About NEPA Pizza Review

About NEPA Pizza Review

About NEPA Pizza Review and founder Jim Mirabelli

I created NEPA Pizza Review in 2012 to shine a spotlight on the local pizza pizza scene and share my pizza passions with the world.  Since that time, this blog has been about telling the stories of small businesses who are the backbone of our communities.  I take my role as a pizza influencer and small business supporter very seriously and strive to keep pizza content feature-based and positive in nature.

As a professional pizza maker who worked in pizzerias for more than a decade, I love to share my passion for teaching the art and science of pizza.  My mission is make great pizza feel accessible to all.  Pizza is a simple food and shouldn’t be intimidating or exclusive to only those who have been professionally trained or spent years learning the craft.  NEPA Pizza Review shares recipes and tips, provides mentoring opportunities, and helps to raise the bar in the pizza industry.

Thank you for joining me on this pizza journey!  Please reach out at anytime with pizza questions, business inquiries, or review requests.

Jim Mirabelli

Jim Mirabelli Podcast Appearances

Gettin' to Know the 570
Gettin to Know Jim Mirabelli Creator of NEPA Pizza Review
    PMQ Pizza TV
    PMQ Live Update with Jim Mirabelli, NEPA Pizza Review
      The Popko Project
      Talking with Jim Mirabelli of NEPA Pizza Review
        Froggy 101
        Eating Pizza and Staying Fit with Jim Mirabelli

          Most Recent Podcast Appearance on Popko Project

          NEPA Pizza Review in the Media

          Below are links to articles I have written for other media outlets, or articles about NEPA Pizza Review. I'm very thankful to these media partners for the opportunities!

          I have been blogging about local pizza for more than a decade.  I combine my pizza making and industry experience to thoughtfully evaluate pizzerias and share details about each pizza that my readers care about.

          Learning to make pizza is so rewarding. Improving your pizza game every day is even more fulfilling!  I share recipes I’ve developed as well as pizza making tips and tricks I’ve learned as a professional pizza maker.

          I test a TON of pizza products.  I evaluate each product and feature the best of the best so that you don’t have to waste time and money and can easily find the perfect tools to step up your pizza game!

          I have such a passion for all things pizza.  Being a longtime professional and home pizza maker I love to evaluate pizza related products and more on Amazon as an Amazon Influencer.  I fund part of NEPA Pizza Review by earning small commissions on products that I love and share with my audiences.  I would greatly appreciate if you would follow me on Amazon, because every little bit of support helps me bring new and innovative content and keep this whole pizza platform going!

          This blog also contains Amazon Affiliate Links.  Clicking any of them does not cost you anything, but if you do click a link and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission on that purchase.  I appreciate the support!

          How did NEPA Pizza Review start?

          I founded NEPA Pizza Review in 2012 as a grad school project as a creative outlet to express my love an appreciation for local pizzerias and pizza making.  Initially, it was just a small, anonymous blog that I didn’t anticipate anyone would care about or read.  All I was interested in was telling stories about the unique, diverse, and awesome pizza available in my region and describing the pizza in a way that was more than a numerical score, and craft a review that people could read and see photos and decide for themselves if this is a pizza that they would like to try.

          Growing And Evolving

          Over time, I was surprised to see that I had gained a strong local audience who I had connected with.  I was amazed that so many people felt the same way about pizza as I did.  This motivated me to keep going, keep building, keep expanding, and to find new and innovative ways to connect people and pizza.  NEPA Pizza Review continues to evolve as my readers’ preferences evolve – thus the emphasis to expand on social media platforms like facebook, instagram, twitter, YouTube, pinterest, and even TikTok!

          Passion for Pizza and Positivity

          So much has changed since the inception of NEPA Pizza Review, but one constant remains – my passion for pizza is as strong as ever and the people who also share that passion have helped build a supportive community of local pizza lovers.  It is the positivity of this group, the way they support small businesses, share insights and tips, and the way we treat each other is the thing I am most proud of on this journey!

          Do you ever get tired of eating pizza?

          Never. Every pizza I have every made or eaten has been unique in some way. Each slice of pizza is a new experience which I cherish and learn from.  Every pizza has a story, and I love learning what the story is and sharing it with the world.

          Why don't your write negative reviews?

          You won’t find articles that trash local businesses or that are overly critical for a few simple reasons: 1. There’s enough enough negativity in the world, I choose to be supportive; 2. Bad pizza or service will weed itself out of the market; and 3. As my mother always said, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all.”

          Why don't you open a pizzeria?

          I do not plan to open a pizzeria.  I worked in pizzerias for more than 10 years and loved every minute of it.  I have a non-pizza day job that I love dearly, and I also have this hobby/side hustle known as NEPA Pizza Review that also fulfills me.  You may see me do a charity pop-up or two in the future to raise money for a cause, or to find an opportunity to interact with the NEPA Nation and share my pizza, but you won’t find me opening a shop!

          What are your top 10 favorite pizzas?

          I get this question often.  I know that Top 10 lists get a ton of clicks, comments, likes, and shares.  I know that debating who is great and who is terrible makes for great social circulation.  I don’t do any of this for the clicks.  I do my best to NOT create clickbait, and try to deliver exactly what my headlines say.  I recognize this is not a smart decision for advertising dollars and traffic, but it’s not a tradeoff I want to make.

          It’s About Quality Content, Not Clickbait

          Top 10 lists, best of lists, and even pizza rating scores are all completely subjective and to me, meaningless.  If I tell you that I rate a pizza a 9.1, what does that really mean?  People want to reduce things to simple number, ranking, or list, but to me, those simple ratings tell a reader nothing.  It doesn’t tell you how sweet the sauce is, if the crust is light and crisp, if it was cooked properly, if they are using a quality cheese or really anything at all.  It’s just a made up number to express one’s opinion.

          Top 10 Lists and Instant Scores Don’t Tell the Story

          I could easily sort my spreadsheet of all-time ratings and publish in a few minutes.  But doing so removes all context of what the pizza and experience was like in that moment in time.  It also alienates many of my pizzeria operator friends, many of which whom I have developed relationships and friendships with over the years.  It doesn’t make sense to me to publish something for people to simply argue over.  If you want to have a conversation about my favorite pizza spots, PM me privately on social media and I’m happy to compare notes!