Author Topic: Old Forge, Pa: Pizza capital of the world (Read 96523 times)

scott r · « **Reply #40 on:** September 23, 2006, 11:53:44 AM »

bob, did you see pizza shark's recent thread about how regina makes their pizza?

jessepi · « **Reply #41 on:** December 30, 2006, 08:20:46 AM »

A while ago (on page 2 of this thread) I said I'd post some pics of Ferri's Old Forge style pizza next time I got some. I vistited NEPA for Christmas and we got Ferri's. I was too late to get a picture of a full tray, but here's what I got.

Mahoney · « **Reply #42 on:** January 02, 2007, 10:23:57 PM »

Looks good - did you get any insights on their cheese mixes?

jessepi · « **Reply #43 on:** January 04, 2007, 03:50:24 PM »

Quote from: Mahoney on January 02, 2007, 10:23:57 PM

Looks good - did you get any insights on their cheese mixes?

Nope sorry.

If you've ever seen the Seinfeld episode with the "soup nazi" that's how Ferris' owner runs the place. I can't risk asking....

togreben · « **Reply #44 on:** February 07, 2007, 04:46:44 PM »

I spend 3 horrible years living in the culinary abyss of greater scranton. The cheese is a blend of white chedder and (believe it or not) american, which makes it seperate from the sweet sauce (which may or may not actually be katsup) and stick to your teeth. Don't bother making the drive out there, you will be disappointed.

PizzaBrewer · « **Reply #45 on:** February 14, 2007, 11:16:38 AM »

Quote from: togreben on February 07, 2007, 04:46:44 PM

The cheese is a blend of white chedder and (believe it or not) american, which makes it seperate from the sweet sauce (which may or may not actually be katsup) and stick to your teeth. Don't bother making the drive out there, you will be disappointed.

I agree, that gummy-stick-to-your-teeth quality comes only from American cheese. The cash-and-carry pizza supply house I buy from is located in South Scranton (not far from Old Forge), and they have cases and cases of sliced American cheese. Destined for the numerous pizzerias in Old Forge, I'm sure.

---Guy

wolfsblood07 · « **Reply #46 on:** February 14, 2007, 01:39:09 PM »

Quote from: ilpizzaiolo on March 20, 2005, 02:10:12 PM

This pizza maybe good, but I never understood why my friend persued this style of pizza when there are better, more authentic forms of this pizza. Such as l&b spumoni gardens, or rizzo's up in queens. If your going to copy something, copy the best. not some bastardized pizza from a small town, that is only a success because all the other pizza is inedible.

- ciao

ron

Excellent points. The best pizza is in New York/New Jersey. That's where there's the most demand for great pizza because people know what real pizza tastes like. I would't expect the best pizza in Kansas City to compare with the best in New York.

However as a guy from Detroit I stand by Dearborn Italian Bakery and Buddy's as awesome.

spydrpunk182 · « **Reply #47 on:** December 25, 2007, 02:53:44 PM »

i have lived in old forge all of my life and can answer any questions you have...

and don't knock it til you tried it.

p.s.
you can talk all the trash you want on Old Forge, but we're still the pizza capital of the world so we must be doing something right haters....

Chewy1 · « **Reply #48 on:** January 22, 2008, 11:34:29 PM »

I lived in NEPA for 28 years before moving to Philly. I've been up and down the east coast and I must say I've haven't come close to finding anything remotely comparable to Old Forge pizza. Yes, there are some great places out there...especially in New York and maybe 1 or 2 in Philly (marra's on Passyunk), but nobody does Sicilian like NEPA (NorthEast PA). Even some of the local taverns throughout Kingston, Swoyersville and Pittston have a knack for knowing the perfect combination of crust , sauce and cheese. The majority of Philly pizza is dough and cheese. There's no emphasis on the sauce and the crust stinks. The Victory Pig pizza that has been mentioned was WAY better 15-20 years ago. It's a type of Sicilian that's actually fried. It has a sweet/oniony sauce. I'm a big fan of Tommy's pizza in Kingston primarily because of their sauce but I guess it comes down to individual preference and where you grew up. Living in Philly has prompted to bake my own replications of Old Forge/NEPA style pizza since I can't get my fix all the time.
P.S. We can't please everyone but don't knock it til you try it!

kimi5564 · « **Reply #49 on:** February 28, 2008, 01:55:22 PM »

Wow, such discussions! I was looking for Old Forge recipes, and came across y'all. I grew up in Wilkes-Barre, PA and have eaten pizza in the north end of Boston, little italy (NY and Philly), Brooklyn, Southern California, different towns in Italy, fantastic thin crunchy pizza in the Alsace region of France, etc. There is NO pizza like Old Forge pizza. It is truly the best for my tastebuds. My husband has searched for great pizza, but until he ate some upon a visit home (We live in Birmingham, AL), it all paled in comparison. My children (aged 4 and 7) have also declared it the best, though I have yet to enjoy even a mediocre slice of pizza here, so their conclusion is from a limited choice.
When I lived in Long Beach, CA back in the 80's, I would have people waiting by my car (tagged from W-B) asking if someone would/could ship them some pizza. My parents would always oblige sending pizza from Brutico's.
Too bad they are in Florida for the winter, because I am truly wishing a box could be overnighted to me NOW!!

Little Vito · « **Reply #50 on:** March 02, 2008, 07:47:23 PM »

Salerno's Cafe on Moosic Rd Old Forge is the real deal when it comes to old forge style pizza!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(they ship any where!)
The atmosphere is like being in a part of old history ........
Where people sit and enjoy great food and friends and drinks they have been there for 70 plus years ...All family owned.. I am a 3rd generation customer

biglover · « **Reply #51 on:** March 20, 2008, 06:00:01 PM »

I was born and raised in Old Forge. I left many many years ago but my family lived there all of their lives and until my mom passed away in 2001, we returned every year and the biggest treat was to order Old Forge Pizza. The pizza is the best and I have lived a long time and eaten Pizza in a lot of places. In answer to some of the posts, the cheese on the Pizza is called Brick Cheese and you can't find it anywhere except Pennsylvania and maybe parts of New Jersey. It is perfect cheese for pizza with a much better consistency and taste than Mozzarella.

My mother maid and sold pizza. It is usually made in a rectangular tray and while it is not sicilian pizza. is is thicker than the flat pizza pies sold in commercial pizzarias. You make the dough and let it rise. The first step is to rub it down with oil and then put a layer of tomatoes and onions. You bake that for a few minutes, then take it out and add the cheese and any other toppings and then bake it again. The purpose is to bake all the ingredients into the dough so that the toppings don't just fall off of it when youn eat it. It really is the best pizza.

biglover · « **Reply #52 on:** March 20, 2008, 06:05:00 PM »

The pizza is not fried - it is baked and it is not sicilian pizza. The cheese was not american - it was and still is Brick Cheese. I know of what I speak. I was born and raised and my mother made pizza for a living.

The picture submitted by someone is right on the money but get the information correct please - the cheese is Brick and the pizza is baked not fried and you all from Queens and New Jersey are blowing smoke - Old Forge has the best unique pizza anywhere.

Mad_Ernie · « **Reply #53 on:** March 21, 2008, 09:33:54 AM »

Quote from: biglover on March 20, 2008, 06:00:01 PM

In answer to some of the posts, the cheese on the Pizza is called Brick Cheese and you can't find it anywhere except Pennsylvania and maybe parts of New Jersey. It is perfect cheese for pizza with a much better consistency and taste than Mozzarella.

Actually, those of us from the Midwest are familiar with Brick cheese, too.

You're right, it is a good cheese. Goes well with sandwiches or pizza.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brick_cheese

pizzapartyof5 · « **Reply #54 on:** April 02, 2008, 10:10:46 AM »

Quote from: PizzaBrewer on April 13, 2005, 11:51:52 AM

Actually NE Pennsylvania does have some excellent pizza. There's a few places I know where you can get a better slice than anything I've had in Manhattan. Which makes the local taste for the Old Forge thing a mystery to me.

And yes many people around here do seriously believe Old Forge is the pizza capital of the world.

---Guy

Can you name some places you can get better pizza than in Manhatten? I have lived in NEPA for 22 years and have yet to taste anything compared to what I have tasted in NY. I am not saying I haven't enjoyed some places. I think Tony's in East Stroudsburg is great. I also enjoy Old Mill in Sciota but I have not had an earth shattering pizza experience like I have in NY. I don't believe NY is the pizza mecca, I just want to eat a great slice of pizza in PA LOL.

I have had delicious pizza in Altoona, PA. It is square and not as thick as Sicilian style. I have yet to have Old Forge style pizza but we are planning to go to one of the many places there at the end of the month.

Bones · « **Reply #55 on:** June 21, 2008, 01:33:11 PM »

Anyone here claiming to know how all of the pizza in Old Forge is made is full of baloney. If one or some use American cheese that doesn't mean that all of them do...relax already!!

The 2 Girls from Old Forge have it right (we always said that the prettiest girls came Old Forge, btw) , each place has their unique style and flavor, and where I go to eat depends on what I'm in the mood for! There is no single best pizza place for all of us. I like Ghigarelli's, it feels to me like I'm over someone's house for dinner-big family, conversations carrying across the the place, patrons and staff know each other's names...good pizza to boot!

There posts in this thread of people driving to Scranton, W-B, Kingston, Moscow, etc. to taste OLD FORGE pizza, whatsa matter, you think you're gonna get Old Forge pizza in Wilkes-Barre? You're crazy. Please, if you get some pizza in Dunmore and don't like it, don't state that Old Forge Pizza sucks!!!

The entire region is full of pizza places~~

here's some of them: coalregion.com/TopTen/pizza.htm

My favorite Old Forge pizza as a kid was Salerno's, then for a while Revello's, but today I'd have to say Cafe Rinaldi's for both red and white.

My favorite of all time is no longer there, Gabello's on Main Street in Duryea~~there's a place in D.C. (Dickson City~

) with the same name, but I don't know if they're connected. I don't see anyone here referring to it.

My current favorite area pizza is Colarusso's, where "The People from Old Forge come for Pizza"!! They have 4 locations, Avoca, Jessup, Clarks Summit, and Scranton...and I think they also have on on 309 not to far from the Blackman St exit.

maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Colarusso&sll=41.33042,-75.800171&sspn=0.308336,0.711365&ie=UTF8&z=11

Now there is Pizza L'Oven, which has a few locations:

maps.google.com/maps?q=Pizza+L'oven&ie=UTF8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ll=41.33042,-75.800171&spn=0.308336,0.711365&z=11

This has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. I'd stick to the basics though, the extra fancy new styles didn't do it for me.

New members can't post hyperlinks! Copy and paste!

mawmike · « **Reply #56 on:** June 25, 2008, 03:34:17 PM »

can anyone out there get me aecipe for the crust and how to make it

Jaysus · « **Reply #57 on:** July 03, 2008, 01:04:51 PM »

Quote from: pizzabill on March 23, 2005, 10:52:58 PM

I'm from PA and I've had Old Forge style pizza. It's good, but not anywhere near the top of my list of favorite pizza styles. The last one I had almost tasted like a french loaf pizza. Here's a link to some interesting info about Old Forge pizza from a local shop:

I will say that when you drive around up there (Northeast PA) there seem to be hundreds of pizza shops! I guess you can never have enough to choose from.

-PizzaBill

There is a Jigsys in Harrisburg... some people around here swear by it... I am not a fan at all.

P.S. I am having a hard time replying to this post because of the link above...

PizzaBrewer · « **Reply #58 on:** April 09, 2009, 11:00:44 AM »

PMQ visits Old Forge:

http://www.pmq.com/tt2/videos/id_191/title_Pizza-Capital-of-the-World/

and the article:

http://digital.pmq.com/pizzamagazine/200903/

Bones · « **Reply #59 on:** April 09, 2009, 11:19:45 AM »

AWESOME!!! Thanks, I think I'll stop there this month and get a tray of white and a tray of red...gahhhh...