Dinner at the Club

A hard-to-get reservation is all the more prized but a reservation limited to members only seems to be the Philadelphia diner's Holy Grail. The Palizzi Social Club has been around for almost 100 years in South Philly but it was after chef Joey Baldino took over from his late uncle that business really started to boom. Palizzi has mastered the balance of old-school Italian kitsch and super-high-quality food and cocktails.

Joey is an experienced hand at great Italian dishes, with a fantastic menu at his Collingswood, NJ, restaurant, Zeppoli. The menu at Palizzi has a broader Southern Italian scope, drawing influence from food his Uncle Ernie served at the Club and what his mother, grandmother and aunts cooked at home. These recipes, about 70 in total, will make up the bulk of DINNER AT THE CLUB and include dishes like Sweet Ricotta Pie, Seafood Fritto Misto, Spaghetti with Crabs and Stromboli. Joey's food is humble, homey and delicious and the bulk of the recipes reflect that in their friendly approach, easy processes, adaptability ("Don't have time to soak dry chickpeas overnight? Just use canned, like my mom does.") and accessible pantry. If you can find quality canned tomatoes, some nice Mediterranean anchovies and a cold-pressed olive oil for finishing, you're halfway there. And because Palizzi has a lively bar, the book will include a chapter dedicated to its amaro-centric cocktails, plus a couple grandma-style liqueurs that readers can make from scratch.

“"This book is gold."-- -EatYourBooks”

"Dinner At The Club is a peek into a true relic of Philadelphia history, the Palizzi Social Club. With beautiful stories and delicious recipes, this book preserves the memory and celebrates the heart of Italian culture in the city and transports you to a dinner at the club."--Marcus Samuelsson, Award-Winning Chef, Restaurateur, andCo-Owner of the Red Rooster Harlem
"Joey Baldino cooks from his heart, without pretense, and in celebration of those who ate, drank, and communed at the club before him. Dinner at the Club brings to life the richness and magic of Italian-American South Philly, and the collection of winning recipes will coax all who enter your home kitchen to 'eat a lot, drink more, and mostly: be social.'"--Danny Meyer, restaurateur and CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group
"Old-world flavors and heartfelt presentation make for a delicious mix in this rare look inside a South Philly institution."---Publishers Weekly starred review
"Palizzi Social Club is a South Philly institution and a national destination: old school, authentic, and with food any Italian grandmother would co-sign on. You also need to be member to get in, which means that most people will never see it. That's why I'm thrilled this book exists. It lets everyone, at least for a moment, bask in the glory of the place."--Questlove, musician with The Roots
"This book is gold."---EatYourBooks

Chef and restaurateur Joey Baldino, known for his deeply traditional Italian cooking, owns Sicilian BYOB Zeppoli in Collingswood, NJ and Palizzi Social Club. Prior to opening Zeppoli, he honed his culinary skills as chef de cuisine at Vetri, sous chef for the opening of Osteria and in the kitchens of other top Philadelphia chefs, including Georges Perrier, Michael Solomonov and Jose Garces.

Adam Erace is a food and travel writer who contributes to more than 50 publications, including Men's Journal, Fortune, Food & Wine, and Travel + Leisure. His writing has been recognised with awards from the International Association of Culinary Professionals and the Association of Food Journalists. He is the co-owner of Green Aisle Grocery, a gourmet market with two locations in Philadelphia. He lives in South Philly with his wife and two maniacal rescue dogs.

A hard-to-get reservation is all the more prized but a reservation limited to members only seems to be the Philadelphia diner's Holy Grail. The Palizzi Social Club has been around for almost 100 years in South Philly but it was after chef Joey Baldino took over from his late uncle that business really started to boom. Palizzi has mastered the balance of old-school Italian kitsch and super-high-quality food and cocktails. Joey is an experienced hand at great Italian dishes, with a fantastic menu at his Collingswood, NJ, restaurant, Zeppoli. The menu at Palizzi has a broader Southern Italian scope, drawing influence from food his Uncle Ernie served at the Club and what his mother, grandmother and aunts cooked at home. These recipes, about 70 in total, will make up the bulk of DINNER AT THE CLUB and include dishes like Sweet Ricotta Pie, Seafood Fritto Misto, Spaghetti with Crabs and Stromboli. Joey's food is humble, homey and delicious and the bulk of the recipes reflect that in their friendly approach, easy processes, adaptability ("Don't have time to soak dry chickpeas overnight? Just use canned, like my mom does.") and accessible pantry. If you can find quality canned tomatoes, some nice Mediterranean anchovies and a cold-pressed olive oil for finishing, you're halfway there. And because Palizzi has a lively bar, the book will include a chapter dedicated to its amaro-centric cocktails, plus a couple grandma-style liqueurs that readers can make from scratch.

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