This members-only restaurant is tucked in between domestic row houses in south Philadelphia.
Besides a little red neon sign outside, absolutely nothing suggests there's a 100-year-old Italian restaurant that serves as a time pill for south Philly's Italian immigrants. To enter into the dining area, patrons should tap a buzzer and give their subscription cards to a hand extending through a hole in the entryway's second door.
See owner Joey Baldino provide MUNCHIES exclusive access to Palizzi Social Club, demonstrate how its amazing food like spaghetti with crabs, caesar salad, and delicious grilled octopus is made– and hear why preserving his heritage and neighborhood's history is more important than ever to him.
With "rules and regulations," consisting of things like "no blogging, evaluating, or tagging on social media," Palizzi Social Club is the definition of "word of mouth."
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I just wanna be allowed inside once, to sample all the food 😅
@charlie renegade would you take me?
@charlie renegade I would absolutely love to be a guest and try the food if you have space!
@charlie renegade whenever you get a chance I’m down to go please and thank you .
Don’t worry, once the woke crowd hears about this place there will be LGBTQ up in there
Buy the cookbook, it’s excellent
I hope and I pray that they were able to make it through 2020 but I also thought he said that there’s no interviews and there’s no nothing like that but it looks amazing that someone can carry on their heritage and a time like this where a lot of people don’t really care about their family’s heritage or what made their family who they are today
I want a philly steak cheese pls
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In which state do you live?
Punctuations. They exist.
It’s there
Wow. That place sounds fantastic ❤ and the food looked delicious too 👌
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It’s SO important to preserve these traditions as so many of them are being lost. Club is a very special place. Nice to know this neighborhood is preserved and still exists.
@Ben Baer You’re the only one talking about racism, the rest of us are enjoying good food and fellowship.
Hamilton Ontario still has a bunch of Italian/Polish/etc only Clubs
Im a regular hood dude doing food reviews on my YouTube channel c:
@Pepperoni Pete Well, I am thinking about it! South Philly is one of the most racist places. One of those neighborhoods Black folks knew they couldn’t go through. That’s why it’s being gentrified by Mexicans. Serves em right!
@Ben Baer says the real racist. Obv you didn’t watch or listening comprehension is lacking….cliff notes: he opened the place for all to enjoy while preserving the old time look and culture for everyone to experience 🙄. Dolt.
Love the vibe this place seems to have and the food looks delicious.
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In which state do you live?
The way everyone speaks about each other. Made me forget this was about food.
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Having grown up in South Philly 5th and Tasker, Italian food and pizza always been my obsession along with my favorite tiramisu. Beautiful story!
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Wow, this is fantastic! So good to see the old school Italian traditions being kept alive and well!!
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Amen
We need more of this too many Italian Americans have lost the connection to the culture and became madigans
Beautiful story. ❤️. My 80 year old Italian father loves this stuff. Thanks for sharing. Happy New Year Everyone
I LOVE places like this that keep the traditions of their past and lineage!
Unfortunately all too often in this world, children don’t want to carry on businesses of their parents or grandparents. This is so sad as those traditions, recipes and crafts are lost forever.
I wish Filippo Palizzi Social Club the greatest success and another hundred years of business and success!
Cheers! 🥂
easy to say from the outside looking in but everyone is entitled to their own dreams and ambitions. If you’re family wanting you to take over a 4th generation accounting firm would you feel obliged just because of expectation? Just because a restaurant is more alluring than an accounting firm doesnt change the principle.
I moved to Philly from Florida in 2012 for better opportunities and when I got here I enrolled in Culinary school and became so passionate about food and trying different cuisines, so much so that I moved to South Philly in 2015. I live off of 9th St and have been to Pen and Pencils social club, along with the Players Club near Rittenhouse but have never heard of this place. I’m a huge nostalgia type of individual and I moved here by myself so I don’t know many folks in the city. Is there any way to get a membership if I’m just a humble guy that loves food and especially Italian? I go to Ralph’s all the time but would really love to become a member here so I can bring my sister when she visits Philly.
Never hurts to ask! Hit them up. And if you become a member let me know so I can come down from bucks for a meal 😂
Pen & Pencils it’s an amazing club 😂 I miss working at the restaurant industry.
Now I wanna go. The food and vibe of it all is amazing .
In which state do you live?
🍝 Gotta save this video for when I have no appetite, cause it immediately makes me salivate like a Pavlov’s dogs. I can practically taste and smell the garlic and tomato and basil. Nothing like Italian for stirring up phantasmagorical tastebud nostalgia for childhood flavors. 🥖
6:40 – Mancuso’s is the best. No questions about it. RIP to the last Mancuso owner, Phil. Great guy. Glad his wife could spread the knowledge of Mancuso’s to these new owners.
Edit : 7:10 – Walked right past the museum I work out. Crazy to see Vice in South Philly.
That’s cool bro but you really shouldn’t dox yourself like that lol just giving away your full name and place you work to however many thousands of people might see this comment.
Gotta love the way he asks for no social media tags and posts and reviews! We need more of that 🤘💚🤘🦘🇦🇺🦘
Without a penny in the pocket but bought this place🤣. I really loved this 1 💪🏽👍🏼. Such a great story.
I have the Palizzi SC cookbook, it’s excellent and a beautiful tribute to the neighborhood. As a descendent of Abruzzi immigrants who moved to Philly, and now that I live across the country from Philly, it’s my go-to when feeling homesick… I even just made the stromboli’s for New Years day. For those looking, it’s called ‘Dinner at the Club: 100 Years of Stories and Recipes from South Philly’s Palizzi Social Club’.
Amazing food and experience! Lovely restaurant with true love
As a 1st gen Italian American from the Philly burbs, it’s awesome to have our traditions live on. It’s up to us to preserve and carry this, teach our kids and community or it’s lost. So glad he opened the place up for all. Many old school Italians don’t get the importance to open up and let the “new” gen carry on. Wishing these guys another c’ent anni of success.
Love this! We need more of this in our country.