Skip to content
Video

Is Cooper Sharp a pizza cheese now?

Ronnie Celebre — the original owner of Celebre’s Pizzeria in Packer Park — invented the hyperlocal “Pizzaz” in the 1970s as a means of grilled cheese-ifying pizza, layering beefsteak tomatoes and a sprinkle of banana peppers atop slices of white American cheese. “When people come in and ask about our best pizza and we say Pizzazz, they look at me and say, ‘American cheese? No, I don’t wanna try that,’” current owner Michael Spina told The Inquirer. “Afterwards, they say it’s one of the best pizzas they ever had.”
Published 
    Gabe Coffey
    Instagram
    I am a Videojournalist at The Philadelphia Inquirer, focusing on telling visual stories of residents of Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. I also specialize in motion graphics to help tell stories.
    Esra Erol
    Instagram
    Bluesky
    I’m the Senior Editor of Social Storytelling. I work with our newsroom's talented social media team to unpack stories and engage audiences across The Inquirer's branded social media accounts.
    Beatrice Forman
    Bluesky
    Threads
    I'm a food writer who covers how trends are reshaping Philadelphia's dynamic food scene, from the growth of Philly's restaurant merch to why venture capital-backed chains can't stop coming to our city. I also cover labor dynamics — and changes to the workplace — within the hospitality industry.