To those who celebrate, happy early Valentine’s Day. If you’ve ever wanted to try a heart-shaped pizza, now is a good time.

No matter where you are in the commonwealth, there’s a pizzeria near you serving up heart-shaped pies. Here are some spots where you can find them:

♥️ Alfredo’s Cafe in Scranton 

♥️ Alta Pizzeria & Pasta House in Hazleton

♥️ Caliente Pizza in Pittsburgh

♥️ Pizzeria Luca in Lancaster

♥️ Romeo’s Pizzeria in Indiana

♥️ Santucci’s Original Square Pizza in Philadelphia

And since we’re on the cusp of V-Day, I’d like to show some love to our new subscribers! Thanks for joining our little Pennsylvania pizza community.

Thanks also to those who continue to spread the word about Pizzavania among their pizza-loving friends.

And a quick reminder to keep your pizza recommendations coming! I’m always looking for my next favorite pizza.

Speaking of pizza and Valentine’s Day, we asked you in our last edition whether or not pizza was a suitable meal for Valentine’s Day. Just as I anticipated, an overwhelming number of those who responded answered YES—73%, to be precise.

This week’s poll question is a callback to our story about Philadelphia’s CJ & D’s Trenton Tomato Pies, who have been winning the hearts and stomachs of Philly pizza enthusiasts with their take on a Central Jersey staple you don’t really find in many other places: the mustard pie. (Watch this video to see how they make it.)

We’d like to know:

For the uninitiated, the idea of mustard-based pizza seems odd at first. But trust me: the mix of Gulden’s spicy brown mustard and pizza sauce works, big time. 

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

Sabatini’s Pizza in Exeter, not long after it opened in 1958. (Contributed).

I recently texted my buddy Justin, a NEPA native, for his opinion on Sabatini’s Pizza before I headed up there to get the story on the local institution from third-generation owner Lindo Sabatini.

Justin’s response: ‘My all-time personal favorite in NEPA. (My wife’s) as well.’

After eating there, I can see why.

From the pickle pizza (which sounds as strange as a mustard pie but is just as satisfying) and the diced pepperoni pie—both on a light, cracker-like crust—to the wide selection of draft beers at Sabatini’s full-service bottle shop and bar next door, the Exeter pizzeria that opened in 1958 did not disappoint. 

Nor did Lindo’s story about the origins of the pickle pizza, which you can read below. (Spoiler alert: adult beverages were involved.)

🍕 I love reading Jason Nark’s pieces in the Philadelphia Inquirer, as he travels far beyond the city limits to cover some of Pennsylvania’s more interesting people and places. He recently traveled to Tunkhannock (Wyoming County) to visit what is believed to be Pa.’s lone “classic” (red plastic cups, branded lampshades dangling from the ceiling, red, angled roof) Pizza Hut location. Read the story here.

🍕 Head’s up for pizza enthusiasts in the Lehigh Valley: a pair of self-described “pizza nerds” recently launched an online pizza pop-up called the Allentown Pizza Project. You can sign up for their drop list here to find out when they’re making pies and grab first dibs.

🍕 Next to prime time curling, the thing I’ve enjoyed most about NBC’s coverage of the Winter Games in Italy has been Stanley Tucci’s La Tucci Vita segments, where he highlights Northern Italian cuisine, like the Milan-style deep-fried pizza. (Do not watch this if you haven’t eaten yet.)

The new Pizza Bianca from Trader Joe’s. (Patrick Berkery/The Keystone)

I’m not at all above a frozen pizza in certain situations, like after a night of revelry, when that fourth meal seems like a perfectly reasonable idea.

Problem is, at best, most frozen pizza falls into the ‘Meh, this’ll do… ’ category, 

So when I saw several Trader Joe’s-focused influencers (yes, such a sub-genre exists) raving over a new TJ’s white pie called the Pizza Bianca, I figured I’d give it a shot.

I’ll cut right to the chase: it’s one of the best frozen pizzas I’ve ever had. It’s a layer of Parmesan cheese sauce topped with a blend of mozzarella, Parmesan, onion, and rosemary, over a Neapolitan-style crust.

As per the instructions, I baked at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, though I used my pizza steel, which probably gave the crust a little more snap than a baking sheet would, though it was still plenty chewy. The smell of rosemary—never a bad thing—hits you the second you pull it from the oven. And the creaminess of the sauce and cheeses, the sweetness of the onions, and the slight bitterness of the rosemary pop in every bite. I had it for dinner, and it left me feeling plenty full. 

This is the freezer-staple white pizza you’ve been waiting for.

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

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