Already known as a revered culinary establishment with a social mission and community outreach program, one South Philly hotspot is taking things up a notch on all fronts. Stina Pizzeria opened in 2019 and comes from husband/wife team Chef Bobby Saritsoglou and Christina Kallas- Saritsoglou, and the South Philly BYO is using its anniversary as an excuse to throw a special party to commemorate and benefit a great cause.
Stina’s Two Year Anniversary celebrates the anniversary of the establishment, but more importantly—it’s also a thank you community event to the neighbors and patrons that kept the restaurant in business during the pandemic. And it’s been one wild ride of a freshman and sophomore year.
“Like so many businesses we were devastated by the pandemic and shut-down orders, but with the love and support of our community, we pulled through and couldn’t be more grateful to still be operating,” said Chef Saritsoglou in a statement. “We are so thrilled to be here and to be doing what we love. While things aren’t back to the way they were before we initially closed down, things are looking up and the time seemed right to celebrate and say thanks to our neighborhood.”
For Stina’s Two Year Anniversary Party, Stickman Brews will be popping by brewing up with their American twists on Belgian-inspired beers, IPA’s, and all things in between from noon to 4 p.m. During this time, Saritsoglou will be grilling up an outdoor Greek-style BBQ with a lunchtime Souvlaki Special: Two Kebabs, one pita and a Stickman brew for only $10. Stina’s regular lunch menu will also be available and no reservations are required for this specific event.
Stickman Brews will feature their Experimental 7 (pub ale), Minor Digression (hefeweizen), Plain Chicken Nuggets (pale ale), Swill (Maibock style lager) and Bug Juice (fruit punch imperial gose), while visitors can pair their drinks with two souvlakis of their choice of Marinated Pork Souvlaki or Morrocan Chicken Kabobs—both served with house-made pita, grilled.
Diners are also in for a treat aesthetically as well. According to the release, just in time for summer, things are looking up for the eclectic and mission-driven eatery. The duo have designed and built an outdoor streetery that is an extension of their indoor dining room and its many charms. For this weekend, both for the anniversary but also in honor of the nearby Philadelphia Flower Show, the streetery is looking extra colorful and festive. Saritsoglou decorated the streetery top to bottom and was named a finalist in the Philadelphia Flower Show city-wide competition. In fact, the timing of the contest and the Flower Show couldn’t have been better paired with Stina’s anniversary.
Kallas-Saritsoglou said in a statement, “The streetery outside Stina has never looked more beautiful. We invite everyone to make it a day to remember in South Philly. Head to the first-ever outdoor version of the Philadelphia Flower Show, then make it a day in our neighborhood by stopping to celebrate with Bobby’s amazing cooking, lots of beer and of course, live music. The planets couldn’t have aligned any better for a terrific celebration.”
Throughout the duration of this event and the entirety of Philly Pride month, Stina will also be donating 1% of sales to The Attic Youth Center. On Tuesday, June 29, Stina will additionally give 20% of that day’s sales to the organization from 4 to 10 p.m. This is part of their relaunched monthly charity program that they opened with and has become an integral part of the atmosphere for owners Chef Bobby Saritsoglou and Christina Kallas- Saritsoglou. To date they’ve been able to donate more than $10K to 14 local organizations.
“We created Stina to express love for food, our culture, our community and each other…celebrate with us,” says Saritsoglou. “We are so happy to be able to do what we love, give back and help make our community a better place. We can’t express how grateful we are!”
Those who can’t make it out during the day can also hit up the South Philly pizzeria with a Mediterannean twist at night as well. In the evening, Stina (1705 Snyder Ave.) will host live music all evening while Saritsoglou cooks up his award-winning cuisine. Reservations are now available for the anniversary dinner service by visiting their website Resy or calling 215-337-3455.
For more information on Stina Pizzeria BYO, visit stinapizzeria.com
