By Charlie Pogacar
Jim Henry and Jim Mirabelli have some things in common. They are dads, Philadelphia sports fans and, of course, they share a deep passion for their side hustle: pizza. But it’s their differing traits that have made them such a potent team, one capable of launching something like the Virtual Pizza Academy.
“He’s the engineer—I’m the guy who loves the chaos of the bake,” said Mirabelli, best known as the pizza blogger behind NEPA Pizza Review, on the latest episode of Peel: A PMQ Pizza Podcast. Henry is precise, timing things down to the second; Mirabelli embraces improvisation and storytelling. Together, they create a balance that elevates their teaching.
The duo has trouble remembering when they first began interacting. Perhaps this is because, though they’ve known one another for less than five years, it’s as if they’re old friends. Henry—better known in pizza circles as Jimmy Hank—went to college close to where Mirabelli lives (and was born and raised). He’s long been a connoisseur of the unique pizza styles of Northeastern Pennsylvania, from Old Forge to Pan-Fried Sicilian. But Henry, who is an engineer by trade, got his start as a pizza maker during the pandemic—a story familiar to many pizza makers these days.
“You’re at home, you’re stuck, and you’ve got all this time on your hands,” Henry said. “I started messing around with bread…and then I was like, ‘Oh, why don’t I try to make pizza dough?’ And I got, like, laser-focused on that.”
Henry’s engineering mind lent itself perfectly to the world of pizza dough. The weights, the percentages, the tinkering—all of it felt familiar to him. He also happens to be something of an amateur photographer, so when he started an Instagram account, his content quickly drew a following. In less than five years, he’s accrued over 70,000 followers on Instagram. The following has helped him become an Ooni ambassador, among other things.
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“There are some people I can recognize online by the photo of their pizza better than I can their face, and Jimmy’s one of those guys,” Mirabelli said of Henry. “You don’t need to see his name—it’s distinct. That’s when you know you have a good brand.”
Mirabelli, meanwhile, has been around pizza most of his life. A professional pizza maker in his teens and twenties, he launched NEPA Pizza Review in 2012 to spotlight the overlooked mom-and-pop shops of Northeastern Pennsylvania. His blog grew into a trusted local guide and a platform that connected people to small businesses. Along the way, Mirabelli built a reputation for authenticity and passion, so much so that he was featured on the cover of PMQ Pizza.
The duo’s first official collaboration was a charity pizza class at Lackawanna College. They sold out all 12 seats in a week, secured sponsors from some of the industry’s biggest names and delivered a four-hour workshop complete with recipe books and swag bags. The event not only raised money for scholarships but also proved that their complementary styles clicked.
From there, the Virtual Pizza Academy took shape. Unlike other online classes, theirs isn’t just a Zoom call—it’s a live show with multiple camera angles, high-quality production and real-time Q&A. When something goes wrong—like an oven cooling down mid-bake (true story)—they roll with it and show students how to adapt. That authenticity is what sets them apart, they believe.
“[We] wanted this to feel like an interactive cooking show,” Mirabelli said. “Things go wrong on the air, and we show people how to navigate through it. We like to give them a real representation of what happens and how to react when things happen live.”
Today, their classes cater to everyone from first-time home bakers to professional operators looking to pick up a regional style. Their on-demand courses make it easy for anyone, anywhere, to learn. And if there’s one through-line in both of their stories, it’s this: Pizza should feel approachable, fun and rooted in community.
“We’re just dads that love pizza and have a passion for it,” Mirabelli said.
To listen to the full podcast, check out one of the following links:
