At the outset of the PennLive Pizza Party, our goal was to crown a champion pizza that was a cut above those perfectly fine pies found at neighborhood pizzerias. We set out to discover a pizza that had planted a flag and stamped a spot on the map.

We sought out a selective slice worthy of going the extra mile. We wanted a delicious pie that was a destination in itself. A sauce-cheese-and-crust magnet with the power to pull in diners from far and wide. And even, across time.

We found this all-powerful pizza right where it has always been for more than a half-century now. It’s the unassuming eatery named for a long-gone trolley car underpass in Harrisburg.

The Subway Café on Herr Street. It is nothing short of a pizza institution. And it's assortment of unique, upside down pies more than wowed the judges of the PennLive Pizza Party.

For all these appetizing reasons and more, we are crowning the Subway winner of the 2013 PennLive Pizza Party. We will presenting Subway with the well-deserved winning Pizza Party plaque at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday.



This is a place, untouched by time, where pizza is personal. Literally. Diners order their own personal pies, always custom-made in the Subway tradition of putting the sliced provolone right over the crust, then adding the sauce and toppings above the cheese. They’ve been doing it this way since 1948. And since then, it has been attracting three and four generations of loyal customers -- and counting.

Congratulations to owners Christina and Fotios Lamnatos, who knew enough not to change a thing. And here is a fishbowl-beer salute to Subway standby Scott Hohe, who has poured drinks behind the Subway’s small, friendly bar for 32-years.

But most of all, here's a toast to much-beloved late owners, Liana and Donato Giusti, who started it all. And to Ray Permici, the creative, long-time cook who invented the Subway's signature upside-down pizzas in 1950.

The tradition continues. And Subway’s win in the PennLive Pizza Party merely confirms what so many loyal patrons already know: This authentic, unique pizza in this institution of the restaurant is worth the trip.

Once you try it, there is no doubt you will be back.

While Subway swept top honors in the PennLive Pizza Party, each of our other six stops in the contest brought some pizza excellence to the table. We can let the contest go into the record books without mentioning the best from all of our worthy contestants. So are you ready for a rundown of taste-tempting pizza honors?

Here it is:

This pizzeria, located next to the Giant off Cumberland Parkway, might boast the best, most convenient location of all the stops. But what had the judges waxing poetic about pizza was the Margherita, made with sauce, buffalo mozzarella and basil. Fantastic!

It's Old Forge style pizza, and it's steeped in tradition. But what wowed the judges was the double-white buffalo chicken offering that was more like a Stromboli than a pizza. Talk about filling!

The traditional cheese pizza packed a perfectly thin crust and delicious blend of sauce and cheese made from scratch. Almost like getting a slice at your favorite joint in NYC. Delicious!

A fastidious attention to detail and adherence to only the best ingredients shine through in the pies offered at this unassuming shop near East Pennsboro Twp. High School. A quintessential neighborhood pizzeria that delivers the goods, day in and day out. The blended cheese, up-tempo, tangy sauce and well-cooked crust make even the plain pizza pop with flavor. Wow!

The stand-out pie at this delivery and take-out pizza shop, which features gluten-free options for those who love pizza but can’t stomach wheat, was the Chicago style deep-dish with sweet peppers and Philly-style sausage. The secret here is Wild Tomato spins its own version of crust for this pizza by using cornmeal. It's brilliant!

The colorful, art-like Mediterranean boasts dollops of bright red sauce that compete with the dark greens of the spinach, adding that extra dash of flavor that puts this white pizza over the top. Just that splash of red, along with the intense flavor of the spinach and the salty/sour dash of feta, makes this Mediterranean a memorable medley for one’s mouth. What a pie!

Now here is a parting pizza comment from each of the PennLive Pizza Party judges:

Sue "Food Writer" Gleiter

Sue Gleiter

The Subway Cafe tore up the competition with its authentic Sicilian style pies on a cracker thin crust. Hands down, those were the best pizzas on our pizza tour de force. Some may argue the fact. After all, the Subway pizza is not your typical pizza shop pie. For one, they only sell personal-sized pizzas, and they do it a bit backwards by slathering garlicky tomato sauce on top of provolone cheese.

But that's the exact argument as to why the Subway pizza took the Pizza Party's top title: Subway dares to be different. It doesn't veer from its roots, and sticks to the Old World style. Subway certainly stuck out as the most memorable pizzas but that's not to say other pizzas in Pizza Party don't deserve due credit.

Brother's Pizza in Lower Allen Twp. had some of the friendliest customers, and its Margherita pie definitely got the party started on the right note. Pizza Shop Enola was a dark horse. I'd never heard of it and its pizzas are several notches above your typical neighborhood pizza shop. The plain pizza rocked it out in my book.

Jigsy's Old Forge Pizza in Enola scores for its rectangular trays of pizza done Old Forge style. Don't go without trying the double crust pies. Absolutely delicious, warm and cheesy. Casero's sticks to what it knows best, and that's New York style pizza. Big, oversized slices fill you up fast but don't disappoint.

Wild Tomato was definitely wild. It's a standout for the gluten-free pies which the average customer most likely doesn't order but they fill a much needed niche for those suffering from wheat allergies. And Italian Pizza & Subs earns a nod for its consistency. Great neighborhood shop with a large assortment of pizzas on the menu. You can't go wrong with a stop at this pizza place.

Congratulations all!

Chris "Deep Dish" Mautner

Chris Mautner

All of the finalists we visited in this latest Taste of the Town competition had something that made it readily apparent why they deserved to be in the running. Brother’s Pizza had its magnificent Margherita Pizza. Wild Tomato had its fantastic deep dish. Cesero’s had ambiance and a swell New York-style flavor, Jigsy’s had the rich double white buffalo chicken pizza, Italian Pizza and Subs had the and Pizza Shop Enola knew how to make a mean slice of pepperoni (and wear a great pizza hat to boot).

But only one place we visited had the overall consistency, ambiance and to be named the winner of our Pizza Party and that’s Subway Café. We all were wowed by the culinary excellence, not just with the basic cheese pizza, but with everything we sampled. One of our big rules of thumb on embarking on this journey was to find a place that you’d be willing to drive to if you didn’t live in the neighborhood, and Subway Café qualifies.

But if our Pizza Party proves anything, it’s that there are plenty of stellar neighborhood pizzerias in the midstate. You’d be doing yourself a favor to stop by any one of them.

Nick "Pepperoni" Cantone

Nick Cantone

Well, the Pizza Party contest has come to an end. I want to thank my fellow judges for including me and making me feel very comfortable as we experience and evaluated all seven nominees. For me, I think I am going to take a break from pizza for a couple weeks. It seems like that’s all I’ve been eating. Ha!

I would also like to thank and comment on all the places we visited. Every establishment, their employees, family members and patrons, treated us with extreme warmth and courteous hospitality. Very heart-warming!

Each and every place proudly served its variety of pizzas, most of which were fantastic to bite into. We had to choose one overall winner, and we did so. It wasn’t easy. But the experience was the best. Lots of fun! I hope to be participating in the next food contest.

John "Leaning Tower" Luciew

The other judges have said it all. Thanks to all the contestants and their employees and patrons, who treated us so well. I love pizza, and I loved being at your wonderful restaurants. The Pizza Party has proven that neighborhoods all across central Pennsylvania are well served by first-rate pizza shops. What's not to enjoy?

Happy eating everyone until the next PennLive Taste of the Town food contest.

Stay tuned, and stay hungry, my friends!