No sooner had I hit “publish” on my 5 weekend getaways for Pennsylvania pizza lovers story a couple of weeks back when I found myself in New York’s Catskills region, where a friend introduced me to Auggie’s Tiny Pizza Kitchen at Ralph’s Bar & Bowling at Urban Cowboy.

This is absolutely the kind of pizza you build a road trip around: Incredibly flavorful charred and chewy Neapolitan-style pies in a beautiful setting—and you can bring your dog. (And you can bowl!)

Along with my wife and our friend, we put back four pies (don’t judge us!), with the best of the bunch being a speck, pickled peach, chives, corn, red onion, and basil situation. It was truly unbelievable. I posted photos of all four very Instagrammable pies so you could see this pizza perfection for yourself. Extremely, highly recommended.   

Friendly reminder! Don’t forget to urge all your pizza-loving friends to subscribe to Pizzavania! Thanks to you, our little community of Pennsylvania pizza lovers continues to grow!

Last time around we wanted to know: What pizza topping do you consider to be the ultimate dealbreaker?

Like me, many of you give a big thumbs down to ranch. It was the top dealbreaker topping with 20% of the vote. But it wasn’t a runaway winner. Some 19% of you said olives were a dealbreaker, followed by pineapple and any form of seafood (tied with 17% each), corn (15%), and potatoes (12%).

This edition’s poll question is for my fellow Philadelphia sports fans. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but LeBron James has signed with the 76ers. Imagine this scenario, if you will:

This one’s a layup for me. Given LeBron’s love of wine, we’re going to Beddia, which always has an impressive selection of wines. The pizza is fairly amazing as well. 

Where are you taking LeBron for pizza in Philly? Make your selection and we’ll run the results in the next edition.

Twin brothers Marc, left, and Joey, right, Kubushefski left their jobs at Mack Trucks in Macungie to open Paranormal Pizza in Bethlehem in 2022. (Contributed)

A few years back, I accepted a vegan friend’s invitation to lunch at Philadelphia’s plant-based 20th Street Pizza. I entered as a skeptic. Two slices later, I was a true believer that this stuff with non-dairy cheese and pepperoni made from seitan could hang with the genuine article. I think the first words out of my mouth after a few bites were, “Holy f***, this s*** is excellent.”

The pizza at Bethlehem’s Paranormal Pizza, the first and only plant-based pizzeria in the Lehigh Valley, hit me similarly.

Marc Kubushefski, who owns Paranormal with his twin brother, Joey, said he’s heard similar feedback from other non-vegan eaters like myself who are surprised by how much his shop’s plant-based pizzas taste like “real” pizza. 

“We’ve had customers who aren’t vegan try it, and tell us how they can’t believe how good it is,” said Kubushefski. “At the end of the day, we’re just trying to make really good pizza that happens to be vegan. We consider ourselves a traditional pizzeria.” 

We’ve got the story on Paranormal Pizza below, from the brothers’ path to plant-based pizza, to how their loyal customers came to their support following a fire that knocked them out of business for nearly three years.

🍕 Guess who’s back in circulation? Delco pizza institution Pica’s. After closing in Upper Darby earlier this year, they just opened their new spot in Broomall called Pica’s Italian Market. The takeout-focused shop features pizzas, salads, sandwiches, and desserts. Check out the website here.

🍕 The Hot Spot Pizza Shop opens Saturday in Tatamy, Northampton County with giveaways and specials. Check them out online here.

🍕 In Phoenixville, Bluebird Distilling, now known as Bluebird Distilling & Dough House, has revamped its operation to include a pizzeria serving up Neapolitan-style pies. Get the story from PhillyVoice.

🍕 The Brazen Bull Pizza Co., which specializes in Roman-style pies, is now open at Southern Market in Lancaster, taking over the space formerly occupied by Pizzeria 211, which is set to open a standalone spot in the city. Check out Brazen Bull on Instagram.

The floor is yours, Pizzavania readers. Tell us about your favorite pizzerias!

“The best thing about my son starting at Penn State last year (aside from being able to turn his bedroom into my home office) was discovering Fresh Bite Pizza in State College. Love their round pies, their Detroit pies, and they have great wings too.”

— Paul Terrico

“We’re lucky to have Lucatelli’s here in Doylestown. Their burrata and pepperoni grandma pie is the best! Our family gets it once a week.”

— Abigail T. 

“I have you to thank for turning me on to Affinito in Emmaus. It’s on my way home from work so I’ve been making a habit of stopping on Fridays on my way home. It’s some of the best pizza I’ve ever had.”

— R.J.

“You need to check out the Honey Bear pizza at Perry’s Pizza in Erie. It’s got some kind of roasted pepper and honey sauce, and a blend of white cheddar and mozzarella. Incredible! Delicious! Check it out!”

— Rob Frish (Ed. note: Philly to Erie is a haul, but I’m working on it. Stay tuned.)

“Check out Nonna Ilva in Carlisle. You will not be disappointed!”

— Janet

**You can find plenty more reader recommendations right here.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Patrick Berkery. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

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