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A pivot to late-night pizza: Nannie Franco’s opening in Italian Market

Get the "special," topped with fried peppers, fried onions, meatballs, sausage, and mozzarella.

The "special" at Nannie Franco's Pizzeria, 910 S. Ninth St.
The "special" at Nannie Franco's Pizzeria, 910 S. Ninth St.Read moreDAVID NEUKIRCH

With the demands of new parenthood, David Neukirch and Erin Aweau have pivoted on their Italian restaurant at the corner of Ninth and Salter Streets in the Italian Market.

Nina's Trattoria (910 S. Ninth St.) — the sweet little BYOB that had Neukirch working in the kitchen and Aweau running the front of the house since late 2011 — has given way to Nannie Franco's Pizzeria, whose stock in trade is late nights. It's a revival of the couple's Nannie Franco's, once at 11th and Jackson Streets in South Philadelphia.

Debut is expected Saturday, Sept. 8.

The new setup will be easier for Neukirch to manage: Order at the counter; dine in, pick up, or opt for delivery via Postmates. Menu is limited to 10-, 16-, 18-inch thin-crust pizzas, sold in pies and slices, plus stromboli, calzones, turnovers, and knots. Get the "special," topped with fried peppers, fried onions, meatballs, sausage, and mozzarella.

Like the couple's baby Giovanni Kalani, who is almost 4 months old, Neukirch intends to keep late hours. This month, Nannie Franco's will be open from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. weekdays and till 3 a.m. weekends. By October, it will add lunch.

Also in the Italian Market — just up the street at Ninth and Christian — George's Sandwich Shop is being remodeled for a reopening, a year after the death of operator Mark Onorato. And if you're keeping score nearby, the new Ralph's To-Go puts out square pies at 764 S. Ninth St. and Danny Digiampietro is getting close to opening his Angelo's Pizzeria at 736 S. Ninth St., a relocation of his now-closed Haddonfield eatery to the former Sarcone's Deli.