01/29/2026
Did You Know?
Old Forge pizza traces its roots to a small mining town of about 8,000 people in northeastern Pennsylvania, near Scranton and Wilkes-Barre — a place that proudly calls itself the “Pizza Capital of the World.”
This unique pizza style began in the 1920s at Ghigiarelli’s Pizza, run by Filomena “Grandma” Ghigiarelli, who baked pizza in large metal pans to feed hungry coal miners quickly and affordably. That pan-baked method created a crust that’s doughier and chewier in the middle, with a crisp bottom — a signature of Old Forge pizza to this day.
Locals even have their own pizza vocabulary: a whole pizza is called a tray, and pieces are cuts, not slices.
The classic version is known as “red,” topped with a slightly sweet tomato sauce and a special blend of cheeses that often includes American or Cooper Sharp. Another popular style is “white,” made with a top and bottom crust stuffed with cheese, herbs, and spices.
With about a dozen pizza shops clustered along Main Street — each guarding its own secret recipe — Old Forge pizza isn’t just food…
it’s a Pennsylvania-born tradition baked into the culture of coal country.
