Etna Erupts With New Pizza Shop
And Mamma Lucia's opens their updated location downtown.
Hi there pizza pal!
What a time to be eating pizza. Is it true that the day you’re reading this is the best pizza has ever been in this city? Like a gassy ball of dough, our region’s pizza grows and festers, doubling in size over night. Each day is a pizza renaissance if you want it to be. And of course Etna is no stranger to change and evolution. Let’s talk about Etna!
Pie Hole Pizza Opens in Etna
Editor-at-large, Tom Tallarico, alerted me to a new pizza shop that opened in the neighborhood of his youth, Etna. I’m seeing reports that this place may have soft-opened in January, but now it’s fully opened and ready for you to try it out.
This takes the place of the old Amato’s pizza. Amato’s was the pizza shop in Etna. If you wanted pizza it was coming from Amatao’s or, if you felt like taking a journey, Aliotto’s. My grandma lived in Etna so we grew up eating our fair share of Etna pizza.
Amato’s served thick square pizzas and even twenty years ago felt incredibly ancient. Everything in Etna is like that. Instantly aged beyond recognition. Visiting Etna in my youth, there was always an aura of rust. Or, like time forgot it existed. It remained unchanged for my entire life. The only new business of record for a span of years was Scare House. If a haunted house moves into your neighborhood I would not take that as a sign that things are going well for you and your real estate prices.
But a few years ago the Etna curse was lifted. Finally, the warlock holding Etna hostage was defeated and the neighborhood was allowed to thrive. New businesses sprung up and the youth moved in, passing up Millvale and Sharpsburg. Old-timey gas stations were demolished and in their place a gastropub opened up. There’s even a cocktail bar!
And most recently, Pie Hole Pizza.
I haven’t had Pie Hole Pizza, but I did receive a gift certificate for my birthday. I’m looking forward to visiting Etna and supporting their newest pizza shop. From the photo my dad sent me below, it looks pretty solid! Looks like an extremely Pittsburgh pizza.
I cannot find any information about this shop online so I’m posting a copy of their menu that came with my gift card. This place has the Western Pennsyvlania staples you’d expect from any regional pizza shop. A squishy square dough, buffalo chicken and a decadent Italian hoagie. Check it out and explore the up and coming Etna neighborhood while you’re at it.
Mamma Lucia’s Opens an Updated Downtown Location
Great news for downtown pizza fans. You no longer have to be embarrassed to take coworkers to Mamma Lucia’s! The new location on Sixth Ave & Smithfield is leagues above the dingy, old Mamma Lucia’s on Smithfield. When I am grabbing pizza during work hours, it’s my usual go-to. I love the simplicity of their pizza. Enough grease to power you through the afternoon work hours without putting you to sleep.
Whenever we had group outings I’d always push for Mamma Lucia’s. They had a secret second floor that was equal parts disgusting and convenient. You basically had your own private floor dedicated to pizza parties. Unfortunately, the environment was too gross for some which took away from the majesty of the pizza.
But their new space is tremendous. It looks like they even have breakfast pizza too? How unusual, but savvy.
Looking forward to grabbing a slice on my next visit downtown!
Thanks for reading! I hope you have found something to enjoy in this amazing pizza newsletter.
Thanks and pizza ya later!
-Dan Tallarico, Pizza Journalist