South Philadelphia pizzeria among the best in U.S., New York Times says

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A South Philadelphia pizzeria was named among the very best in America, according to the New York Times.

The paper’s food critic nailed down 22 of the best shops in the country, including San Lucas Pizza along Bouvier Street.

The Philadelphia shop opened in 2005 and was founded by Valentin Palillero and his wife Eva Mendez.

According to the New York Times, the couple seamlessly blends a simple crust with a variety of ingredients found in Mexican cuisine — much to the delight of anyone with the good fortune to stumble upon it.

The Times says we’re undergoing something of a pizza renaissance right now. Wood-fired pizzerias took off in the U.S. back in the early 2000s. The years since have challenged the culinary set to find ways to elevate something that might be considered fairly simple.

The result, the Times says, is a subculture of pizza-perfecting professionals giving way to a proliferation of innovation in cities big and small across America.

So, after sampling the cheesy offerings from one corner of the U.S. to the other, they came up with the 22 best.

The Mendezes were thrilled by the honor, and not just for what the Times said about their pizza.

The paper also called San Lucas Pizzeria a vivid link in South Philadelphia, bringing cultures together over something for cuisine and conversation.