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The Curious World of Old Forge Pizza: Cuts, Trays and a Murder Mystery
Within the United States, there are many different distinct pizza styles classified by location. New York, Chicago, New Haven and Detroit are some of the most notable. But, there is another lesser-known style that hails from a small Northeast Pennsylvania town. Self-proclaimed as the “Pizza Capital of the World,” Old Forge is a former coal mining town of about 8,000. How did such a small town decide to boldly claim such a lofty status?
History of Old Forge Pizza
Immigrants from Italy flocked to this corner of Pennsylvania to work in the coal mines in the early 20th century. Bob Mulkerin, the mayor of the town, explained that the immigration mostly came from Felitto, a town near Naples. In fact, 41.3% of the population has Italian heritage, which is the 6th largest of any community in the country according to the 2010 Census. Old Forge style pizza was created by Nonna Ghigiarelli, who made it for regulars of her and her husband’s bar back in 1926. A ride down Main Street shows the high density of pizzerias in a relatively small area.
Much like New Haven, there is a distinct lingo associated with the pizza here. Pies are called “trays,” as the pizza here is cooked in a square pan. Also, each slice is called a “cut.” There is more that makes this pizza unique. For example, the cheese is often a blend. Among the cheeses used include mozzarella, cheddar, provolone and even American cheese. The sauce often has a heavy onion flavor.
After watching an episode of The Pizza Show, it sparked a curiosity to visit the town. A few months later, I was off to this unfamiliar stretch of Pennsylvania a short distance from the New York state border. Up first, Mary Lou’s was scheduled to be the intro to Old Forge. Unfortunately, the small pizzeria just off of the main road was closed, even though we got there early in the day. Instead, our first taste would be from longtime staple Arcaro & Gennell’s just a few minutes south.
Arcaro & Gennell’s
Immediately after arriving, the large bocce court just outside of the building stands out. Sadly, the court was empty despite the warm weather. I could imagine that it adds a great touch to this spot with old school Italians playing bocce outside. Inside, the restaurant is spacious with a few separate dining areas and a bar. Clearly, pizza is not the only draw here as they have a full menu. But, we were solely focused on pizza, so we ordered a cut of red and a cut of white stuffed with spinach.
In Old Forge, a white slice is more like a sandwich as the cheese is tucked in between the dough. According to The Pizza Show, they use a blend of mozzarella, American and white cheddar. Spinach was a welcome addition to the gooey cheese and the top dusted in rosemary and other herbs. The highlight of this cut was the herb flavor and crisp texture of the crust. But, the cheese was a little heavy handed and gave it a much more dairy-heavy taste. The red cut had lightly baked dough and was covered in cheese. This was an average slice without standout flavors in the crust or sauce. The initial impression of the style was just alright.
Revello’s
Up next, a trip to another Old Forge staple, Revello’s. Located diagonally across from Arcaro & Gennell’s, it had a large red sign on the outside. Inside, it had the kitschy feel of a modernized retro diner. There were just a handful of people inside that afternoon. On the agenda, a cut of each style once again to compare. Regrettably, the pizza here was entirely forgettable, generously speaking. The cut of red was reminiscent of school cafeteria lunch pizza. The pale crust had a gloopy cheese on top that stuck to the roof of my mouth and was unable to finish more than just a bite. After re-watching The Pizza Show, they use a blend of two types of cheddar and American cheese. This explains the unorthodox flavor. Unfortunately, the cut of white was more of the same with the abysmal cheese.
The Mystery Behind Ghigiarelli’s
Before heading to the next spot, we noticed the closed Ghigiarelli’s directly across the street from Revello’s. First, the name harkens back to the creator of Old Forge style. Eventually, the pizzeria was sold and a man named Robert Baron became the new owner. Ghigiarelli’s had appeared on the Daily Meal’s Top 101 Pizza List back in 2013-2015. This was actually the first time Old Forge popped up on my pizza radar.
As for Robert Baron, January 26, 2017 was a fateful day. He failed to answer his phone and his car was missing. Also, the dough delivery was left at the front door, which was considered unusual. A few days later, his car was found with a large amount of blood inside. Cleaning products and a chemical used to clean blood was found inside the pizzeria. To this day, there have been no leads or further information on his disappearance. Seemingly, a dark cloud hangs over this pizzeria in the form of an ominous white sign offering a $10,000 reward. “Please help find Robert Baron. Someone here knows where he is!!” Hopefully, this mystery will be solved and the family will be able to gain closure in the near future.
Elio G’s
After two below average experiences, fatigue for the Old Forge style began to set in. One more stop was on the list, Elio G’s, located just south from the pizza epicenter of town. After we pulled up in front, we noticed the unique feel of the place. The building looked like a small cottage and a long wooden table with bench seating stood outside. Inside the shop, a husband and wife were busy preparing orders that were scrawled on a white dry-erase board. Each order had a pick-up time and a name to go with the styles of pizzas. The shop’s friendly resident dog strutted out from behind the counter to greet us. Right away, we could sense that this place was different than the first two stops.
Soon after, we were offered cups of homemade red wine as we decided on what to order. Patiently, the couple took the time to ensure the order of a deaf man who was already in the shop. One difference here is that they only offer half and whole trays, no cuts. Since we were already pretty full, we decided to order half a tray of red. The couple could not have been friendlier and explained how they make the dough from scratch. Remember that Ghigiarelli’s received dough deliveries each morning? Speaking of Ghigiarelli’s, the husband is Elio Ghigiarelli (Elio G), who is none other than the grandson of Nonna.
While we waited, we couldn’t help but enjoy the back and forth banter between Elio and his wife, Michelle. They have a certain dynamic between them that is charming, which adds a special element to this humble shop. Their appearance on “The Pizza Show,” is a taste of what you can experience here. We continued to drink more wine as we waited for our pizza. After the dough and sauce are baked together, the pie is taken out of the oven for the cheese to be added. Then, they squirt a generous amount of olive oil on top. Ten minutes later, our pie was ready to go and packed into a small cardboard box. It already looked much better than the first two places, although the cheese is only lightly melted.
After the first bite, two things really stood out about the sauce. One, the sauce had a gentle crunch thanks to thinly sliced onions. Two, the sauce had a heavy black pepper flavor, confirmed by the amount of peppercorns visible. We could taste the difference of the crust here, which was airy and slightly crisp. In spite of these positives, there was still a bit of a strange taste to the cheese. Although we asked what type of cheese they use, it is a guarded secret. We were able to find out that there was some provolone in the mix, but that’s as far as we got. In hindsight, this pizza may taste better with no cheese at all.
The Old Forge Experience
Overall, visiting Old Forge was an interesting experience. It is a far cry from other well-known pizza cities. Although we may not have loved the style, we respect the history and creativity that comes from this small town. Perhaps if raised eating this style of pizza first, this perspective would be entirely different. Maybe the cheese blend is a function of using what they had on hand at the time, or catering to the taste of the locals. Have you visited Old Forge before? What did you think of the pizza scene? We would like to hear your thoughts.
A Bonus Stop 30 Minutes South in Wilkes-Barre
While researching and planning the itinerary for this pizza pilgrimage, another spot came on the radar. As it turned out, there is a pizza scene in Northeast Pennsylvania outside of the Old Forge area. A few favorably rated places popped up on a quick Google search, mostly in Wilkes-Barre. In particular, one pizzeria stood out. Angelo’s Pizzeria looked promising and different in style from Old Forge, so I added it to Google Maps as a potential stop.
Check out our experience at Angelo’s Pizzeria to see how we finished the day in Northeast PA.
http://foodandfootprints.com/angelos-pizzeria-wilkes-barre-pa/
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OLD FORGE PIZZA MAP
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I really appreciate how you weave history into this article. I may not travel for pizza, but I will travel for history! And, bonus, I get great pizza too, haha!
Thank you! The history and culture were better than the pizza itself in this instance
Wow the Pizza Capital of the World is a bold claim! You learn something everyday 🙂 I like the idea of having it as a square well rectangle slice for a change. I wonder how it was with an oniony base.
Very bold! Certainly don’t agree with it, but appreciate that they have their own style and culture behind it. Oniony base was unique, but not particularly my style.
And now I’m craving pizza.
Not surprised! Pizza cravings are easy to spark
I had no idea there were that many different pizza styles, let alone, USA locations that claim they are worthy of fame. I love pizza as much as the next person, but I never thought it would muster such regional pride. Maybe one day we will start ticking the regional styles off a list and find out who really has the best pizza.
Thanks for sharing. Keep travel blogging. Adventure is better shared with friends!
It definitely does! The more pizza I eat and the more I read about it, the more interesting it becomes. Very tough to determine who has the best, another realization through it all!
There sure was a lot of white cheese on the pizza. I never knew about the history of Old Forge or even that show existed called the Pizza Show. I do love regional pizza. We made a point to try Detroit style pizza a little while back. They said the two distinctive features were a square crust (a la Old Forge) and cheese all the way to the edge. I don’t know if I would be a big fan of Old Forge style. It looks a little heavy on the sauce, but still a great story and a great bit of history.
Yeah this pizza wasn’t my style, though it was interesting to learn about it and experience a unique take. Detroit style pizza is EXCELLENT! It has become more popular in NYC and for good reason. Those crispy burnt cheese edges are amazing
Thoroughly enjoyed reading and also, started to feel hungry on learning about your pizza pilgrimage! Its amazing how same thing can be prepared so differently in different parts of the world. Have been reading on pizza and learnt about a cone pizza the other day and also how the size of pizza varies from country to country. And now this one. Think we should also plan a pizza pilgrimage just like this in Old Forge, Pennsylvania.
The Old Forge style was different for sure, but I wouldn’t say to go out of your way for it. We agree that the unique styles of pizza are fascinating and how complex pizza can be!
Such a fun read of history and pizza. It was the first time I even heard of Old Forge and the Pizza Show. I still have to try all the different pizzas in the Northeast!
Thank you! The Pizza Show is excellent and is hosted by a guy who owns an awesome pizzeria in Brooklyn called Best Pizza. Highly recommend checking it out. We know a lot of great pizza in the Northeast, particularly in NYC and Connecticut. Let us know if you are in the area and we would love to show and recommend you some!
Thanks fir the Old Forge Pizza Msp. I would live to have sample cuts of all the best trays!
Our pleasure! It was unique and interesting to sample a bit from each spot
Okay, I am a US citizen and I had no idea there was a Detroit style of pizza!! The Old Forge style sounds interesting. Not sure I would be a huge fan, but that cheese blend did sound good. I know I wouldn’t have liked the white slice. I don’t like really thick types of pizza (which is why I fall in the New York style camp vs the Chicago style camp). I do wish I had known about this when I was in Philadelphia so I could’ve made a side trip and experienced it for myself!
Detroit style pizza is really good! Would love to have it in Detroit proper, but it is now becoming more popular here in NYC. Old Forge isn’t really worth going too far out of your way for, although it is a charming and interesting little town. You would’ve liked the pizza we had just south in Wilkes-Barre, as it was closer to a NYC style pie.
I’m very much into Italian pizza – thin, simple, best products. Would be interesting to sample how Italians make pizza in Pennsylvania – if it tastes the same.
Yes – pizza is amazing! We would like to try more pizza from other parts of Pennsylvania like Philadelphia. Fascinating how even certain parts of certain states make it differently.
Went to summer camp as a camper and a counselor long ago not far from there near Willamsport and paddled on the Susquehanna River which is not too far from Old Forge. And yes, I had the pizza then and from the sound of it, not much has changed — too much cheese, soggy crust, etc. But as you hinted at, the history in the region is amazing!!!
This was great to hear your close connection to the region! Agree completely on the pizza – definitely not my style, but such a great history behind it all. At least they have stayed consistent over the years!
Wow! I am of Italian ancestry and from Northwest Pennsylvania! Although I have heard of Old Forge, I certainly did not know of the pizza heritage here. Back home there is a regional variety called Brier Hill pizza, actually from across the border in Ohio. This was such a fun article to read! Sorry to hear of the sad story involving Mr. Baron, though.
Most of the pizza here looks to me like Sicilian style pizza, indeed. The thick crust and the shape of the pan (rectangular) indicates Sicilian and even Greek style pizza on much of the east coast, proving the point that pizza is a much complex (and tasty) thing to ponder.
Thanks again for such a fun post!
Our pleasure and thanks for reading! Would like to try the Brier Hill pizza variety. Open to trying new styles of pizza at least once. Definitely has a Sicilian style influence and you are totally right – pizza is a very complex and tasty thing! Greek style pizza is interesting too. When done right, it can be quite tasty
I’m from Buffalo, NY, another great pizzeria city, but my mother was from Duryea, Pa. and we also grew up on the original Ghigiarelli’s pizza. Everything said about it was true; we visited every year from the 50’s into the 2010’s and always purchased two or three trays to take home when visiting. I remember Nonna folding boxes in the back room where we picked up the pizza. I didn’t know about Elio G; that he was the grandson of Nonna. Now that I know, we can resume our visits to Old Forge and try Elio’s pizza. It’s nice to know a Ghigiarelli is still making pizza. Robert Baron was a really nice guy and we talked to him the few years he had the original place and supported their Facebook page. I hope that case gets solved, and we look to returning to Old Forge for some really good Ghigiarelli pizza!
Hi John,
Thank you for your comment! Loved hearing your background and about family experiences going to Old Forge. Really enjoy personal stories from locals like you with some history.
Elio was definitely the best of the bunch for us. The vibe and charm of the couple really made for a special experience. So sad about Robert Baron – hope the case gets solved, too. Have looked it up from time to time for updates.
Yes, have heard Buffalo is a great pizza city! Have seen some places from there popping up on the Daily Meal Top 101 Pizza List in the last few years. Definitely on the radar and would like to visit someday, particularly to explore the local food scene.