Marra’s 90-year-old oven keeping up just fine with upstart pizzerias

Marra‘s pizza is a South Philly institution since 1925. When Salvatore and Chiarina Marra moved the business to its current home on East Passyunk Avenue, they dismantled and reassemble the original oven — designed and built by Salvatore out of bricks from Mount Vesuvius.

[Skip ahead to more Philly pizza joints.]

Marra’s pizza is a South Philly institution. And its brick oven may just be the oldest in the city. It was built in 1925 at Marra’s original 8th and Christian location, where the East Passyunk Avenue staple spent its first two years in business.

When Salvatore and Chiarina Marra moved their new business to its current home in 1927, they hired a contractor to dismantle and reassemble the oven — originally designed and built by Salvatore out of bricks from Mount Vesuvius.

“It was assembled here, and it’s been the same since then,” said third-generation owner Mikey Sellitto. “It’s our trademark.”

On a Friday, the oven, run by long-time chef Robert D’Adamo, pumps out anywhere between 175 to 220 pizzas. The brick oven runs on oil heat at about 850 degrees, cooking a pie in about seven to 10 minutes.

—

Continue on your pizza journey

Marra’s Italian Restaurant
Revolution House
Nomad
Pizza Brain
La Rosa
Bufad
Pizzeria Stella
Tacconelli’s
Pitruco
Pizzeria Vetri
Montesini