Pizza City with Steve Dolinsky
Episodes
Frank Kabatas - East Village Pizza (NYC)
26 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Frank Kabatas came to the U.S. in the late 90s, and his first experience with New York style pizza was as a delivery guy for East Village Pizza. He ev...
Bub & Grandma's Pizza (L.A.)
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Andy Kadin just knew he had to get back into pizza, after spending years perfecting his breads at Bub & Grandma's in L.A. He has opened a sibl...
allday pizza (Austin, TX)
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Townsend Smith and Daniel Sorg were friends in NYC, but both moved to Austin and then reconnected over their mutual love of pizza. They converted a fo...
Anthony Mangieri - Una Pizza Napoletana (NYC)
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mr. Mangieri is a two-time winner (#1 ranking) in the 50 Top Pizza list and is currently on the 6th iteration of hisUna Pizza Napoletana, now on New Y...
Arnaud Atché - Piatti on the Beach (Zandvoort, The Netherlands)
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Arnaud Atché has only been making pizzas for about 15 months, but the former consultant has poured himself into the daily rigor of making his dough a...
Brett Feeley - Slowhand (Toronto)
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brett Feeley did what a lot of amateur cooks did during the pandemic: make pizza. Little did he know it would lead to Slowhand - a Detroit style opera...
Chris Pandel - Zarella (Chicago)
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Pandel teamed up with fellow Boka Restaurant Group Chef Lee Wolen to create Zarella, a pizzeria and taverna with two styles of pizza: a thin art...
Guillermo Paolisso - Capriccio (Chicago)
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Argentinian born, Italian raised. Guillermo Paolisso came to Chicago and realized there was a gap in the market: Roman style. He and his wife now make...
Hunter Leslie - Detroit Pizza Depot (L.A.)
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hunter Leslie started out with a food truck, but realized pretty quickly as he moved from Detroit to L.A., the future was in a brick and mortar. He wa...
Jeff Scheer - Marlow (Maui)
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jeff Scheer ended up on Maui like a lot of people - by accident. But his commitment to the culinary scene there, as nascent as it is, has been admirab...
Qiana & Michele Di Bari - Sal e Pepe (Lahaina, HI)
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Their motto is "One Part Milan, One Part Brooklyn, All Maui," so you know a pizza from Sal e Pepe is going to be special. This is a love sto...
Bronwen Kinzler-Britton & Jose Ibarra - Naughty Pie Nature (L.A.)
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bronwen Kinzler-Britton & Jose Ibarra both came from more fine-dining backgrounds, but realized they just wanted to work for themselves and make g...
Alex White - Yukon Pizza (Las Vegas)
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alex White's Great Great Grandfather used a sourdough starter when he ran a shop in the Yukon Territory more than 120 years ago. That same starter...
Vito DeCandia - Angel City Pizza (L.A.)
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As a born-and-bred New Yorker (from Long Beach), Vito DeCandia was literally brought up in a pizzeria. He was stretching dough by the age of 12. His l...
John Notaro - Famous Ben's of SoHo (NYC)
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
John Notaro may have spent his early years in Brooklyn, but there's no denying pizza and baking are in his DNA. He spent years at Sbarro, then ran...
Wylie Dufresne - Stretch Pizza (NYC)
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Wylie Dufresne has spent his life and career in New York City. He worked for Jean Georges Vongerichten, ran notable restaurants like 71 Clinton Fresh ...
Billy & Cecily Federighi - Pizz'Amici (Chicago)
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Federighis had successful careers in commercial production and modeling, but all of that changed during the pandemic, when they shifted more into ...
Darby Aldaco - Pizza Thief (Portland, OR)
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Darby Aldaco got into some big trouble as a kid, stealing pizzas from stopped delivery cars. At 18, he was arrested for stealing a Domino’s pizza, s...
Alfonso Jarero - Ardente (Mexico City)
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Mexico City pizza scene is still in its infancy. Most of the styles tend to follow the Neapolitan model - wood fired, high heat, etc. Ardente has ...
Adam Weisell - Munno (Chicago)
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Chicago has a wealth of pizza styles - deep-pan, deep-dish, tavern and stuffed are the homegrown styles, but there's also Sicilian, Detroit and Neapol...
Matthew Grogan - Juliana's (Brooklyn) - from the archives
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matthew Grogan loved the pizza from Grimaldi's (and later, Juliana's) so much, he quit his job in finance to help Patsy Grimaldi continue his vision. ...
Vincenzo Onnembo - nNea (Amsterdam)
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Vincenzo Onnembo was a film student in Rotterdam, but in 2018 wound up in Amsterdam with a business partner, making Neapolitan-inspired pizzas at nNea...
David Peña - Fortunate Son (Garland, TX)
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
David Peña fell hard for New Haven style apizza, so after a deep research trip - where he spent time in some famous kitchens like Frank Pepe's - he r...
Rony Stark - PennePazze (Nashville)
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rony Stark grew up in Italy, with an appreciation for homemade pasta and pizza. But when he moved to Nashville several years ago, he saw an opportunit...
Novel Pizza Cafe (Chicago)
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A pair of Filipino cousins joined forces with their Mexican friend to open a unique pizzeria in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. Novel Pizza Cafe c...
Mama's TOO! (NYC) From the Archives
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We revisit this wonderful pizzeria from the Upper West Side of NYC, now that they have a second location downtown. Frank Tuttolomondo's square slices ...
L'industrie Pizza (NYC) From the Archives
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We revisit L'industrie in NYC this week, after they came in 80th in the world from the 50 Top Pizza organization. We are revisiting this classic becau...
Rose Barraco George - Vito & Nick's (Chicago)
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For nearly 80 years, Rose Barraco George has been a part of legendary Vito & Nick's in Chicago. A true blue collar joint since it's incept...
Ryan Pollnow - Flour + Water Pizzeria (San Francisco)
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Four years ago, we had Thomas McNaughton on the show, talking about his new concept, Flour + Water Pizzeria in the Mission District in San Francisco. ...
Don Hernandez - Pinky Ring Pizza (Madison, TN)
02 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A Chicago native who grew up on NYC slices, Don Hernandez traveled around the country, ending up in Nashville several years ago. He never intended to ...
Jason Vincent - Pizza Matta (Chicago)
19 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jason Vincent (Giant, Chef's Special) has worked in Chicago as a Chef for nearly 20 years. After stints at Lula and Nightwood, he struck out on hi...
Alpha & Omega Pizza Farm (Princeton, MN)
05 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kim Hayes' background as a culinary employee at Macy's and Marshall Fields laid the groundwork for her lifelong dream: to open a pizza farm wi...
Ryan Ososky - Dtown Pizzeria (L.A.)
21 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan Ososky has worked for some of the biggest chefs on the West Coast - Bradley Ogden, Michael Mina, Wolfgang Puck - and when he decided to go out on...
Jerry Czerwinski - Uncle Jerry's (Cary, IL)
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jerry Czerwinski grew up in Skokie, IL, a child of mostly thin crust and some deep-dish. He had a long career as a carpenter, before going head-first ...
"Eating With Your Eyes..." from Pizza City Fest L.A. 2024
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We always have a couple of panel discussions and demos at Pizza City Fest, and a few weeks ago in L.A., we brought together three brilliant pizza make...
The Dough Whisperers at Pizza City Fest L.A.
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every Pizza City Fest has a series of informative panel discussions and demos, and at this year's L.A. event, we brought back "The Dough Whis...
Chris Decker - Truly Pizza (Dana Point, CA)
26 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Decker worked for 26 years under John Arena at Metro in Las Vegas, but now he's the guy in charge at Truly Pizza in Dana Point, CA. They off...
Jeff Barris - Hail Mary (L.A.)
12 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jeff Barris has always been into pizza, but when he had a chance to buy an established pizzeria in Atwater Village, he jumped at it. Hail Mary already...
Pizza Expo 2024
29 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Coming back after a few years of so-so attendance, still recovering from the pandemic, the 40th International Pizza Expo was a smash in almost every w...
Connie Zotta - Salerno's (Chicago)
15 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Connie Zotta is the 2nd generation to run Salerno's in Chicago's West Town neighborhood. The pizzeria has been around since 1966, when it open...
Alex Koons - Hot Tongue (L.A.)
01 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Alex Koons has had an interesting career - audio engineer, pizza delivery guy - but his biggest challenge was attempting to open a vegan pizzeria in L...
Peter Dorrance & Eric Ehler from Outta Sight in San Francisco
16 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Dorrance and Eric Ehler met while working at Mr. Jiu's, the Michelin-starred restaurant in San Francisco's Chinatown. They left to open ...
Katsuya Fukushima - Tonari (Washington D.C.)
02 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Katsuya Fukushima spent 15 years working for José Andrés in Washington D.C., and it allowed him to travel the world. But his upbringing in Hawaii al...
Brian Strutz - A Dopo (Knoxville)
19 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Like several of Knoxville's best chefs and restaurants, owner Brian Strutz is an alum of Blackberry Farm's kitchens. A Dopo is an homage to a ...
Jenny Olbrich - The Esters (Brooklyn)
05 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jenny Olbrich has had a multi-faceted career - from private chef to designer...eventually landing in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, at The Esters - a bar and r...
Max Balliet - Pizza Lupo (Louisville)
22 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Max Balliet has held odd jobs in mechanics, but a life-changing trip to Italy as a kid shaped his future career. He didn't see much of a pizza culture...
Lenny Rago - Panino's Pizza (Chicago)
08 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lenny Rago has been working in professional kitchens since he was 14. Now in his 50s, the Chicago native has built Panino's into a pizza powerhous...
Daniele Cason - The Pizza Bar on 38th (Tokyo)
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Daniele Cason has been the Executive Chef at The Mandarin Oriental in Tokyo for more than a decade. As a Rome native, he wanted to bring pizza to the ...
Mike Lange - Noble Pie (Calgary)
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ontario native Mike Lange was a graphic designer who happened to be backpacking in Australia when he met his girlfriend (a fellow Canadian). They deci...
Connie & John's Pizza (Calgary)
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Connie DeSousa and her business partner, John Jackson worked together in San Francisco, and since both are Canadians, eventually moved back to open Ch...
Mathew Wilde - Bob's Pizza (Chicago)
13 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’re back in Chicago and no, we're not talking about stuffed or deep-dish or tavern-style, but rather, a hybrid between New York and artisan at...
James Durawa - Wy'East Pizza (Milwaukee)
29 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
James Durawa grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, but learned how to make artisan pizza while working at Apizza Scholls in Portland, Oregon. He and his wi...
Donny Mellozzi - Pizza Frankie's (Montreal)
15 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There may not be a straight line from the Italian deli and butcher business to pizza making, but Donny Mellozzi isn’t letting that stop him. His pas...
Educational Panels from Pizza City Fest Chicago 2023
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
During the two-day festival at the end of August, we always hold a series of educational and informational panel discussions. We have excerpts this we...
Brian Tondryk - Bartoli's (Chicago)
18 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When he got tired of his corporate job, Brian Tondryk decided to get into the pizza business, because his grandfather - Fred Bartoli - inspired him as...
Devin Bogdan - Smith & Lentz Brewery (Nashville)
04 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Devin Bogdan has worked in restaurants around the U.S., some that have received Michelin stars or James Beard awards. For the last four years, he'...
Tony Scardino - Professor Pizza (Chicago)
21 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tony Scardino is a child of the Chicago suburbs. His memories are of thin and crispy tavern style pies, but over the years, as he made his way around ...
Luca Platania - Forza (Helsinki)
07 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Luca Platania has had a tough road getting to where he is. A brain tumor scare followed his move from Italy to Finland (he followed his wife back home...
Chadwick Corcoran - Two Doughs (Agoura Hills, CA)
23 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When you start rolling and tossing dough at the age of five, you have some strong opinions and approaches to pizza making. Chadwick Corcoran sure does...
Rick Rosenfield, California Pizza Kitchen
09 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rick Rosenfield started his career with the Justice Department, going on to become a trial lawyer and prosecutor. But he and his business partner real...
The Dough Whisperers - Pizza City Fest L.A.
26 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our first panel discussion at Pizza City Fest L.A. this year was "The Dough Whisperers," a panel including three of the leading dough expert...
Salvatore LoCascio - Coda di Volpe (Chicago)
12 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Salvatore LoCascio has paid his dues. First in Italy, then in Chicago, working for the city’s best Neapolitan pizza makers. He’s now stationed at ...
Michael Schell - Schellz Pizza Co. (Los Angeles)
28 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Schell and his wife operate out of a ghost kitchen in Hyde Park, which is just a few miles from Inglewood and SoFi stadium. It’s a pretty gr...
International Pizza Expo 2023
14 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This year's International Pizza Expo was back in full force after a couple of years of limping along. The Las Vegas Convention Center was filled w...
Matt Lyons - Tribute Pizza (San Diego)
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Lyons built Tribute Pizza as an homage to some of the greatest pizzas he's ever had. He makes 13" Neo-Neapolitans, pan-baked gra...
Salvatore Grasso - Pizzeria Gorizia 1916 (Naples, Italy)
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When most kids were figuring out Play Dough, Salvatore Grasso was literally playing with real dough, a result of a combination of double zero and zero...
Franco Pepe - Pepe in Grani (Caiazzo, Italy)
03 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Franco Pepe has been in business since 2012, but it was the Chef's Table: Pizza episode that helped catapult him into stratospheric popularity among p...
Sexton Garcia - Editor Pizza (Miami Beach)
17 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tucked into the first floor of the Urbanica Hotel in South Beach, a Brooklyn-style pizza awaits, topped with Bianco di Napoli tomatoes and Grande chee...
Robert Maleski - Milly's Pizza in the Pan (Chicago)
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Robert Maleski grew up on Chicago's North Shore, devouring tavern style, thin crust, square-cut pizza. But a visit to Burt's in Morton Grove as an adu...
Dan Kluger - Washington Squares (NYC)
20 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dan Kluger took a very different route to pizza making. A classically trained chef who has worked with NYC legends like Danny Meyer, Tom Colicchio, Fl...
John Margulies - Magic John's (Berlin)
06 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From Israel, to New York City and then…Berlin of all places. John Margulies went from clubs and electronic music to pizza, deciding to open his own ...
Fred Eric - Pi' L.A. (Los Angeles)
23 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is "L.A. style" pizza? Fred Eric has some strong opinions on the matter. For one thing, it means using local toppings inspired by the immigrants ...
George Bumbaris - George's Deep-Dish (Chicago)
09 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
George Bumbaris has had more jobs than most pizza makers: home inspector, real estate broker, and professional cook after attending culinary school. B...
Brett Nemec - Zazas Pizzeria (Chicago)
25 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Brett Nemec has worked his way up in the restaurant industry, and several years ago he decided to take the plunge into pizza. But not the tavern style...
David Sheridan - Wheated (Brooklyn)
11 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
David Sheridan pivoted to pizza long before the pandemic, but even then he realized how important it was to use an all-natural starter for his dough. ...
Chris Cutillo - Austin Street Pizza (Forest Hills, Queens)
28 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pre-Covid, Chris Cutillo was content running a restaurant supply business, dealing with all kinds of places around New York City. But things changed f...
Andrew Bellucci - Andrew Bellucci's Pizzeria (Astoria, Queens - NYC)
14 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Bellucci has had a tough couple of years. After opening Bellucci Pizza with a business partner then having a falling out during the pandemic, h...
Peter Campbell - Red Wagon Pizzeria (Minneapolis)
30 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Campbell has been a force in the Minneapolis food community for several years. When he opened Red Wagon Pizzeria in SW Minneapolis, he immediate...
Jeff Rogers - Wrecktangle (Minneapolis)
16 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jeff Rogers grew up in Minneapolis, though his family is from the Iron Range in Northern Minnesota. His restaurant and bar experience in the Twin Citi...
Facundo De Fraia - Boludo (Minneapolis)
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Facundo De Fraia is passionate about all things Argentinean. The Buenos Aires native earned a reputation for making empanadas in the Twin Cities, but ...
Aaron Lindell & Hannah Ziskin - Quarter Sheets Pizza (L.A.)
19 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Partners Hannah Ziskin and Aaron Lindell created two businesses during COVID: House of Gluten (Hannah) and Quarter Sheets Pizza Club (Aaron). Now the ...
Noel Brohner - L.A. Pizza Consultant
05 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Noel Brohner grew up in the 1970s eating a lot of frozen pizza in California. But as the child of parents hailing from both New York and Chicago, his ...
Ryan Baddeley - Pizzeria Badiali (Toronto)
22 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan Baddeley is the owner of Pizzeria Badiali, a fantastic slice shop in Queen West, a hipster area in Toronto. We talked about the must-visit places...
Victor Barry - Piano Piano (Toronto)
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Victor Barry is a chef and restaurateur in Toronto who continues evolving. He’s got three Piano Pianos, a Piccolo Piano plus two shops dedicated to ...
Ike Tzakis - Descendant (Toronto)
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Getchell is widely acknowledged as the founder, creator, mastermind at Descendant in Toronto. It’s in Leslieville, on Queen East, and it’s a...
The Ugly Duck (Amsterdam)
10 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Justin Haines missed his beloved Lou Malnati's so much when he moved to Amsterdam, that he quit his job in logistics to open his own place. Determined...
Bas Scheffer - Pizza Project (Amsterdam)
27 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Rotterdam native Bas Scheffer has been traveling to Italy since he was a child. That sparked a lifelong love for Italian culture and pizza. During COV...
Eytan Sugarman - Made in New York Pizza (NYC)
13 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Eytan Sugarman certainly has strong opinions about pizza. He grew up on the Upper West Side, eating slices all over the city. So when his friend sugge...
Pete Ternes - Bungalow By Middle Brow (Chicago)
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pete Ternes really just wanted to make beer. But when he and his partners opened Bungalow by Middle Brow, their sprawling space in Chicago's Logan Squ...
Copeland Moore - La Segunda Bakery (Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL)
15 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Copeland Moore is the 4th generation at La Segunda Bakery, which was started by his great-grandfather in 1915 in Ybor City, near the port in Tampa Ba...
Darby Aldaco - Pizza Thief (Portland, OR)
01 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Darby Aldaco got into some big trouble as a kid, stealing pizzas from stopped delivery cars. At 18, he was arrested for stealing a Domino’s pizza, s...
Todd Mussman & Chris Hall - MTH Pizza (Smyrna, GA)
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What do you do when a vacant space in the same strip mall near your restaurant becomes available, and there’s a pizza oven already there? If you’r...
John Sundstrom - Southpaw (Seattle)
04 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
John Sundstrom has been one of Seattle's most respected chefs for nearly two decades. At Lark, he uses his knowledge and skill to create seasonal dish...
Jerry Benedetto - Jerry's Pizza (Portland, OR)
18 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jerry Benedetto really missed Chicago when he moved to Portland for his wife's job. But more than anything he missed the thin-and-crispy pizza that is...
Justin Smillie - Il Buco Alimentari (New York City)
04 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Justin Smillie has worked for some of New York City's top chefs, including Jonathan Waxman. He's currently running the kitchen at Il Buco Alimentari i...
My Friend Derek's (Seattle)
21 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Like a lot of people, Derek Reiff realized if you’re going to make pizza for pick-ups, Detroit fares better than Neapolitan. Thus, a pandemic pivot ...
Modernist Pizza
07 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After more than four years, the team from Modernist Cuisine outside of Seattle has produced an impressive body of work on all things pizza. Modernist ...
Shardell Dues - Red Sauce Pizza (Portland, OR)
24 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Shardell Dues has worked for some of the best pizza makers in Portland, Oregon, but she's also spent time studying butchery - a skill few of her peers...
Scott Rivera - Scottie's Pizza Parlor (Portland, OR)
10 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Scott Rivera has always longed for the Brooklyn pizzas of his childhood, even when he was growing up in New Mexico. His passion got the best of him, a...
Sarah Minnick - Lovely's Fifty Fifty (Portland, OR)
26 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Minnick knew she had to tackle bread making if she was ever going to improve her pizza crust. The quest for a better dough took her down a long ...