Archives: Podcasts

Frank Pinello grew up in Brooklyn and Long Island, and aside from hearing it in his voice, you can tell how passionate he is about creating the best slices. His work with chefs like Nate Appleman and the opening team at Roberta’s were seminal experiences, but it was when they handed him the reigns to Best Pizza in Williamsburg, that he really came into his own as a pizza maker.

All-Purpose is one of D.C.’s best pizza places, and the pies are a result of owner Mike Friedman’s many experiences at restaurants along the Eastern Seaboard. Sourcing only the best flour, tomatoes and cheese, he has elevated the typical New York thin, deck oven baked pizza, by adding hydration and a solid three days of fermentation.

Scott Wiener started out working in the Department of Cultural Affairs in Hoboken, New Jersey, when an impromptu pizza tour for his birthday led to the creation of a full-time business. Today there are 65 pizzerias in the Scott’s Pizza Tours universe, with more than a dozen tours offered every week. On top of that, Scott leads demos, speaks to industry leaders and even holds the world record for the most number of pizza boxes. The man lives his brand. Steve talks to him about what he looks for in a proper NYC slice.

Tim Semmler and his wife, Lydia, have been running Tinder Hearth Bakery from their home in rural Maine for the past 13 years. More recently, they’ve added pizza. Toppings depend on what their local farmer sells them. The flour is from Québéc and the starter is all-natural. If you’re headed to Acadia National Forest, it’s a must-stop.

Brian Spangler has had a lot of jobs. Some in I.T., some in bread baking. But it’s the four year period while working in rural Oregon that laid the foundation for what would become Apizza Scholls in Portland. We met Spangler in the hills of Montana – at The Resort at Paws Up – where he was tasked with recreating his long-fermented dough and baking pies in ovens he wasn’t necessarily used to; no matter, he figured it all out and turned out some amazing pies.

There is a lot of discussion in New York about where “Grandma style” pizza came from, but the truth is, this thin Sicilian style of pan pizza has been around for a hundred years. A former cook from Umberto’s came up with the official name when entering a contest while employed at King Umberto, a mile or so away. The rest is, well, a complicated history. Steve sits down with Giovanni Cesarano to talk Grandmas, traditional slices and a mind-bending Roman al Metro that we can’t wait to get back and try again.

There are several Umberto’s locations on Long Island, but none more famous than the one in New Hyde Park, where generations of pizza lovers have visited over the years. It’s there where the pizza cooks began making a thinner Sicilian, one of them dubbing it “Grandma style.” Did they really invent it? Listen to Part 1 of our Umberto’s saga. We’ll also preview the NYC Pizza Festival (Home Edition) coming up April 24th and 25th.

Seaside, Florida is known for its pristine architecture and sandy beaches. “The Emerald Coast” – in Florida’s Panhandle – sees a lot of tourists, especially between the towns of Destin and Panama City. But the team behind Bud & Alley’s, a 35 year-old restaurant on the water, has also established a quaint pizza bar nearby. They sought help from a couple of Italian experts to create a Neo-Neapolitan pie amidst the ice cream shops and food trucks. Steve spoke with both the owner and the chef this week, about the challenges of creating these delicate, leopard-spotted pizzas, in a climate that can prove to be challenging yearround.

Steve talks with Marc Malnati, the President of Lou Malnati’s, Chicago’s most prolific deep-dish purveyor. Opened on St. Patrick’s Day, 1971, by his late father, they just opened a new store beneath Michigan Avenue and continue to slowly expand in Wisconsin. The company sells nearly six million pizzas a year, and are known as having a style of pizza based on the original source of authentic deep-dish in Chicago.

Tandy Wilson grew up in Nashville, went to culinary school and worked in Northern California, studying Mediterranean cooking, before exploring Italy’s cuisine and culture for an immersive education. He returned to his hometown, opening City House, in the Germantown section of Nashville in 2008. His wood-fired pies are unique, mainly due to what Wilson puts on top of them.