ippa (Pronounced EE-pah) Is a Keepah in Lawrenceville

The shipping container on wheels is permanently parked in a Butler Street lot, where it serves wood-fired sandwiches, folded pizza and snacks.

12 hours ago

Kristy Graver,

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

If you find yourself at a loss for words while eating at ippa in Lawrenceville, just make some up.

In 2022, founder Jason Spore’s 18-month-old son inadvertently named the family’s food truck by referring to its Neapolitan “pizza” as “ippa” (pronounced EE-pah).

“Food truck” is a bit of a misnomer, too, since ippa is a shipping container on wheels with a wood-fired oven on board. The brand started in Erie, where there’s now a brick-and-mortar pizzeria at Flagship City Food Hall.

The mobile unit — which I’ve dubbed The Shippa — specializes in Tuscan-American street food including folded pizzas, sandwiches, snacks and desserts. It’s permanently parked at 5242 Butler St. and is open Thursday through Sunday, rain or shine.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

I was babbling like a baby while devouring The Italian Chop with capicola, Genoa salami, thick pepperoni, sharp provolone, lettuce, tomato and pepper relish on schiacciata, a Tuscan flatbread similar to focaccia. As a food journalist, I also appreciated the fact that my sandwich was wrapped in fake newspaper deli sheets.

It was a messy, multiple-napkin delight best consumed over the box it’s served in to catch all of the fallen fillings. Bonus: you’ll have a nice little charcuterie spread to pick at after the sandwich is gone. You might want to wear a bib, too.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Sisters Whitney and Lyndsey Pittman helm ippa in Pittsburgh and rent the gravel lot from nearby Lolev Beer, a brewery owned by two sets of brothers.

The familial vibes are strong at ippa.

The Pittmans, who grew up in Forest Hills, call their outdoor space “the green.” The aesthetic is cozy industrial chic and includes picnic tables, plantlife and plenty of hardwood to fuel the Valoriani oven.

Pups are welcome at ippa. A French bulldog eyed me imploringly the whole time I was eating my Italian Chop.

Whitney Pittman fell in love with ippa’s pizza while serving as vice president of Pennsylvania Macaroni Co., and later, Greco & Sons, where Spore stocked up on imported Italian ingredients for his eatery. When she learned The Shippa wasn’t being utilized, she decided to take the wheel. She recruited Lyndsey — an expert in system implementation — to come along for the ride.

Surreptitiously, the vehicle sold food outside of Lolev on the day the brewery opened in 2022.

Now the two businesses are practically related.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Grab a craft beer, walk over to the green — which is located next to Conley’s bar, another family-owned establishment — and get ready to mangia. In addition to an array of sandwiches, ippa serves 8-inch pizzas that are dressed to your specifications and served folded in half or flat.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

If you’re a snacker, I suggest the Smelly Crackers. Again, don’t let the name fool you; you’ll be wishing you were up to your nose in these habit-forming, seasoned oyster crackers after one bite, even if they do turn your breath into an onion-y breeze.

For dessert, I ordered two bomboloni (my new favorite word!). The soft, airy donuts are basically the Italian cousin of Polish paczki. I had planned to take them home to my daughter, but I couldn’t resist sampling one before leaving the green. The sugar all over my black T-shirt gave me away.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Whitney Pittman says she’s thrilled to be part of the foodie neighborhood. ippa amassed a following last December when it opened its space to serve gingerbread for Lawrenceville Corporation’s annual Lawrenceville Cookie Tour. In the coming weeks, ippa will offer classes, beer pairings and other events, plus extended hours.