The best things we ate this week

Mustard on a pizza? If you grew up eating pies in Trenton at Papa’s, DeLorenzo’s or Joe’s Tomato Pies, the now-closed pizzeria pioneer (est. 1912) that Daria Silvestro’s family started around 1910, you know a little spicy brown mustard between the red sauce and cheese on your pizza is completely normal. It’s an obscure bit of German-Italian Trenton fusion originally credited to Schuster’s, which closed in the 1980s, but has lingered for generations.

“It’s a dose of nostalgia for kids from the Central Jersey diaspora!” ways Silvestro, who’s carried on the tradition with a mustard option at CJ&D’s, the thrice-weekly pizzeria pop-up inside Cartesian Brewing in South Philly she operates with husband, C.J. Volk.

We revisited CJ&D’s recently to see if the larger new ovens they installed have reduced the wait for what I consider among Philly’s top five pies. Our wait was considerably shorter than the 90 minutes of our previous visit. (It all depends on timing, really.) More importantly, the Trenton-style pies were as good as ever, with cracker-crisp yet flavorful crusts and cheese on the bottom letting all the minimalist toppings flavors pop. The addition of mustard, though, was fascinating. The acidity and spice essentially work in tandem with the tomato sauce like ketchup, so I recommend you add some pepperoni into the mix. The combo is evocative not so much a hot dog as another meat Trenton specialty: it tastes like a pork roll sandwich reimagined in pizza form! — Craig LaBan

The squash blossom tlayuda at Ama is, dare I say, better than any tlayuda I’ve had in Oaxaca. It’s extremely thin and crunchy and layered with squash blossoms as flat as flowers pressed between a book, Oaxaca cheese, and epazote pesto. It comes with a side of pipicha verde also made with epazote and is topped with little pinches of buffalo burrata. This is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten in Philadelphia and makes me angry that I have to come all the way to Fishtown for it because I want to eat this every day (and I do not live in Fishtown). — Kiki Aranita

I have an internal rule when I go to Mighty Bread: always order the special. Last Sunday was no different and I was rewarded with this polenta dish, topped with sweet corn, maitake mushroom, and an egg. The result was a savory, velvety, surprisingly light porridge that every friend who stole a spoon’s worth admitted they also should’ve ordered. And I’d do it again. — Emily Bloch

Chef Chaz Brown handed me the absolute best fried catfish of my life this past Monday night at the Oxtail Exchange, held at the Bok Bar. It was a one-night event presented by food-centric events collective Com.Unity, but bears the same name of Brown’s forthcoming restaurant. This fillet, dusted with a smoky, hot spice blend from Triangular Traded Spices was a prime specimen of fried seafood. Shatteringly crisp crust, steaming hot, tender fish. It was perfect.

Chef Anjola Akande served this peppered oxtail rotolo at the Oxtail Exchange and it has haunted my dreams since. It was a perfect, neat little bite consisting of oxtail ragu made with ata lilo, the Nigerian pepper blend, rolled up with plantain béchamel, and sprinkled with an avalanche of Parmesan. It was magnificent — rich but not too rich, the pasta was cooked perfectly, and the chermoula sauce balanced out all the other flavors. — Kiki Aranita

Casa Borinqueña may only be a month-old addition to Kensington’s Frankford Avenue, but this all-vegan Puerto Rican restaurant should be pushed to the top of your “must try” list. The brain child of New Yorker, Lourdes “Lulu” Marquez-Nau, Chef Lulu first started Borinqueña in San Francisco, later moving the operation to Philadelphia, where her children relocated for college. That passion for family and rich traditions of Puerto Rican cuisine, pour out of the kitchen with classic street dishes like skewered “Pincho de Pollo,” now fused with decades of vegan cooking techniques that deliver plant-based proteins analogous to the real thing. For $18, get the sample platter and discover flavors that transport you to the street-side markets of Luquillo. — Henry Savage

While hosting out-of-towners at Middle Child Clubhouse and ordering far too much food, we decided to indulge in also ordering too much dessert. This is where the seasonal corn crème brûlée special comes in — and it’s not one to miss. The delicate jeweled crust is topped with dollops of tea cream. The center reveals an undeniable silky smooth corny flavor that had us yelling, “it’s corn!” all night. Needless to say, the out-of-towners would like to come back. — Emily Bloch

“Too Beautiful To Eat” is the slogan for Daniela Malavé’s online cupcake delivery business, Tres Fiore, and I was amazed when we opened the box to see just how beautiful they actually were. Her floral buttercream icing work is so detailed, they looked like a half-dozen gorgeous flowers. In fact, they were also incredibly delicious, built on moist chocolate cakes flavored with coffee and filled with a creamy caramel chamber of dulce de leche. The most stunning thing about these cupcakes, though? That they are entirely gluten-free. Yes, they are exceptionally expensive (count about $10 a cupcake), but high-quality gluten-free baked goods come at a price, and these are absolutely worth a special occasion splurge. — Craig LaBan

Dara, located on a packed corridor of Walnut Street with other vibe-y Southeast Asian restaurants, has very quickly won my heart. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite dish at this incredible Thai restaurant, but I loved these butterflied shrimp with a sweet chili dipping sauce that I had a few days ago (once again, I am allergic to shrimp, but these are so good, they’re worth the itching). The interior is juicy and sweet and the fried coating is so crisp and not the least bit oily. There’s also something strangely delightful about eating flat shrimp. — Kiki Aranita