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 offer two very distinct styles of pizza and both are incredible. Chris and his crew are going to be featured at Pizza City Fest LA this weekend, where they'll be showing off a very unique pie. He previews it for us on this week's show. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pizzacity/support ..read more

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 had a cult following, but now that Barris and his team have taken over, they've changed very little (just the sauce), keeping the same all-natural starter intact and employing four different flours. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pizzacity/support ..read more

Jeff Berris 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 had a cult following, but now that Berris and his team have taken over, they've changed very little (just the sauce), keeping the same all-natural starter intact and employing four different flours. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pizzacity/support ..read more

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 way. I spoke with a few attendees about why they made the trip. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pizzacity/support ..read more

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 opened in a near suburb of Chicago (Berwyn). Zotta's dad, Joe Salerno, founded the business with his brothers, but since he passed away recently, she has been tasked with keeping the tradition alive. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pizzacity/support ..read more

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.A. It didn't take long to realize he had to pivot. Today his pizza at Hot Tongue in Silver Lake (both vegan and meat-friendly) is among the best in the city, due mainly to his remarkable dough recipe (with four flours!). --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pizzacity/support ..read more

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 Outta Sight, a NYC-style pizzeria in the Tenderloin. Convincing locals that it's OK to re-heat slices to-order took some getting used to! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pizzacity/support ..read more

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 life-changing trip he took to Italy years ago, where all they had was an oven. Strutz still uses an all-natural starter and his staff pulls mozzarella curds each day. Serious Old School in Tennessee! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pizzacity/support ..read more

Jenny Olbrich has had a multi-faceted career - from private chef to designer...eventually landing in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, at The Esters - a bar and restaurant with a tidy pizza program. She talked about her path, and how she managed to crank out hundreds of pies at a time in a kitchen the size of a walk-in closet. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pizzacity/support ..read more

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 in his native Louisville, so he decided to create something completely unique - a neo-Neapolitan style pizza based on an all-natural sourdough starter - and now Pizza Lupo is one of the best places to grab a pie in all of Bourbon Country. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pizzacity/support ..read more