Pizza

Since 2017, Steve has made it his mission to find Chicago’s best pizza, and debunk the myth that all Chicagoans eat enormous, stuffed pies with two layers of dough. His thesis has always been Chicago is a thin pizza town – specifically, a tavern thin one, with pies cut into squares. His first book, “Pizza City USA,” tackled the issue head-on. He tasted 185 pizzas over the course of six months, settling on 101 of the region’s best pies. Breaking them into 10 different categories, he began creating a new way for Chicagoans to discuss pizza. His second book, “The Ultimate Chicago Pizza Guide” includes recipes, gluten-free recommendations, local beer pairing tips and updates the list with 50 new places (mostly in the city) pizza fans definitely need to try.

In 2022, he launched Pizza City Fest in Chicago, with subsequent events in Los Angeles and in 2024, he’s adding Nashville. These two-day events bring together 40 of the region’s best pizzerias, all baking live on electric and wood fired ovens for a crowd of approximately 2,500 each day.