I have a favor to ask: If you ever hear me complaining about my job, please bash me over the head with a pizza peel and then remind me of the wonderful day I spent at Ferri’s Pizza learning the history behind the 90-year-old NEPA pizzeria and trying their signature potato pizza. It was the most enjoyable assignment I’ve had in the brief history of Pizzavania. You can read all about it below.

Speaking of potato pizza, as we’re in the heart of the Lenten season, it’s a good time to take a look at the story behind the NEPA favorite known as pagach pizza.

During Lent, pizzerias throughout the region (and other parts of Pennsylvania, particularly in the southwestern part of the state) make pizzas based on pagach, a traditional, meatless Eastern European dish featuring dough topped with mashed potatoes, cheese, onions, and fried cabbage. Though commonly associated with the Lenten season, the filling dish was a year-round staple for families who lived and worked in Pennsylvania’s anthracite coal region, and remains so today. 

Want to learn more about pagach pizza, including some of the best spots for it in NEPA? You’ve come to the right place.

Your response to our last poll question—How do you feel about American cheese on pizza?—was an overwhelming thumbs down. I mean really overwhelming. Some 97% of you said NO to American cheese on pizza. 

Guess we won’t be seeing many of you eating Altoona-style pizza anytime soon.

With all this talk about pagach/potato pizza, I think you can see where this week’s poll question is headed:

Having just sampled it for the first time at Ferri’s, I will say that if the idea of a potato pizza sets off visions of a carb bomb going off in your stomach, don’t knock it until you try it—just try it in moderation. I put back three slices in one sitting and managed to walk out under my own power.

Tell us how you feel about mashed potatoes on pizza, and we’ll run the poll results in our next edition.

A tray of the potato pizza at Ferri’s Pizza in Moscow. (Ferri’s Pizza)

There are several reasons why Ferri’s Pizza in Moscow, Lackawanna County, is one of the most historic and unique pizzerias anywhere, not just in Pa.

Italian immigrant Gaetano Ferri first opened the shop in Old Forge in 1936. A coal miner by day, Ferri operated the shop in the evenings, and it is widely recognized as the first dedicated pizzeria to open in “The Pizza Capital of the World,” as opposed to a tavern that also served pizza.

Ferri’s holds the distinction of being “The area’s only anthracite coal mine theme pizza shop,” as their pizza box proclaims. Third-generation owner Bill Ferri had a keen interest in the history of the region’s anthracite coal mines his grandfather worked in and would crawl into abandoned mines to collect artifacts. Those historic items are exhibited throughout the shop, headlined by a replica of an abandoned coal mine at the entrance.

Ferri’s is also considered the home of the aforementioned potato pizza. Bill Ferri, who died in 2024, served up the first potato pie in 1985, upon request from a customer. Forty-plus years later, the shop has become a go-to spot in NEPA for those looking to get their potato pizza fix during Lent.

🍕 The Fishtown location of Vince’s Pizzeria, a longtime Northeast Philly fave that first opened in 1946, is closing after five years in the neighborhood. The last day is next Friday, March 20. If you’ve never had Vince’s, it’s good stuff. Get in there while you can. More info here.

🍕 Angelo’s Pizzeria is expanding deeper into South Philly. They’re setting up shop at Federal Donuts’ location at Swanson & Wolf streets, where they’ll operate a production hub with delivery, takeout, and limited seating. Michael Klein at the Inquirer has the story. (Paywall)

🍕 Lancaster native Joe Beddia of Pizzeria Beddia in Fishtown is partnering with a UK-based hospitality group to bring his award-winning pizza to a London restaurant called Bar Etna. Learn more about it from Broadsheet. 

🍕 Beloved Old Forge spot Ghigiarelli’s has announced that they plan to reopen. The shop has been closed since the 2017 murder of owner Robert Baron during a robbery at the business. Learn more from FOX56.

Your turn to tell us about the Pa. pizzerias that you love!: 

“D’Arc’s n Windber. It was worth my trip from Philadelphia!”

— Denis

“Giovanni’s and Sons Pizzeria in Royersford for an Old Forge style pie. Johnny’s Pizza in Bryn Mawr and Wayne for a great round pie.” (Ed. note: Totally with you on Johnny’s.)

— Jeff

“Switchback Pizza Company in Emmaus is a favorite spot for our family. They do a tremendous Neapolitan pie AND they have their own frozen pizza that’s really great!”

— Jayne M.

“Finally made the drive to Old Forge. Sampled a few places with some pizza-loving pals. Consensus: Revello’s was the best of the bunch. I’m still walking off that trip. LOL!”

— Ted Rice

You can find plenty more reader recommendations in this story.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Patrick Berkery. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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