I hope your year is off to a good start. Fun fact: 2026 marks my 50th year of eating pizza, according to my calculations. I need to figure out an appropriate way to mark such a milestone.

We continue to pick up new subscribers each day, so thank you to everyone for joining this community of Pennsylvania pizza lovers. We’d love it if you would be so kind as to spread the good word about Pizzavania among all your pizza-loving friends.

I’ve visited a few new (to me) pizza spots over the past couple of weeks that you should be reading about here in the not-too-distant future. I’m always on the lookout for new pies to try. Keep those recommendations coming!

Chef and owner Taylor Mason prepares dough at Pizzeria Luca in Lancaster. (Pizzeria Luca)

Pizzeria Luca in Lancaster is the kind of spot where both pizza snobs and those who are fine with a large plain can feel seen. Such is the standard of quality and variety at this pizzeria from husband and wife Taylor and Leann Mason, who also own the crosstown farm-to-table Italian spot Luca.

While the pies have a Neapolitan appearance, they definitely have more snap to the crust, something Taylor Mason attributes to the restaurant’s 48-to-72-hour dough fermentation period.

“I wouldn’t call it Neapolitan, I’d call it artisanal pizza,” said Mason. “That word has kind of had its moment, but I do think it defines what we do. For us it’s about the dough fermentation—it lets it develop flavor and texture.” 

In addition to serving great pizza, Pizzeria Luca also serves the community through its Pizza With a Purpose program, where each month, 10% of the sales from a select pizza is donated to a local charity.

For our poll question in the last edition of Pizzavania, we asked you to tell us about the best pizzas you ate in 2025. Here are some of your responses (we’ve compiled more of your responses in this story):

“Sausage and pineapple with extra sauce at Massimo’s in Blandon.”

— Curtis B.

“I ate a lot of good pizza at Antica Napoli in Gettysburg last year. But honestly, if all they made was their plain Sicilian cheese pizza I’d keep coming back for more!”

— Robert P.

“Delorenzo’s the Burg in Levittown. Their tomato pies are delicious, thin crust with a slight char.”

— Ken

“Johnny’s Pizza in Bryn Mawr, when I actually remembered to order early in the afternoon.”

— Patrick

For our latest poll question, we’re talking hot honey, the now ubiquitous pizza topping that we have Mike Kurtz (the man behind Mike’s Hot Honey) to thank for. We’d like to know…

If it’s an option, I’m usually going for it on a red pie. Haven’t tried it on a white pie yet.

Let us know where you stand on hot honey, and we’ll run the poll results in our next edition.

Hope Cook inside Mapa’s Boli at the Old Tollgate Village in York. (USA Today via Reuters Connect)

As a passionate home cook, Hope Cook of York County spent years pleasing the palates of her picky sons with favorites like pizza and stromboli.

“Trying to feed four teenage boys—pizza’s not cheap—so I had to learn how to make these things because it’s all the kids ate,” Cook said.

Hope turned that passion into a pizzeria. In November, Cook opened the York pizzeria Mapa’s Boli, next to In Bloom Hair Studio, owned by her wife, Jackie.

Her pizzas feature premium Bacio cheese and a signature Asiago-rimmed crust. Specialty flavors include the Philly Hoagie, Mushroom Pizza, and Devil’s Pie topped with ham and charred pineapple. The menu also offers classic Italian stromboli, a bacon cheeseburger stromboli, cauliflower crust pizzas, double-baked wings and more.

The floor is yours, Pizzavania readers. Tell us about the pizzerias that you love:

“Disalla’s Pizza in Munhall. Family owned since 1954. This pizza is AMAZING. The crust is light and airy, crunchy, the sauce is full-bodied and so tasteful and the cheese—melted everywhere! I’ve been eating it since it was 6 cents a slice, MANY years ago.”

— Ann Marie Scahill

“Palermo’s Pizza in Lansdale. Their Sicilian Pizza is the best.”

— John

“Rosalie’s Grill in Chambersburg for fantastic brick oven thin crust pizza. They also serve the thick crust style which is good.”

— Teresa

“Falbo’s in Latrobe!”

— Lee Ann Smith

“Two favorite pizzerias in Pittsburgh: Vincent’s Pizza Park and Beto’s Pizza. We have been eating Beto’s since we were in high school. Great pizza!”

— Gloria

“Try Berardi Bros. Pizzeria in Feasterville. It’s delicious!”

— D.W.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Patrick Berkery with content from USA Today via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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