east washington life
A Love Affair with Pizza by Jonathan Bardzik
I
love pizza. Truly, truly love pizza. I have not, however, always loved Washington, DC pizza. When I moved to town 17 years ago from New England, I found the pizza scene more than a bit lacking. But over the last few years. I have discovered DC pizza worthy of my love and this past Valentine’s Day I discovered one of the reasons why. I spent Valentine’s Day at Stellina Pizzeria for their From Capri with Love event. My friend and fellow cookbook author Amy Riolo organized the event with owners Antonio Matarazzo and Chef Matteo Venini along with Ristorante D’Amore Capri’s Executive Chef Pasquale Rinaldo and Pizzaiolo Antonio Fusco who had just arrived in the US to cook at the James Beard House a few days prior. Riolo is an expert on all things pizza. As a Brand Ambassador for the Pizza University and Culinary Arts Center (pizzauniversity. org) in Beltsville, MD, she also writes blog posts and teaches classes on the subject. When choosing great pizza, Riolo says, you have to first figure your “pizza personality,” or at a minimum, what you’re in the mood for. Today in the DC area there are as many styles of pizza as there are toppings, and some pizzerie actually identify themselves by the style they prefer – which makes the selection process easier. For example, if you know you like super-crunchy crust, then try Neo- Neapolitan. If you like traditional, go for Neapolitan, or if you prefer your pie filled with lots of toppings, then go for Chicago or Detroit. (Want to know the details behind the differences in style? Check out Amy’s blog post on pizza styles at pizzauniversity.org. Until recently, says Riolo, DC was not known as a pizza-lover’s dream destination. “But that has changed thanks to many pas-
Stellina serves up Neo-Neopolitan pizza and classic, crisp fried bites in their Union Market pizzeria.
34
E a s t o f t h e R i v er D C N e w s . c o m
Above: Stellina Pizzeria owners Antonio Matarazzo and Chef Matteo Venini serve it up Neo-Neopolitan during a celebration of Capri with pizza expert Chef Amy Riolo, Executive Chef Pasquale Rinaldo and Pizzaiolo Antonio Fusco. Photo: Nandor Nagy
sionate consumers, restaurateurs, and the Marra Family.” The Marra family, originally from Naples, Italy, founded Marra Forni (marraforni.com) in Maryland. The leading US manufacturer of custom brick ovens, their ovens provide local pizza restaurants with the tools they need for success. In 2018, the Marra Family also opened The Pizza University and Culinary Arts Center to teach not only the art of pizza making, but also integral knowledge about the pizza-business to anyone looking to open a successful pizzeria. “Our mission is to offer the most comprehensive pizza-making and business operation information in the industry. Authen-
