Celebrated Chef Brings Big Flavor to Philly with Scusi Pizza Opening
Renowned chef Laurent Tourondel, who won a coveted Michelin star for his seafood restaurant in New York City, is taking on a new culinary challenge by opening a popular pizza spot in Northern Liberties. Scusi Pizza will open its doors on November 21st, marking the first of two restaurants that Tourondel plans to launch within Piazza Alta, a residential building adjacent to The Piazza apartment complex.
The menu at Scusi Pizza promises an exciting variety of pizzas with creative toppings such as pepperoni, anchovies, and mushrooms paired with prosciutto cotto. What sets this pizza shop apart is its generous offerings – from dipping sauces like pesto, truffle aioli, hot honey, or ranch to a selection of soft-serve ice cream flavors. Visitors can also enjoy Italian sandwiches made with pizza dough, ciabatta, or focaccia, as well as salads and small plates such as charcuterie, whipped ricotta with rosemary focaccia, and stromboli.
As part of its drink menu, Scusi Pizza features a rotating selection of soft-serve ice cream flavors, including unique options like chocolate hazelnut with butterscotch and vanilla with candied orange and pistachio. Visitors can also find small-produced Italian wines available for in-house consumption or take-out, as well as a selection of draft beers.
Scusi Pizza marks Tourondel's first foray into Philadelphia, although he has extensive experience running restaurants in New York and Miami. Notably, this is not his first pizza shop – in 2018, he opened Sag Pizza in Sag Harbor, New York. The website for Sag Pizza touts its wood-fired pizzas as embodying the "coastal charm of the Hamptons with the flavors of the Amalfi Coast." Similarly, Scusi Pizzas will feature dough that has been perfected over years to create a chewy and slightly charred texture.
Tourondel's culinary expertise is no surprise. The French native won a Michelin star for BLT Fish in New York City in 2005, although his restaurant lost the award the following year. He also received numerous accolades, including being named Restaurateur of the Year by Bon Appétit in 2007 and making Food & Wine's list of top 10 best new chefs in 1998.
The executive chef behind Scusi Pizza is Georgeann Leaming, a veteran of prominent restaurants like Gordon Ramsay Pub & Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay Steak, and R2L. Leaming won an episode of the Food Network's "Chopped" and opened two sandwich shops in Northern Liberties – Suppa and Samwich – before they closed. Her culinary experience has been varied, with stints at Rittenhouse's R2L, Two Liberty Place's bar, and FoodieHall in Cherry Hill.
Scusi Pizza will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., offering visitors an exciting taste of pizza and Italian cuisine in the heart of Philadelphia.
Renowned chef Laurent Tourondel, who won a coveted Michelin star for his seafood restaurant in New York City, is taking on a new culinary challenge by opening a popular pizza spot in Northern Liberties. Scusi Pizza will open its doors on November 21st, marking the first of two restaurants that Tourondel plans to launch within Piazza Alta, a residential building adjacent to The Piazza apartment complex.
The menu at Scusi Pizza promises an exciting variety of pizzas with creative toppings such as pepperoni, anchovies, and mushrooms paired with prosciutto cotto. What sets this pizza shop apart is its generous offerings – from dipping sauces like pesto, truffle aioli, hot honey, or ranch to a selection of soft-serve ice cream flavors. Visitors can also enjoy Italian sandwiches made with pizza dough, ciabatta, or focaccia, as well as salads and small plates such as charcuterie, whipped ricotta with rosemary focaccia, and stromboli.
As part of its drink menu, Scusi Pizza features a rotating selection of soft-serve ice cream flavors, including unique options like chocolate hazelnut with butterscotch and vanilla with candied orange and pistachio. Visitors can also find small-produced Italian wines available for in-house consumption or take-out, as well as a selection of draft beers.
Scusi Pizza marks Tourondel's first foray into Philadelphia, although he has extensive experience running restaurants in New York and Miami. Notably, this is not his first pizza shop – in 2018, he opened Sag Pizza in Sag Harbor, New York. The website for Sag Pizza touts its wood-fired pizzas as embodying the "coastal charm of the Hamptons with the flavors of the Amalfi Coast." Similarly, Scusi Pizzas will feature dough that has been perfected over years to create a chewy and slightly charred texture.
Tourondel's culinary expertise is no surprise. The French native won a Michelin star for BLT Fish in New York City in 2005, although his restaurant lost the award the following year. He also received numerous accolades, including being named Restaurateur of the Year by Bon Appétit in 2007 and making Food & Wine's list of top 10 best new chefs in 1998.
The executive chef behind Scusi Pizza is Georgeann Leaming, a veteran of prominent restaurants like Gordon Ramsay Pub & Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay Steak, and R2L. Leaming won an episode of the Food Network's "Chopped" and opened two sandwich shops in Northern Liberties – Suppa and Samwich – before they closed. Her culinary experience has been varied, with stints at Rittenhouse's R2L, Two Liberty Place's bar, and FoodieHall in Cherry Hill.
Scusi Pizza will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., offering visitors an exciting taste of pizza and Italian cuisine in the heart of Philadelphia.