Chris Pandel - Zarella (Chicago)

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 eventually moved to the West Side, working for a different pizzeria, then eventually returned to the East Side, when he bought the business in 2003. It wasn't easy. Kabatas had to learn English, and figure out how to stay afloat in a very competitive environment, but now more than 20 years on, his business is thriving. Note: this is the FINAL show of 2025 and for our podcast. I've decided after seven years, we've covered pretty much all there is to say about pizza right now. I hope you've enjoyed this run, we sure have.

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 sibling pizzeria to his cafe on the East Side of the city, where they make an East Coast-inspired pizza that will knock your socks off.

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 former post office in the suburb of Hyde Park into allday pizza, one of the best pizza places in the city, and definitely a must-visit if you're ever in Austin.

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 York's Lower East Side. He spent 9 years in San Francisco, with stints in New Jersey as well. But now Mangieri is firmly in control of his craft, limiting the offerings to just a half dozen each night with a few simple starters and a pair of desserts. It's truly a Neapolitan worth the journey. (Note: we are re-airing this episode on Oct. 3, 2025, since Una Pizza recently came in #1 in the U.S. and tied for #1 in the world, on the 50Top Pizza list.)

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 and baking with precision from a seaside restaurant in the town of Zandvoort, about 30 minutes west of Amsterdam. Piatti on the Beach is certainly a one-of-a-kind pizzeria in the middle of nowhere, but very close to the F1 track.

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 operation on Toronto's East Side, where a sourdough starter is the key to a unique pie.

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 artisan and an even thinner tavern. Pandel tackled the latter, and he's damn proud of the results.

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 their crunchy slices each day at Capriccio in the Lincoln Square neighborhood.

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 was one of the first Midwest transplants to open a Detroit style pizzeria in L.A. with Detroit Pizza Depot.

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 admirable. We discovered his sourdough pizza at Marlow, in an upcountry mall, where the menu has lots of highlights.