Dinner at the Club - by Joey Baldino & Adam Erace (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A hard-to-get reservation is prized among serious restaurant-goers, but a table limited to members only seems to be the Philadelphia diner's Holy Grail. Palizzi Social Club is 100 years old this year in South Philly, but it was after chef Joey Baldino took over from his late uncle Ernie that business really started to boom. Palizzi has mastered the balance of old-school Italian kitsch and super-high-quality food and cocktails. Once a gathering place for the Abruzzi-American community, Palizzi Social Club is a current hot spot: members can take up to three guests, and if the light is on outside, they're open. In 2017, Palizzi was named Bon Appetit's #4 Best New Restaurant, Esquire's honorable mention best new restaurant, and Eater Philly's #1 restaurant of the year. Chef Joey's menu at Palizzi has a broad Southern Italian scope. Seventy adaptable, accessible recipes throughout include dishes like: Fennel and Orange Salad, Arancini with Ragu and Peas, Spaghetti with Crabs, Stromboli, Hazelnut Torrone. Come on in, and join the club."--

Book Synopsis

A Special Invitation to a Delicious Members-Only Experience
A hard-to-get reservation is prized among serious restaurant-goers, but a table limited to members only seems to be the Philadelphia diner's Holy Grail. Palizzi Social Club is 100 years old this year in South Philly, but it was after chef Joey Baldino took over from his late uncle Ernie that business really started to boom.

Palizzi has mastered the balance of old-school Italian kitsch and super-high-quality food and cocktails. Once a gathering place for the Abruzzi-American community, Palizzi Social Club is a current hot spot: members can take up to three guests, and if the light is on outside, they're open. In 2017, Palizzi was named Bon Appetit's #4 Best New Restaurant, Esquire's honorable mention best new restaurant, and Eater Philly's #1 restaurant of the year. Chef Joey's menu at Palizzi has a broad Southern Italian scope. Seventy adaptable, accessible recipes throughout include dishes like:

• Fennel and Orange Salad
  
• Arancini with Ragu and Peas
  
• Spaghetti with Crabs
• Stromboli
• Hazelnut Torrone

Come on in, and join the club.

Review Quotes

"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

About the Author

Chef and restaurateur Joey Baldino, known for his deeply traditional Italian cooking, owns Sicilian BYOB Zeppoliin 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. As a young cook, he apprenticed with Alice Waters at her legendary California restaurant Chez Panisse and at Daniel Boulud's New York City flagship Daniel. Today, he proudly resides just blocks from Palizzi Social Club, carrying on his family's South Philly legacy of good food and authentic hospitality.

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 recognized 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.