Old Forge, the (self) proclaimed “Pizza Capital of the World,” is a place I’ve wanted to visit for nearly a decade. It’s been on my list since I first heard about the pizza in 2004 and I finally visited Old Forge and stopped at Revello’s Pizza (voted one of the best in town) for a taste.
a tray of original
For credentials on pizza, I grew up on Long Island and now I live in New York City. I have access to some of the best pizza in the state, if not the world. I traveled to Chicago more than a few times and I love a good deep dish too. I even sampled some pizza from the old country – Italy. I am not a novice on pizza.
So, I had to taste pizza from Old Forge, Pennsylvania – the (self-proclaimed) pizza capital of the world, right? Now, I have.
When I drove into Old Forge I thought I’d see a neighborhood, or at least a street, that resembled New York City’s, “Little Italy (although that is not where the best pizza in NYC is) or at least a few blocks with pizza shop after pizza shop competing against each other for the best slice and your business. I didn’t see that, but I did find Revello’s Pizza. Some people love it, but to be honest, I didn’t. Not at all. Here’s what I thought.
I’m not going to sugar coat it, it wasn’t good. Terrible, really. In fact I think they put sugar in their sauce, but the sauce wasn’t my issue, it was the cheese I really didn’t enjoy. The first bite seemed to stick to my teeth like an adhesive. The pizza wasn’t good. I wasn’t a fan. I almost wanted to ask them to take down the sign, “pizza capital of the world.”
heading to a volunteer firehouse in Lake Wallenpaupack I ordered one to go. They ate it.
My order? I ordered the regular square, I went with the original. I thought it was like going to a Thai restaurant and getting Pad Thai. Maybe it wasn’t the most the adventurous thing but it’s basic, something they should do well.
the sign... pizza capital of the world... well, not my world.
I posted an image on instagram and my friend and fellow blogger, Runaway Juno, disagreed. After a debate, she told me I needed to order the white pizza. She’s a world traveler, so I trusted her opinion; maybe I had missed something. OK, since it is the capital, I’d give it another chance.
Later that month, while at a triple-A baseball game in Scranton/Wilkes-barre on “Thirsty Thursday” (dollar drafts) and after a majestic sunset at PNC Field – so you know I was feeling good – I noticed a Revello’s Pizza at the stadium.
I ordered two squares of the white pizza. $6.50, Yikes! I paid it though; this was my chance. I chatted with the cashier and told her I was excited to try the white pizza. She replied that it was great, that unlike the other slices, the white had a bit of rosemary in it. When the squares arrived I noticed the crust on top seemed harder than the bottom with gooey cheese in the middle. A good start. Maybe the cheese-crust pizza was born here?
Well, I did it. I tasted it and… well… It’s not my capital of the pizza world. Sorry.
I tried the White, still nothing.
However, looking back, Revello’s, is trendy in an offbeat way and it’s certainly old-school. The pizza is served on plastic trays and I did enjoy the relatively reasonably priced pitchers of beer. There is a bit of history and tradition in the place that makes it special, just wish it offered better pizza. But I might be alone in my beliefs… If you have been, let me know your thoughts… How was your experience at Revello’s, or even in Old Forge, PA – the pizza capital of the world?
Stay culinary curious, Craig.
