And just like that, summer’s almost over, and school’s about to be back in session (if it’s not already in your area).

I raced home from school many a day hoping to find a Stouffer’s French Bread Pizza in the freezer to stave off hunger until dinnertime. As luck would have it, we had a family friend who worked for Stouffer’s, so we were usually pretty well-stocked. We even had—I kid you not—a Stouffer’s French Bread Pizza pool float.

Why am I taking this trip down frozen pizza memory lane? Because in this edition of Pizzavania, you’re going to learn about a company that makes an incredible frozen pizza—and they’re based right here in Pennsylvania!

Before we get to that… a friendly reminder to let all your pizza-loving friends know about this newsletter. And, if you’re on Instagram, please ♥️ and share our content, like our recent videos on Bethlehem’s plant-based pizzeria, Paranormal Pizza, and the best pizzas I’ve had so far in 2026.

You’re all the best! I mean it!

I was about to head to the Jersey Shore for a little R&R before our last edition, so I posed a simple vacation-themed question that many Pennsylvanians can relate to: Shore or Poconos?

The shore won big, 67% to 37% over the Poconos (another friendly reminder: check out our guide to the best pizza at the Jersey Shore and in the Poconos).

For this week’s poll, let’s lean into this frozen pizza theme while stepping into the Wayback Machine. It’s 1983, you just got home from school, and you’re starving. You’ve got two kinds of frozen pizza in the freezer to choose from: Stouffer’s French Bread Pizza or Ellio’s.

This is an easy one for me: Stouffer’s, all day long.

Who ya got, Stouffer’s or Ellio’s? Make your choice, and we’ll run the results in the next edition of Pizzavania.

Montgomery County-based Pizza Freak is changing the frozen pizza game with its high-quality, Detroit-style-inspired pies, like the one pictured above. (Pizza Freak)

Frozen pizza has been a staple of household freezers for decades, and with good reason. Whether you’ve got hangry kids on your hands in the middle of the day, no time or energy to make dinner, or you’re in dire need of a fourth meal after a night of revelry, having a DiGiorno or Newman’s Own tucked away in the freezer comes in handy.

But even the top-tier frozen pizzas don’t come anywhere close to matching the quality of the freshly made pies from your favorite pizzeria. It’s strictly a ‘Meh, this’ll do’ meal. In this day and age, can’t someone do better than the bland frozen pies that have been clogging up supermarket frozen food aisles forever? 

Enter Pizza Freak, a Montgomery County-based frozen pizza maker specializing in Detroit-style-inspired pies with light and airy crusts that don’t taste anything at all like something that was just sitting in your freezer beneath a family-sized bag of frozen peas. That’s thanks to a three-day dough fermentation process, high-quality ingredients, and a proprietary baking process that allows the pie to get crispy all the way around.

Simply put, it’s the best frozen pizza I’ve ever had. Learn all about your new favorite frozen pizza in this story.

The (flour- and corn-meal-dusted) floor is yours, dear Pizzavania readers. Time to tell us about your favorite pizzerias. Go!

“Been loving Eda’s Pizzeria in Roxborough. Best pizza by far in the East Falls/Roxborough/Manayunk area of Philly.” — Terri G.

“We recently visited the Potter County town of Galeton and at a Kwik Fill gas station, just by chance, went in for pizza because the pizza shop across the street was closed. Just stepping into the place, the aroma of pizza made you want one. We got a pepperoni pizza and one with just cheese. The boxes said Pudgie’s Pizza and oh, what a pleasant surprise! They were nothing fancy and I don’t even know what other kinds they offer, but they were unexpectedly amazing! I would definitely go again.” — Roger. G. (Ed. note: Pudgie’s is a small, regional chain with locations in New York State’s “Southern Tier” and northern Pa.) 

“Our family loves getting pizza from Pizza al Bacio in York. We go there pretty much every Friday–pizza night in our house!” — Mary Herndon

“Absolutely the best-kept pizza secret in western Pa. is Mama Randazzo’s in Altoona. I stumbled upon it a couple of years ago travelling through town for work. I always make it a point to swing by whenever I’m in town.” — Bruce Dibelcki

“My wife and I are strongly considering going vegan (for both ethical and health reasons) so your story on Paranormal Pizza in Bethlehem inspired us to go there. Wow! I was knocked out at how good their pizza and wings were. We’ll definitely be back, even if we don’t go all the way vegan.” — Rich Z.

**Looking for more reader recommendations? We’ve got them right here.

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

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