Old Forge Pizza/Ghigiarelli's/Salerno's

My mom lives like 2 blocks from the Fort Cafe!! and only a mile or so from Victory Pig Pizza.
My maternal grandfather owned Meyer's Jeweler's on the Square for many years, and he also owned the Wilkes Barre Barons for a while, WJ! and my dad owned a window cleaning business with an office on the square for many years. It's too bad the way that neighborhood has become; I don't blame you for being leery.
Beth

The Fort Cafe has been COMPLETELY remodeled (looks nice!) and has reopened with new owners. They serve PIZZA...nothing else except for free fresh popped popcorn. They use a brick oven and sometimes you'll wait 30 minutes or even more. Pizza is still pretty close to the original. I think it's quite good hot, but lacking a little something the next day, cold. Get the large 18 cut pie/tray---OK, it's really more oval. It's nearly impossible to fit that box in any refrigerator...and we're always amused by the "middle cuts" with no crust! I believe the Fort is only open Thursday to Sunday. Seems to be busy, and I hope it works out for them.

Joe---I haven't had that kind of bad luck in Wilkes-Barre, but your sentiments are pretty common. Beth---There was actually a very violent crime just down from Vic-Mar's a few months back. I haven't heard they are closing, but that place is an NEPA institution!

WJ---Here are the HOME weekend for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees through the rest of the season.

Fr Sa Su 8/8, 9 and 10

Fr 8/15 only

Fr Sa Su 8/22, 23 and 24

If those dates don't work out, you could consider the week of the Bloomsburg Fair---September 20-27. It's about an hour a way and certainly worthwhile.

Stan, Thank for the report on the Fort cafe. I was part of the remodeling project(windows) but I have not been there yet. Glad to here the pizza is good. Joe

When I lived in Forty Fort, back in the late '80s, me and Mrs Mosca (whom I hadn't won yet) used to get Fort Cafe pizza with garlic... that's right, slivered garlic cloves baked on top.

That made for some romantic evenings, for sure!

Mosca---very funny!

A favorite of mine is pasta with oil and garlic. I will only order it when the Mrs. is on travel.

buffetbuster made a good suggestion about trying other Old Forge places and adding to this thread.

I got a chance to stop at salerno's the other evening, http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=1682

Salerno's has a great menu compared to most Old Forge places. Steaks, seafood, sandwiches and nightly specials. but I always go for the authentic Old Forge cuisine. Tripe, sofritto, and pasta. I have to be honest, Salerno's pizza is not even on my radar screen.

We ordered 6 cuts of red. The crust was an undercooked shell that was puffy, soft and chewy. The sauce was very tasty but the cheese blend was pretty bland. Ghigiarelli's wins this one hands down.

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Next up was a dish of sofritto(see description above). Salerno's is cubed very small and seasoned to perfection. That extra little bit of rosemary gave Salerno's the win on this dish. But both were excellent and true Old Forge Cuisine.

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Now the reason why everyone should go to salerno's, the Fusilli. Each piece of pasta is hand rolled then curled on a thin wire. Very labor intensive. The sauce was very tasty with a hint of sausage. You will pay $12.50 for this dish, but it is well worth it. This should be on every Roadfooders "Bucket List".

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Sorry about the blurry pics. The lighting was horrible. I tried with and without flash and these are the best I got.[/img]

Wow!! Wow!! and double WOW!!!!

I just stumbled across this site and am about to eat my arm off! I've been going to Old Forge for pizza for years and never once had Sofritto (that will change this weekend). Arcaro & Genell's is still my favorite for dinner & white pizza, and we're fans of the white risotto at Cafe Rinaldi and the red pizza at Ghigarelli's.
Pizza Perfect in Dallas is the best for fried sicilian pizza, with Pizza Loven close behind.
We still go to the Lincoln Inn in Dupont for homemade pasta, and recently discovered Ragnacci's Rest. in Dunmore for reasonable and good Italian dishes.
Great forum. I've got to go now and eat something!

quote:

Originally posted by TomAnn

I just stumbled across this site and am about to eat my arm off! I've been going to Old Forge for pizza for years and never once had Sofritto (that will change this weekend). Arcaro & Genell's is still my favorite for dinner & white pizza, and we're fans of the white risotto at Cafe Rinaldi and the red pizza at Ghigarelli's.
Pizza Perfect in Dallas is the best for fried sicilian pizza, with Pizza Loven close behind.
We still go to the Lincoln Inn in Dupont for homemade pasta, and recently discovered Ragnacci's Rest. in Dunmore for reasonable and good Italian dishes.
Great forum. I've got to go now and eat something!

TomAnn, Welcome to Roadfood. We could never have enough Pittston People!

Stick around and you'll never have a bad meal again.

Joe, that's some great looking food at Ghigiarelli's and very inexpensive prices. You sure that's not Don Corleone's house?

quote:

Originally posted by John A

Joe, that's some great looking food at Ghigiarelli's and very inexpensive prices. You sure that's not Don Corleone's house?

That would be across the street, about half a block up. No kidding.

Dearfolk,
All I can say is YUMSVILLE! That dish of veal hearts has me terribly curious, as does the tripe. Now I know I gotta get up there again before I kick the proverbial bucket. Tee hee.
I think I could manage with one cut of red pizza and one of white, so as to leave room to try everything else that I've never tasted.
On another ethnic tack, where up thataway would I go for homemade pierogis? Especially the hard-to-find varieties, like prune and sauerkraut and (insert whatever esoterica you can think of that might go into them!).
Do any of these places carry Stegmaier or Gibbons Beer, or even Yuengling, or has everyone succumed to National Brand brew?
If It's Gibbons, It's Good, Ort. Carlton in Wayfardistant Athens, Georgia.
P. S. My use of the word "wayfardistant" makes me realize that one of my best friends in the world comes from Waymart, Pa... home of Farview State Hospital! Does this make the poor fellow a Waymartian?

Ort. Carlton. Don't go kicking any buckets, you might hurt your foot.

Anytime you are in this area, consider me your personal tour guide. Don't worry, I know where all the good polish food is also.

Maybe we'll find some of that real good beer from St. Mary's, Pa.

Joe,

How's the tripe prepared? In a red sauce, I imagine.

The Bear

quote:

Originally posted by ScreenBear

Joe,

How's the tripe prepared? In a red sauce, I imagine.

The Bear

Correct. Next time I'll order it and post a pic.

quote:

Originally posted by stanpnepa

Also, we should set up a breakfast at Tony's Diner in Kingston the next morning for those who stay the night. (Italian omelets and sandwiches that will blow your mind!).

I once ordered a salad there for lunch and it came with a hot, saucy meatball dropped right in the center.
That place is a classic.