Pizza Talk

I think of Shawn Randazzo and Jeff Smokevich as the Harvard and Yale of Detroit-style pizza (which is a geographically ridiculous analogy — perhaps the Lincoln and the Cadillac of Detroit-style pizza?).  You’ll learn why they are the kings of this court over the next few days, as this week we are dedicating all the slots to a series of master classes on Detroit-style pizza by the guys who helped…Read More…

I think of Shawn Randazzo and Jeff Smokevich as the Harvard and Yale of Detroit-style pizza (which is a geographically ridiculous analogy — perhaps the Lincoln and the Cadillac of Detroit-style pizza?).  You’ll learn why they are the kings of this court over the next few days, as this week we are dedicating all the slots to a series of master classes on Detroit-style pizza by the guys who helped…Read More…

Scott is back with another very cool, colorful box, this time from Paris, France. As you will see, it captures the essence of pizza delivery in a bustling city, in a simple yet elegantly designed box. As always, these boxes open our eyes and minds to an important part of popular culture, and Scott is the perfect guide to help us navigate through this contemporary art form. PS Don’t forget…Read More…

Phil Korshak is one of my favorite people.  I interviewed him a few years ago on Pizza Quest and it was one of the most enjoyable interviews I ever did. Here’s a link to it if you want to check it out and be thoroughly entertained.  But that was then and this is now and Phil has moved on, from Austin, TX, where he ran the legendary Home Slice Pizza,…Read More…

John Arena and Brian Spangler, our Pizza Yodi’s, both passionately love calzones, so they decided to have a little throw down in this episode and show us two distinct ways to make a traditional calzone: baked and deep fried. As always with the Yodi’s, this episode is like a Master Class in technique, history, and context (did you know that the word refers to a pair of baggy pants? I…Read More…

Scott has done it again, this week bringing us a box that clearly took a lot of thought to create: The Ventit Box. It has a unique series of slats and vents that allow steam to escape without cooling down the pizza and, well, it will be interesting to see if it is affordable enough to get traction in this ever-growing pizza-to-go world. This box led us into an ever-green…Read More…

When the Covid pandemic first struck big time, one of the first casualties was the much beloved, annual International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Just days before it was set to begin in late March, the organizers had to reluctantly pull the plug (as we heard from the executive director of the Expo, Pete Lachapelle, on an earlier episode of Pizza Talk). In response, pizza consultant and entertainment events producer…Read More…

Justin DeLeon is the king of the Crown Pizza! He owns Apollonia’s Pizza in  the heart of downtown Los Angeles and I found out about him from none other than Nancy Silverton, who you may recall talked him up in her Pizza Talk interview earlier this year. A former (and current) professional photographer, Justin brings together his love of art and composition with his passion for pizza, and creates some…Read More…

Glenn Roberts is a culinary rock star, not as a chef or a pizza maker or restaurant operator but as one of the most important influencers of our generation. He calls himself a “tractor donkey,” because he thinks of himself as a schlepper on behalf of farmers everywhere. He is a saver of (saviour of, really) heirloom and heritage seeds and his company, Anson Mills, has brought more landrace and…Read More…

Many of you probably already follow him on social media, where his photos of his amazing, inspirational breads have helped pushed the boundaries regarding the possibilities of artisan bread. CEOR means “sourdough” in Hebrew, and Guy Frenkel is Ceor, the man behind the curtain. But, now he has a new project– two actually. The first involves Guy’s vision to do for simple pita bread what he’s done for crusty hearth…Read More…