecchia’s most expensive pie—is worth every penny, its fresh bufala semi-melted atop perfectly charred dough. More than the sum of its simple parts, the white pizza is a mouthwatering mix of mozzarella, basil, garlic, oregano and olive oil.
Hungry diners can munch on a lightly dressed house salad while they’re waiting for their pizzas—and that’s the extent of the appetizer selection. Nattle’s oven reaches 1,000 degrees, so pies need only a few minutes to cook. But even that may seem like too long once you see what’s coming.
249 Bridge St., Phoenixville; (610) 933-1355, vecchiapizzeria.com.
