The tomato pie from Iannelli’s is a piece of South Philly history, still pulled from a 21-foot-deep brick oven built 115 years ago by Vincent Iannelli’s great uncle Robert. The recipe for its “Depression-era” sauce is nearly just as old, brought by Vincent’s grandma Mirna when she came from Italy in the 1940s. It’s a classic South Philly red gravy, but with less of the sweetness common in other variations, balanced with garlic, oregano, and Pecorino Romano. Vincent’s grandparents initially sold the sauce baked onto sliced-open Italian loaves, but the now-familiar rectangles baked in cast-iron pans quickly became the draw to this East Passyunk bakery, along with stromboli and seeded loaves. “She cursed a lot in her hard Italian accent but still always made people feel special,” Vincent says of Mirna.
Iannelli’s tomato pies remain one of the archetypes of the genre, but have become a special-event splurge. Vincent, who also does real estate, transitioned the bakery over a decade ago into a limited seasonal operation, open to the public just 15 to 20 days a year, mostly weekends between October and December. Keep an eye on its social media accounts, or try sending them a message for availability.
Iannelli’s also does mail-order year-round through Goldbelly; the current price on that platform ($99 for six flash-frozen servings) is exorbitant — but $50 for a full pie fresh from the bakery, filling two 16-inch pizza boxes, is absolutely worth it. While you’re there, grab a jar of the bakery’s excellent crab gravy to complete the ultimate old-school Italian South Philly feast. — Craig LaBan
