The Cheese Board pizza from Pizza Bones, a special featuring Meadow Creek Dairy cheese, Castelvetrano olives, pickled grapes, almonds, mozzarella, rosemary and honey (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
In addition to Women’s History Month, March is Women in Pizza Month — cheers to all the nonnas, mamas, daughters, workers and entrepreneurs who keep the dough twirling. The first slice goes to these local women making their mark on the Richmond pizza scene.
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Pizza Bones owner Ashley Patino (Photo courtesy Pizza Bones)
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Annie Lynch, chef at Pizza Bones (Photo courtesy Pizza Bones)
Pizza Bones
2314 Jefferson Ave.
Owner Ashley Patino and her crew are the reigning pizza queens of Richmond. Patino is an alum of Sub Rosa and Tartine bakeries, and her tender, tart, chewy, San Francisco-inspired sourdough crust and playful wine pairings and pop-ups make her pizzeria one of the top spots in the city. Pizza Bones is also a weekly devotional stop for Union Hill neighbors seeking coffee and pastry on Saturday mornings. The shop sources top-quality natural and local ingredients from places including Sub Rosa Bakery and sausage purveyor The Mayor, and various local farms are proudly featured in seasonal pies. Delightful vegan options make it a pizza party for all.
Chef Annie Lynch joined the Pizza Bones crew on day one. Patino says, “Annie is well traveled and moves with patience and grace.” Lynch’s favorite pizza: “A classic cheese right out the oven,” she says.
St. Louis native and Pizza Bones sous chef Kelsey Baker’s treat of choice is the shop’s gooey butter cookies. Baker brings 15 years of experience to the team, having worked in both the savory and pastry realms after culinary school. Patino says, “Kelsey works hard and has fun doing it, enjoying learning along the way.”
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(From left) Shayla Thomas, general manager; Emily Anderson, kitchen manager; Anna Morgan, head chef; and Maddie Chapman, bar manager, at Zorch Pizza (Photo courtesy Zorch Pizza)
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Dani Short, head pizza maker at Zorch Pizza’s Carytown location. (Photo courtesy Zorch Pizza)
Zorch Pizza, Zorch Pizza Parlor
2923 W. Cary St., 7524 Forest Hill Ave.
General Manager Shayla Thomas has worked with Zorch Pizza since its inception as a food truck in 2018. Now, she ensures operations at the shop’s two brick-and-mortar locations run smoothly. Her favorite pies: Zorch’s Grandma-style and the breakfast-inspired Chicken n’ Zaffles.
Emily Anderson, kitchen manager, was hired as a waitress but took it upon herself to learn pizza and fell in love with the back-of-house operations. Anderson has used her passion for pies to create Zorch’s award-winning vegan offerings, which have earned the top spot for savory options in the annual Vegan72 competition.
Head chef Anna Morgan loves experimenting with pizza both on and off the clock. She stepped into the role of head chef after Zorch opened its second location on Forest Hill Avenue this summer, and she is responsible for helping to create the expanded menu, which features sandwiches and appetizers.
Bar Manager and Event Coordinator Maddie Chapman joined Zorch in June 2021. She has been integral in coordinating with Richmond-based Vasen Brewing Co. to create two collaborative beers. She can even be spotted in the kitchen helping make pies from time to time.
Dani Short is the head pizza maker at Zorch’s original Carytown outpost. Her favorite pizza is the Sausage Bungalow, a margherita-style pizza studded with caramelized onions and sausage. Dani has worked in the restaurant industry since she was 17 and brings a sense of humor and tenured experience to her kitchen.
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(From left) Pizza makers Jordan Noë and Miriam Cooper of Hot for Pizza (Photo courtesy Hot for Pizza)
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The Cornmeal Chicago pizza with extra sauce and cheese from Hot for Pizza (Photo courtesy Hot for Pizza)
Hot for Pizza
1301 W. Leigh St.
Jordan Noë and Miriam Cooper both started as pizza makers at Hot for Pizza in 2022. Noë is a pizza parlor veteran of six years, and she has a passion for baby animals, tattooing and tattoo history. Kitchen Manager Cooper doubles as a baker and artist. She says her favorite pie at Hot For Pizza is the “Cornmeal Chicago with extra sauce and cheese,” an off-menu, Sunday-only, 8-inch personal pie made with a cornmeal crust.
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Photo courtesy The Black Olive Pizzeria
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Photo courtesy The Black Olive Pizzeria
The Black Olive Pizzeria
13 W. Broad St.
The Black Olive Pizzeria recently opened in the former Switch space on Broad Street, the latest concept from owner LaChan Toran of Main Street’s MaryLou’s Soul Dining Experience. The pizzeria features a blend of hip-hop-, R&B-, and Italian-inspired offerings. Early guest favorites include the Carrollini, with red sauce, pepperoni and pesto, and The Wire, which features white sauce, jumbo lump crab and Old Bay pesto. Reservations can be made online.
(From left) Liz Kincaid, CEO of RVA Hospitality Group, and Reveca Martinez, executive chef at Tarrant’s West (Photo courtesy Tarrant’s)
Tarrant’s Downtown, Tarrant’s West
1 W. Broad St., 11129 Three Chopt Road
A veteran of the Richmond restaurant scene, RVA Hospitality (Tarrant’s, And Dim Sum, Bar Solita) CEO Liz Kincaid started at Tarrant’s Downtown (then Tarrant’s Cafe) as a waitress. Around the same time, the restaurant’s secret backdoor pizza spot, Tarrantino’s, began to gain in popularity. Pizza eventually became a permanent menu addition. Tarrant’s, which features a charming, historic ambiance with dark booths and chandeliers, offers 10- and 18-inch hand-stretched crusts and a gluten-free option. Kincaid says their standout offering is the Fig and Pig, featuring pulled pork, fig jam, arugula, mozzarella and balsamic drizzle.
Chef Ashley Wright of Tarrant’s Downtown has been working on a new pizza menu for this spring. Originally starting as a line cook, she has spent the last few years at Tarrant’s under the wing of their pizzaiolo, Anthony Edmonds, making fresh dough daily. A recent trip to Las Vegas inspired her to take a deep dive into the world of elevated pizza and start exploring toppings such as purple potatoes and sweet Thai chile chicken. She plans to bring striking new ideas and keep the honored classics. Wright says, “Pizza has to be good or people will dog you. You have to have a decent basic cheese pizza to start with; from there you can go anywhere.”
At Tarrant’s West, executive chef Reveca Martinez carries the pizza passion with unique specials and some favorites from the downtown pizza menu. The Breakfast Pizza with bacon, sausage, sunny-side up eggs, cheddar, mozzarella and Mornay sauce is a brunch menu favorite.
The Granny Tri Pie from Franny’s in New Jersey (Photo courtesy Franny’s)
An out-of-town update on Mya Anitai, an alum of Richmond pizza players Mamma Zu (RIP) and Dinamo (which she still owns): Anitai moved to the New Jersey highlands in 2020 and bought Francesco’s Italian Restaurant, a beloved spot with over 40 years of history, from longtime owner Giorgio Migliaccio. After rebranding to Franny’s, the nickname locals use, she quickly stole the hearts of pizza lovers, keeping reliable red and cheesy items from the old menu and adding some fresh touches and personal favorites from Dinamo. Franny’s has emerged as a casual, family-friendly beach spot with hand-stretched New York- and Sicilian-style pies and classic crispy, oil-pressed square grandma-style pizzas. Being in the Garden State, its menu features seasonal toppings, local purveyors, and impressive plant-based and gluten-free options.
“I learned from Ed [Vasaio, of 8 1/2, Mamma Zu, Dinamo] to use quality ingredients and they will showcase themselves,” Anitai says. Her go-to at Franny’s is the Granny Tri Pie, featuring classic marinara, fresh basil pesto and vodka sauce — it’s only available in the summer. At Dinamo, Anitai goes for a “white pie with thin red onion and anchovy.”
