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Welcome back to Pizza Quest! One of Charlotte’s most successful pizzaeria operators, Grant Arons, is back with us as he is about to open, five minutes from my house, the fifth location of Inizio, his Neapolitan wood-fired concept that has captivated the city. This is in addition to the opening of a New York-(ish) Style pizzeria called Finale. Grant explains it all, including his vision and business model, in this…Read More…

Welcome back to Pizza Quest! The last we heard of Philip Korshak was when, in 2023, he closed his beloved Korshak’s Bagels, sending the city of Philadelphia into mourning, and then kind of dropped off the grid (with the exception of an occasional and instantly viral Instagram post). Well, the much-beloved man is back, right smack in the middle of the same South Philly Italian Market neighborhood where his sourdough…Read More…

Welcome back to Pizza Quest, Leo Spizzirri, Maestro of Pizza, is back, with all sorts of good news for us. He used to be known as “the greatest guy you never heard of” until his classes across the country, and especially at Pizza University, became legendary. His videos on Instagram and TikTok have turned him into an international celebrity and, now, having consulted for years behind the scenes for restaurants…Read More…

Welcome back to Pizza Quest!  The cottage bakery movement is a global phenomenon and we have here, in my hometown of Charlotte, NC, a shining example of a rising star of this movement. Doug and Kaitlin Rose, along with their “team” of four kids (ages 9-16), are cranking out amazing 100% sourdough breads and bagels (and other inventive sourdough products made with heirloom and ancient grain flours), from a small…Read More…

Welcome back to Pizza Quest! Every now and then we are fortunate to welcome back the legendary John Arena, who I refer to as the Yoda of Pizza. Often, Brian Spangler of Portland’s Apizza Scholl’s, also joins us and we refer to the two of them as The Pizza Yodi’s. It’s one of our most popular series and always a lot of fun for me.  Well, Brian couldn’t make it…Read More…

Welcome back to Pizza Quest! When I first met Randy Clemens he was a seventeen-year-old guy looking for a purpose in life, something to sink his teeth into, and volunteering to be my assistant for a bread class I was teaching at Sur la Table in Los Angeles. Fast forward 23 years and join me as I catch up with Randy who, after writing three books (including the famous “The…Read More…

Welcome back to Pizza Quest! Kyle Ahlgren returns with some great news regarding the online baking courses he has created for Central Milling’s Artisan Baking Center. He’s also offering a special discount code for all Pizza Quest viewers and listeners (and your friends). In our conversation, Kyle takes us behind the scenes regarding what it involves to create these terrific baking courses with a number of the best teachers/bakers in…Read More…

Welcome back to Pizza Quest! NYC is a treacherous place to open a new pizzeria.  The competition is fierce and public is vocal and not always diplomatic. But the lure of reaching for holy grail of pizza is hard to resist, and now Chef Ian Coogan, formerly of Eleven Madison Park and the Jean George lineage of great chefs (among other top-tier mentors), and currently the culinary director at the…Read More…

Welcome back to Pizza Quest! Elizabeth Brasch is committed to delivering what she calls, “a higher order of pizza,” at Mellow Mushroom, where she serves as VP of Marketing and Menu Innovation. As anyone who has been to any Mellow Mushroom location knows, the notion of a pizzadelic experience is not at all far-fetched. And, for those who own their brands, this conversation with Elizabeth will be especially enlightening as…Read More…

Welcome Back to Pizza Quest! This week we welcome fellow podcaster Jimmy Carbone, host of HRN’s Beer Sessions podcast. Jimmy has been hosting his “convivial ale salon” on HRN (Heritage Radio Network) from the network’s earliest days, beginning about 15 years ago.  Peter recently was a guest of Jimmy’s on Beer Sessions, talking about the pizza/beer connection, so this time Jimmy returns the favor and joins us here to share…Read More…