Palizzi Social Club has operated out of the same South Philly rowhome since 1918, when it was founded as a club for expats from the Italian town of Vasto — the name honors Vasto's most famous resident, painter Filippo Palizzi. Ownership eventually passed to the family of Joey Baldino, who married into the original membership; Joey, who built a name at the Collingswood, NJ BYOB Zeppoli, now runs Palizzi as third-generation owner and president.
The menu runs through shareable starters like baked sea scallops and stromboli, grilled swordfish and marinated lamb chops, pastas including spaghetti with blue crab and a raviolo named for Vasto, and house specialties like tripe and stuffed artichokes, all from Joey's family recipes. Cocktails lean classic and Italian-inflected, built around amaro, grappa, and vermouth.
The club still runs on membership, and its house rules are part of the experience — no phones, no reviewing, a dress code, and limits on who members can bring as guests. The Infatuation scored it 8.8/10.
The menu runs through shareable starters like baked sea scallops and stromboli, grilled swordfish and marinated lamb chops, pastas including spaghetti with blue crab and a raviolo named for Vasto, and house specialties like tripe and stuffed artichokes, all from Joey's family recipes. Cocktails lean classic and Italian-inflected, built around amaro, grappa, and vermouth.
The club still runs on membership, and its house rules are part of the experience — no phones, no reviewing, a dress code, and limits on who members can bring as guests. The Infatuation scored it 8.8/10.