Medusa Pizzeria: A Sicilian family's dream in Fishtown

Three years ago, the Villico family - whose pizza holdings include Joe's (122 S. 16th St.), Ciao (1709 Chestnut St.), and Margherita (60 S. Second St.) - bought a former meatpacking warehouse at the corner of York and Gaul Streets in Fishtown, across from the mixed-use building at 2424 York and Mugshot Diner.

Their goal: Build a quality pizzeria. The Villicos have been in the biz for years, but had taken over existing shops. "We really wanted to have something of our own that we started from scratch," said Casimira Villico, whose husband, Ernesto, runs Joe's. "We want simple, wood-fired pizza and food with simple ingredients. It's how we eat in Sicily. It's a better way to eat."

After frequent stops and starts, and extensive renovations, Tuesday, June 14 marks the soft opening of Medusa Pizzeria (2327 Gaul St., 215-644-8383).

Medusa - no relation to the Rittenhouse dive bar - features a bright, wide-open dining room next to the pizza station and espresso set-up, a second-floor dining room that can accommodate private parties, and a 35-seat roof deck from which on a clear day you can see, if not forever, then I-95. It's BYOB.

The Villicos set up two ovens side by side: a wood-fired Marra Forni for pizzas plus a gas-fired Marsal brick oven for calzones and baked pastas.

Medusa's thin-crust pizza, made from dough that's fermented for at least 72 hours, may look like Neapolitan, with its blistered outer crust, but it's not. This pizza is sturdier. Even when hot, it does not flop or sag under the ingredients.

Meats for pizzas and sandwiches are sliced to order at the counter.

Among the pizza combos: mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, basil pesto, garlic, parmigiano ($16); roasted cauliflower, anchovies, Gaeta olives, mozzarella, hot pepper oil ($17); smoked salmon, asparagus, scallions, tarragon, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, crème fraiche ($18); sausage, scamorza, potatoes, carmelized onions, fennel seeds, mozzarella, sauce ($17); and spicy capicola, provala cheese, sauce, Calabrian hot chile, basil ($16).

They're also offering pizza fritta ($10), a deep-fried turnover that comes out lighter and fluffier than the smaller, denser, and more familiar panzerotti.

Sandwiches, salads, generous-size aroncini (filled with cheese, meat and peas or with spinach and feta), and fries make up the menu (here as a JPG). Desserts include Nutella-stuffed pizzas and Sicilian cannoli.

Since Medusa is BYOB, a pre-meal visit to Philadelphia Beer Co. across the way is in order.

Initial hours are 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday.