New Book - Dinner at the Club: 100 Years of Stories and Recipes from South Philly’s Palizzi Social Club
The rules of the Palizzi Social Club In South Philly are specific: Members Only & Cash Only. Proper Attire Required. Do Not Linger Outside The Front Stoop. Eat A Lot, Drink More, And Mostly: Be Social.
Dinner at the Club is almost impossible to secure.
Dinner at the Club, however, an Italian cookbook and an ode to family from one of the state’s premier chefs, allows us a peek inside. For Chef Joey Baldino, the cookbook is an especially poignant offering this holiday season. Baldino’s father died this fall.
The Club in South Philly was founded in 1918 by Dominic DiCocco (and others); it was named for Filippo Palizzi, a famous painter from the seaside village of Vasto. In the beginning, the club was exclusive to those from Abruzzo region; later, membership expanded to include other Italians.
Today the Club remains members-only and is run by Chef Baldino, who is chef/owner at Zeppoli in Collingswood and a descendent of one of the founders. Baldino has opened membership to everyone and the Club, under his leadership, is frequently sold out. (Baldino is an eight-time James Beard Award semifinalist.)
Baldino has his own rule: What Happens At Palizzi Stays At Palizzi. Therefore, members are kicked out if they share their experience via social media.
Dinner at the Club: 100 Years of Stories and Recipes from South Philly’s Palizzi Social Club (Running Press, 2019) with co-author Adam Erace, is an invitation to the rest of us to become part of the family.
The book’s simple, elegant cover is regal; it’s the color of oxblood and features a coat of arms. Inside, however, the recipes and stories are rustic, real, authentic, and boisterous. Witness the recipe for mar inara, which combines a family recipe with a few chef tricks Baldino picked up along the way, while also explaining the language quirks of South Philly—how marinara, for example, is pronounced madinad. The cookbook also features recipes for a 20-yolk pasta, fusilli with pistachio pesto, braciole with Sunday gravy, and ricotta pie.
Photos are gorgeous, and we also love the paper stock, which somehow adds to the sense of place and time.
Dinner at the Club: 100 Years of Stories and Recipes from South Philly’s Palizzi Social Club
By Joey Baldino and Adam Erace
Running Press Adult
On sale October 29, 2019
