Cosimo's Pizza Cafe Offers Chestnut Hill Patron Pretty Standard Fare

Standing at the top of Chestnut Hill, , 8624 Germantown Avenue, is a homey hybrid of two types of eateries. The pizzeria portion offers the usual suspects of pizzas, strombolis, and calzones, but in a café type atmosphere that is welcoming for patrons of all ages.

From the moment I walked into Cosimo’s, I was greeted with a smile from the cooks and the cashiers. Since there’s no table service, patrons order food and someone brings it to your table. The food is brought out as soon as it’s done with very little lag time.

Cosimo’s offers appetizers that you will find in most pizzerias such as chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, a variation of different types of fries, and garlic bread. 
Besides the typical pizzeria fare, they prepare several specialties called Cosimo’s Gourmet Pizza Creations and Cosimo’s Favorites where they put their own particular signature spin on menu items. 

Always looking for a good basket of pizza fries ($4.39), I was disappointed to find them unseasoned. It was generously covered with cheese and red sauce, but I had to add my own salt, which doesn’t adhere to the fried potatoes as deliciously as right out of the fryer.

The Greco Salad ($7.99) was a mix of various greens tossed with tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, feta, and optional Italian dressing. It was a crispy fresh salad with the well tossed-in Italian dressing.

Choices such as Spinach and Bacon Pizza made with herbed ricotta sauce, marinated spinach, tomatoes, hickory bacon, and mozzarella wasn’t special or daring enough for me to try.  The same with their Favorites—the sandwiches sound tasty, but no different from what you can find in other pizzerias in the city or nearby suburbs.

The pizza comes by the slice, 14” medium, 16” slice, and Sicilian pie with your choice of traditional or gourmet toppings. The best way to see how good a pizza really is, I go by my favorite flavor, which is always pepperoni. It was a good slice that was nothing extraordinary, but better than most places.

The sauce was spread evenly on the crispy crust, a fair amount of cheese, and pepperoni. For $3 (including tax), it satisfied my hunger.

Cosimo’s also offers non-pizza items such as various salads, cold hoagies, hot sandwiches, grinders, burgers, and pastas. Since it was a cool break from a recent heat wave, I wanted to see what they had to offer in the pasta and hot sandwich categories.

The pomodoro spaghetti entrée ($9.89) came with your choice of meatballs or sausage for an additional price. The pasta was cooked al dente and fully covered with sauce. 

The tomato sauce was tasty, but no better or worse than a higher-end sauce you would find in the supermarket. It was seasoned with salt and pepper, but there wasn’t a hint of oregano or basil either by site or taste.

The meatball parmigiana grinder ($6.79) warmed me up on this unseasonably chilly June afternoon. Like the pomodoro sauce, it was lacking in substantial flavor. The toasted roll was rather flat whereas a hoagie roll is usually fuller and sturdier. 

I did find the meatballs covered with mozzarella pretty good. I couldn’t decide if they were homemade or not, so I asked. The cooks readily told me that the meatballs are from a food distributor.

The tables are set far enough that you don’t have to worry about bumping into other diners. The walls are decorated with vintage pictures of Chestnut Hill, Wissahickon, and Center City‘s long past. It’s pleasant to see captured memories of history frozen in time with the present in motion.

While parents wait after ordering, Cosimo’s offers young children a neat and tidy Kids Fun Section with a selection of videos, puzzles, and toys, in front of a large screen HDTV. If children are not dining or waiting with their parents, you may see the Phillies play or catch an episode of Cold Case Files. If the impressionable little ones are about, it’s quickly changed to something more suitable for them.

Cosimo’s is inviting to families looking for a meal that will appease both the kids and parents or folks looking for a quick slice. Although not necessarily original or bold, the food is a step above a chain restaurant in its convenience to Chestnut Hill patrons.

During the warmer seasons, you can sit outside to watch shoppers and families walk down scenic Germantown Avenue. If you prefer air conditioning when the temperature tops out, you can sit at a comfortable indoor dining area.

This Chestnut Hill pizzeria is located right on Germantown Avenue with street and nearby lot parking. Cosimo’s Pizza Café is easily accessible by R8 Chestnut Hill regional rail and the Route 23 bus.