Tony's Place
By Frank Quattrone
On a frigid day in the dead of winter, the parking lot at Tony’s Place was packed. We wondered what had lured so many mid-afternoon patrons to this modest eatery situated so close to the railroad tracks in a bustling patch of Ivyland. Could it be the guarantee of good eating? I’m sure you’d be skeptical if I said that Tony’s extensive menu offers something to satisfy anyone’s taste. But trust me, it’s really true.
What began as a small family business at 10th and Jackson streets in South Philadelphia, selling homemade roast beef and meatball sandwiches and original tomato pies, has evolved into an eclectic, even sophisticated restaurant. Joe Mallamaci, Tony’s gregarious third-generation owner, explains that the initial menu at the Ivyland location, which opened fifteen years ago, was still pretty basic. You know, the tried-and-true Italian sandwiches, salads, and pizzas that had earned the eatery such a loyal following at both its original location and, later, at its expanded dining room and kitchen in the Mayfair section of the Great Northeast.
Although the Frankford Avenue restaurant is no longer in the family, the present Ivyland location continues serving Tony’s signature tomato pies, frequent winners of Philadelphia magazine’s “Best of Philly” award. But when Joe Mallamaci hired Executive Chef William Lewis about seven years ago, Tony’s gradually, inevitably, grew into a magnet for both traditional and evolving tastes.
The chef’s been in the business for many years, having studied at Johnson & Wales, one of the nation’s premier culinary schools, followed by productive stints at Boston’s acclaimed Legal Seafoods, several other corporate kitchens, and finally the esteemed Capital Grille in Center City. Encouraged by what he calls his “full creative reign” at Tony’s and driven by his lifelong passion for great foods in inspired combinations, he and his staff have concocted a wide-ranging menu.
Mallamaci recalls the early years at the restaurant when most patrons favored the bar. Soon they were spreading out to the tables beyond the bar and, finally, drawn by the chef’s engaging menu, to all corners of the restaurant, including the attractive dining room and the spacious patio, which seats up to 120 people (under umbrellas when the weather is kind and warmed by heating units when Jack Frost starts to blow)!
Those Italian specialties and signature dishes are still available. Think Meatball Parm with Provolone or Philly Cheese Steak on a seedless long roll. Or the Triple Bacon Burger, Cedar Salmon, or the Wild Rice Bowl (where wild rice is blended with sautéed butternut squash and brussels sprouts, topped with orange-maple vinaigrette, arugula with pear and raisins, avocado, and a dollop of whipped sweet potatoes).
On the afternoon of our visit, Eve and I enjoyed two of Tony’s most popular appetizers. Eve’s eyes popped when our vivacious server, the sweet Erika Brady, brought out her Eggplant Tower, wonderfully thin and crisp eggplant patties layered with hearty slices of fresh mozzarella and three-pepper bruschetta, spiced with Parmesan, olive oil, basil, and sea salt. Its taste easily equaled its eye appeal. On a par with Eve’s choice was my Winter Squash Galette, consisting of four crisp grit and butternut squash cakes resting on a delectable bed of rosemary whipped ricotta, accented by a spicy honey, pear, and cranberry salsa.
We didn’t expect our meal to get better, but we were wrong. To my taste, Eve’s Cider Braised Short Ribs, braised boneless in a rich apple-rosemary demi-glace, served with whipped sweet potatoes and pot-roast-style green beans, was spectacular, but not as much as my choice. Never having tasted elk before, this adventuresome diner had to try the chef’s elegant Elk Shepherd’s Pie, with all-natural Montana-raised lean elk melded into a sumptuous mélange of butternut squash, mushrooms, and peas, with a traditional potato topping in a rosemary-red wine demi. One of the best new dishes I’ve had in years!
Our meal was totally satisfying, so we decided to postpone some of Tony’s desserts — including Caramel Pecan Cheesecake, Apple Cobbler, and Spiced Churros, all created by Chef Lewis’ talented wife — until our next visit. But we did take home two of the chef’s innovative flat breads to enjoy the following night. We somehow passed up the Crab Imperial and the Lobster & Steak Thermidor Flat Bread to try two recommended by our host. Tony’s signature Chicken Balsamic Flat Bread was fine, but it was surpassed by the Grape and Blue Cheese (on rosemary) Flat Bread, which was topped by roasted grapes, cave-aged blue cheese, and chive honey.
The restaurant has also endeared itself to the community with fundraisers to benefit local organizations. Tony’s Place deserves a second, third, and multiple visits to enjoy the well-stocked, world-class bar, to sample more of the chef’s inspired culinary fare, as well as the five-course wine- or beer dinners that resume on March 22 (Perkasie’s Free Will Brewery) and April 19 (California’s Prisoner Wine Company). Highly recommended!
Tony’s Place is located at 1297 Greeley Place, Ivyland, PA 18974; 215-675-7275; https://tonysplaceivyland.com. Open Sunday–Wednesday, 11 a.m.– 10 p.m.; Thursday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Bar hours daily, 11 a.m.–midnight. Live acoustic entertainment weekends from 9 p.m. Available for in-house or off-premises catered events, pick-up, and delivery. Will host fundraisers.