News: The American pizza capital you've never heard of

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Where to try Old Forge pizza in Pennsylvania

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Most of the Italian restaurants and pizza cafes in Old Forge, Pa. are located in standalone buildings along the town’s Main Street. Julie Jordan

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In 1962, Angelo and Marie Genell partnered with Marie’s brothers, Frank and Anthony Arcaro, to buy Laurenzi’s Restaurant. Arcaro & Genell has been slinging pizzas on Main Street ever since. Now, brothers Mark (left) and Angelo Genell (second from right), sons of Angelo and Marie, own the shop. Angelo’s wife Tracy (second from left) and Angelo’s son, Angelo, Jr. (right), also work at the shop, keeping it all in the family. Julie Jordan

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Arcaro & Genell’s red tray is a thing of beauty: Crunchy-bottomed dough, well-seasoned homemade sauce, and a gooey cheese blend that includes mozzarella and cheddar. Julie Jordan

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A white tray, on the traditional metal baking sheet, goes into the top level of the oven at Arcaro & Genell, featuring the double stuffed crust covered with herbs like rosemary. Julie Jordan

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A traditional white tray at Arcaro & Genell features a folded over crust with filling in the middle. It is perfectly browned on top and oozes cheese. Arcaro & Genell ship their pizzas through Goldbely.com. Julie Jordan

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Cafe Rinaldi has been in the family for generations, serving Italian food based on the great-grandmother Louisa Laurenzi’s recipes, which she brought with her when she emigrated from Perugia, Italy in the early 1900s. Julie Jordan

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A traditional red pizza goes into a shirt box for takeout at Cafe Rinaldi. Julie Jordan

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The white pizza at Cafe Rinaldi has gooey cheese and a browned, herb-covered crust on top. A white tray comes with eight cuts; this is a half tray with four cuts. Julie Jordan

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Revello’s Pizza opened on Main Street in 1967 and is family owned and operated, serving classic Old Forge-style red and white trays, and a white pizza stuffed with broccoli. Julie Jordan

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Revello's displays photos from its history on the wall. The restaurant has used the same recipes since 1967 when it was called Pelosi's, and host celebrities like Ozzy Osborne. Julie Jordan

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Current owners Pat Revello and his mother Delores display a tray in Revello’s dining room. The pizza cafe also ships pizzas worldwide. Julie Jordan

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Co-owner Pat Revello readies a red tray for the oven. The pizza features his mother Delores’ sauce and a secret blend of cheeses. Julie Jordan

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In Old Forge, Pa., it’s common for chefs to use long knives known as machetes to slice a pizza tray into “cuts.” Julie Jordan

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Salerno’s Cafe is a local favorite featuring a popular bar area that’s always full, and a sit-down restaurant area in the back. Just off Main Street, Salerno’s is known for its red and white trays as well as homemade fusilli pasta with meatballs. Julie Jordan

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A tray of red pizza features a light, airy crust that’s loaded with sauce and melted cheese, at Salerno’s. Julie Jordan

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At Salerno’s, the double-crusted white pizza is a favorite among locals. The top crust is adorned with herbs and thin rings of toasted onion. Julie Jordan

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Opened in 2001, Mary Lou’s Pizza is located a few blocks off Main Street. Only takeout is offered (no tables) and it's only open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Is it worth the effort? Absolutely! Susan Estler

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A classic “machete” knife is used to cut the red pizza into squares at Mary Lou’s. courtesy of Mary Lou’s

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A red tray is ready to be boxed up for takeout. Mary Lou’s dough is made in-house from scratch, using a bright, homemade tomato sauce and a blend of cheeses to create one of the tastiest pizzas in Old Forge, Pa. courtesy of Mary Lou’s

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Mary Lou and her grandson, Joe Janesko, greet guests at Mary Lou’s Pizza. courtesy of Mary Lou’s

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Elio G’s Pizza, on South Main Street, offers takeout only and it’s best to call ahead and order. They’ll tell you exactly what time to pick up your steaming tray of freshly cooked homemade pizza. On its red tray, Elio G’s sauce is particularly zesty and onion-y, and its dough is light and crispy. The white tray features loads of herbs and a tangle of thinly sliced onions on the top crust. Save room for an Italian sausage roll. Susan Estler

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Cusumano offers modern Italian food in an upscale environment and has been instrumental in changing the face of Italian cooking in Old Forge, Pa. High-quality ingredients and new twists on family recipes are at the core of the restaurant’s menu. Julie Jordan

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T.J. and Nina Cusumano opened the restaurant in the former Brutico’s space at the very end of 2013. With their combined food industry experience from Brutico’s, Cafe Rinaldi and other places, the restaurant was an instant hit. Julie Jordan

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While Cusumano used to serve traditional Old Forge-style pizza, the restaurant recently started only serving thin crust, brick-oven flatbread pizza with fresh toppings. Julie Jordan

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Back in the day, if a miner ordered a tray of pizza to go, it was put into a shirt box, the perfect size and shape for the rectangular pizzas. Many pizza cafes in Old Forge, Pa. still use shirt boxes for their to-go orders. Julie Jordan

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Pennsylvania really loves its pizza. Julie Jordan

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Arcaro & Genell’s red tray is a thing of beauty: Crunchy-bottomed dough, well-seasoned homemade sauce, and a gooey cheese blend that includes mozzarella and cheddar. (Photo: Julie Jordan)

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When you see the words “Pizza Capital of the World,” where do you think of? Naples, Italy? Brooklyn? Well, according to some, it’s the little town of Old Forge, Pa. (You’re excused for thinking, “huh?”)

While the claim may be self-imposed, Old Forge does have some strong pizza cred. The former mining town of about 8,000 people in Lackawanna County (five miles from Scranton) in Northeast Pennsylvania, has a rich history of coal mining and textile factories, but what it’s most known for these days is its distinct style of pizza. This is not New York-style, Neapolitan or deep dish — or any other style you may have heard of — they have their own type of pizza that is really unique.

Ghigiarelli’s is believed to be where what’s now known as Old Forge pizza originated. It’s said that in 1926, Grandma Ghigiarelli served a rectangular pizza to the miners that used to play cards at the bar she owned with her husband. It was an instant hit. Today, more than a dozen pizza cafes (as they’re called locally) along Main Street serve Old Forge pizza.

Some key qualities define Old Forge pizza. First, a whole pizza is not called a pie but a tray — the pizza is baked on rectangular metal pans, and there are no slices, just cuts.

“Sometimes people call and order a pie and we go, ‘Do you want apple or blueberry?’” jokes Angelo Genell, whose family has owned Arcaro & Genell, one of the town’s most well-known pizza shops, since 1962.

Old Forge pizza has a crust that’s lighter than a typical thick crust, and crispy on the bottom with a chewy center. There are two types of Old Forge pizza: red and white. On a red, the sauce is on the sweeter side, and sometimes has diced onions. It’s topped with a blend of cheeses that may include mozzarella, American and cheddar, depending on the restaurant. A white pizza is stuffed, with a layer of dough on top and bottom. The top layer is usually covered in herbs and sometimes thin slices of onion. Inside, there’s no sauce, just a ton of cheese and any other fillings you choose, like spinach or broccoli.

With so many places to get pizza you’d think the cafes would be competitive. Not so.

“All the places make really good pizza,” says Genell. “You’ll have people buy pizza on Friday from one person, on Saturday from somebody else, and on Tuesday from somebody else. There’s not a bad pizza in Old Forge.”

Get a sneak peek inside some of Old Forge’s best pizza cafes in the gallery above, and celebrate more of the country's pizza capitals below.

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America's pizza capitals

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Chicago is famous for deep dish pizza, and Lou Malnati's is famous for its version made by hand from scratch. courtesy of Lou Malnati's

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Lou and Jean Malnati opened the iconic pizzeria in Chicago suburb Lincolnwood in 1971. Today, there are close to 50 Chicagoland locations, such as Gold Coast, pictured. courtesy of Lou Malnati's

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Giordano's is also famous for Chicago deep-dish and has grown to more than 50 Chicagoland locations, plus outposts in seven states. courtesy of Giordano's

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A family recipe from Torino, Italy, Giordano's pizzas are stuffed with cheese and feature double crusts. courtesy of Giordano's

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Opened in 1975, family-run Joe's Pizza is a Greenwich Village landmark, and now has three New York City locations. courtesy of Famous Joe's Pizza, Inc

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Joe's serves New York City's trademark floppy, oily slice. courtesy of Famous Joe's Pizza, Inc

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Di Fara Pizza began defining Brooklyn pizza in 1965. Larry Olmsted, for USA TODAY

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Another classic slice joint, Dom De Marco imports ingredients from Italy at Di Fara. Larry Olmsted for USA TODAY

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Visitors to New York pilgrimage across the Brooklyn Bridge to wait in line for Grimaldi's pizza. Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY

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Not a slice joint, Grimaldi's only offers whole pizzas (small or large) from a coal-fired brick oven. USA TODAY

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The chain now has four New York City area locations and franchises in more than a dozen states. Grimaldi's

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Opened in 1905 in New York City's Little Italy neighborhood, Lombardi's is a historic landmark: America's first pizzeria. Ashley Day, USA TODAY

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Lombardi's is known for its coal-fired brick oven pizza made with San Marzano tomato sauce, and fresh mozzarella and basil. The pizza is sold by the pie in small and large sizes, margherita or white, with a variety of toppings available. Ashley Day, USA TODAY

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Detroit's famous pizza is square, has a thick, oily crust, and the sauce comes on top of the cheese. Jerry Zolynsky, courtesy of Buddy's Pizza

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Buddy's Pizza invented the Detroit-style pie in 1946 and is still a local favorite. courtesy of Buddy's Pizza

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Imo's Pizza is known for introducing delivery pizza to St. Louis where there is a distinct local style. The restaurant has grown to nearly 100 locations since it opened in 1964. Imo's Pizza

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St. Louis pizza is known for a thin crust, on which ingredients come all the way to the edge, and square-cut pieces. Imo's uses Provel cheese (a processed combination of cheeses that's popular in the city), pictured here with Deluxe toppings: bacon, green pepper, mushroom, onion and sausage. Imo's Pizza

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Providence, R.I. lays claim to its own pizza, which is grilled with a thin crust. Al Forno

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Italian-American restaurant Al Forno, opened in 1980, is believed to have introduced this style of pizza in Providence, R.I. Al Forno

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Al Forno's grilled pizzas feature pomodoro, fresh herbs and two cheeses. Emily Saladino

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Established in 1925, Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana is a famous spot for New Haven-style pizza in Connecticut. Larry Olmsted, for USA TODAY

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The signature White Clam Pizza was introduced in the 1960s and has become a trademark of the town. Frank Pepe's pizzas are coal-fired, and the eatery has expanded to nine locations. courtesy of Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana

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Buffalo, N.Y. has its own style of pizza which originated at Bocce Club Pizza. Larry Olmsted, for USA TODAY

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The thick, curled up and crisped style of pepperoni is called "cup and char". Larry Olmsted, for USA TODAY

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Buffalo-style pizza has a medium-thick crust, comes in whole or half pies, and is cut in long strips. Larry Olmsted, for USA TODAY

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Phoenix's Pizzeria Bianco has put the city on the pizza map with wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas boasting fresh, quality ingredients. Larry Olmsted, for USA TODAY

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One of six signature pizzas on the menu at Pizzeria Bianco is Biancoverde, a white pizza topped with fresh mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano, ricotta and arugula grown for the restaurant. Larry Olmsted for USA TODAY

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Lou Malnati's Pizzeria opened its first Phoenix location in 2016. David Wallace, The Republic

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Old Forge, Pa. has a pizza style of its own, which entails a rectangular pizza cut into squares with a blend of cheeses and a chewy crust with a crispy bottom. The pizzas are called trays, the pizzerias called pizza cafes, and options are red (pictured here at Cafe Rinaldi) or white. Julie Jordan

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Old Forge's white pizza (pictured here at Arcaro & Genell) is stuffed, with a layer of dough on top and bottom. The top layer is usually covered in herbs and sometimes thin slices of onion. Inside, there’s no sauce, just a ton of cheese and any other fillings you choose. Julie Jordan

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