Cusumano is an upscale restaurant and bar in the Pizza Capital of the World, Old Forge, PA, and they serve Italian and American food with a modern twist.  A few years back, the building was known as Brutico’s which I reviewed about a half decade ago, but Cusumano is not affiliated with Brutico’s.  I have also visited Cusumano before for a very nice dinner, but I hadn’t yet reviewed the pizza yet so I asked the First Lady of NEPA Pizza on a pizza date to grab a tray and we went for a ride into the Pizza Capital.  

We arrived and as we entered, I could tell that the First Lady immediately loved the atmosphere.  The dining room elegant, dimly lit, relaxing, and upscale with a full bar with seating for what looked like 20-25.  People were casually sipping martinis and enjoying the ambiance, while we hungrily looked over the menu.  We knew we were getting a pizza, it was just a matter of what else to get for a starter.  We ended up ordering the antipasto and the friendly waiter took our order then brought out some bread, extra virgin olive oil to dip it in, and what appeared to be a hummus dip.  Very nice touches to start the meal!

As we chatted and took in the atmosphere, time sort of slipped away so I couldn’t tell you how long it took to get our appetizer, but it didn’t seem very long at all.  The antipasto arrived and it looked fantastic.  At a price point of $18, I was a little hesitant to order it, but once the waiter presented it to us I understood why it cost that much.  It included aged meats, a variety of olives, sharp cheeses, fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced tomatoes, artichokes, roasted peppers and more.  We dug right in and the wide variety of flavors and textures in the antipasto was just amazing.  I took a mental note to order this every time I’m in town!  It was more than enough for two people and we took home enough to make a sandwich and sides.  In summary, the antipasto was absolutely incredible!

After enjoying our appetizer immensely it was time to try the pizza.  The pizza looked pretty good in the dim lighting (I apologize for the photos as they are not 100% indicative of what it actually looked like).  It was cooked a little on the light side for our taste, but certainly not undercooked.  The crust was slightly crisp around the edges and soft on the bottom.  Where it had a decent flavor to it, the crust felt a little flat and chewy to me.  The sauce was quite pasty and a little bitter, but did have enough complexity to it that the First Lady and I were debating what type of flavors we were actually experiencing. The cheese sort of did its own thing on the top and was pretty good on its own, but didn’t pull it all together and balance out the tray.  Overall, I would call this a decent pizza but for $18, I’m not sure I’d order it again.

For the record, I do get many recommendations for Cusumano’s pizza from the #NEPAnation, but it’s always for the shrimp and hot pepper or the hot anchovy pizza.  I don’t recall anyone ever recommending the red to me.  So my “pizza purist” formula of only ordering pizza with sauce and cheese to keep things even and comparable prevented me from ordering the signature pizzas here.  Based on the highly reliable people who did tell me about the shrimp and hot pepper and hot anchovy trays, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend those to you.  I do put my sources through a careful vetting process and they haven’t violated my trust yet!  

Overall, the service, atmosphere and food were great and I would absolutely recommend Cusumano to the NEPA Nation for an upscale dining experience and fantastic culinary creations and as far as pizza goes, try one of the gourmet trays and you’ll be in great shape.  It makes for a classy and relaxing night out for couples or groups to enjoy.  Although I didn’t see the downstairs, I’m told they have a beautiful lounge in the basement complete with another bar, televisions, and high top tables for another relaxing, but unique experience.  Cusumano has a ton to offer, and everyone should try it at least once!

Restaurant: Cusumano
Location: Old Forge, PA
Date: October 2018
Pizza Ordered: 12 Cut Old Forge Red
Price: $16.00
Eat In/Take Out: Take Out

Crust: 2.5/.5
Sauce: 2/5
Cheese: 3/5
Overall Taste: 2.75/5
Crispy/Cooked Properly: 3.25/5
Overall Value: 0.5/5
OVERALL RATING: 2.5/5