MARCH 2025
March is Women in Pizza Month! Cheers to all the nonnas, mamas, wives, daughters, workers, and entrepreneurs who keep the dough twirling. The first slice goes to these local ladies making history in the Richmond, Virginia pizza scene.
Black Olive Pizzeria RVA. 13 W. Broad St.
LaChan Toran, Owner. The Black Olive RVA has opened in the former Switch spot on Broad Street, owned by LaChan Toran of MaryLou’s Soul Dining Experience. The new pizzeria features a fusion of Hip-Hop, R&B, and Italian-inspired cuisine, live music and DJs. Early favorites include the “Carrollini” with red sauce, pepperoni, and pesto, and “The Wire” pizza with white sauce, jumbo lump crab, and Old Bay pesto. Reservations are available online now.
Franny’s
279 Bay Ave, Highlands, NJ.
821 W. Cary St. Richmond, VA
Mya Anitai Owner/Chef. An out-of-town update on Mya Anitai, an alum of Richmond’s beloved pizza players, Mama Zu (RIP) and Dinamo (which she still owns). Anitai moved to the New Jersey highlands in 2020 and bought a popular local spot with over 40 years of history, Francesco’s Italian Restaurant. She bought it from long time owner Giorgio Migliaccio. After rebranding it “Franny’s,” after the local nickname for the spot, She quickly stole the hearts of pizza lovers there, keeping some beloved red and cheesy items from the old menu and adding some fresh items and personal favorites from Dinamo. Franny’s is now a casual, family-friendly beach spot with hand-stretched NY style, Sicilian style, and classic crispy oil-pressed square grandma-style pizzas. Being in “The Garden State,” their menu features seasonal toppings, local purveyors, and impressive plant-based and gluten-free options.
“I learned from Ed (Vasaio, of 8 ½, Mama Zu, Dinamo) to use quality ingredients and they will showcase themselves,” says Anitai. Her favorite at Franny’s is the “Granny Tri Pie” with classic marinara, fresh basil pesto and vodka sauce— that is only available in the summer. At Dinamo, she goes for a “white pie with thin red onion and anchovy.”
Tarrant’s Downtown 1 W. Broad St.
Tarrant’s West 11129 Three Chopt Rd.
Liz Kincaid, CEO, RVA Hospitality. Liz Kincaid, a veteran of the Richmond restaurant scene and CEO of RVA Hospitality, presides over some of the city’s upscale pizza options. Tarrant’s Downtown features a charming and historic ambiance with dark booths and chandeliers, along with pizza and calzones. Kincaid started as a waitress at Tarrant’s around the same year their secret backdoor pizza spot, Tarrantino’s, gained popularity, leading to the addition of pizza to the main menu. Tarrant's offers 10” and 18” hand-stretched crusts and a gluten-free option. Kincaid says their standout offering is now 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. Less than a year ago, Wright took over as head chef after working her way up from line cook. She has spent the last few years at Tarrant’s learning the pizza game with their pizzaiolo, Anthony Edmonds, and making dough fresh daily. A recent trip to Vegas inspired her to deep dive into the world of elevated pizza and start exploring toppings like purple potatoes and sweet Thai chili 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, 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 eggs, cheddar, mozzarella, and mornay sauce is a brunch menu favorite. Kincaid’s personal favorite? She quips, “I’m the monster that orders a pizza with half pepperoni and jalapeño for my dinner and half pineapple for my dessert.”
Another of Kincaid’s restaurants, Bar Solita, is on a pizza hiatus. Their chimney caught on fire last year after a neighbor threw trash down from the roof. Since the fire, Kincaid and her partners have been working with the Fire Marshall and a chimney repair company in hopes of getting the pizza oven fired up again.
Zorch
2923 W. Cary St. and 7524 Forest Hill Ave.
Shayla Thomas, General Manager, has worked with Zorch since their food truck days. Now she keeps both locations of Zorch running smoothly. Her favorite pizzas: Grandma style and Chicken n Zaffles.
Maddie Chapman, Bar Manager & Event Coordinator, joined the business in June 2021. She has coordinated with Väsen Brewing to create two collaborative beers and can even be found in the kitchen helping to make pies from time to time.
Emily Anderson, Kitchen Manager, was hired as a waitress but took it upon herself to learn pizza and fell in love with the kitchen life. Emily has used her passion to create award-winning vegan pizza for the brand.
Anna Morgan, Head Chef, loves experimenting with pizza both at work and at home. She became the head chef when Zorch opened its second location, and now creates all their sandwiches, appetizers, and pizzas.
Leah Milligan, Carytown Front of House Supervisor, keeps the bar stocked with beer, wine and specialty cocktails. A perfect drink pairing can make a pizza sing.
Dani Short, Carytown Head Pizza Maker. Her favorite pizza is the Sausage Bungalow- a margherita-style pizza with caramelized onions and sausage. Dani has worked in the restaurant industry since she was 17 years old. She brings humor and experience to her kitchen.
1301 W. Leigh St.
Jordan Noë and Miriam Cooper both started as pizza makers at Hot for Pizza in 2022. Noë is a pizza parlour veteran of 6 years with a passion for her “animal babies,” tattooing, and tattoo history. Cooper, the Kitchen Manager, is also a baker and artist. She says her favorite pizza is “Cornmeal Chicago with extra sauce and cheese.” That’s an 8” Chicago-style deep-dish pie with a cornmeal crust found only on HFP’s secret Sunday menu.
Pizza Bones 2314 Jefferson Ave.
Ashley Patino, Owner/Chef. Patino and her crew are the reigning pizza queens of Richmond. Patino’s tender, tart, and chewy San Francisco-inspired sourdough crust, playful wine pairings, and pop-ups make this one of the top pizza places in the city. Pizza Bones is also a weekly devotional stop for coffee and pastry for many in Church Hill. Top quality natural and local ingredients are sourced from SubRosa, Mayor Meats, and various local farms are featured on her seasonal menu. Delightful vegan options make it a pizza party for all.
Chef Annie Lynch joined the Pizza Bones crew day one. Patino says, “Annie is well-traveled and moves with patience and grace.” Her favorite pizza: classic cheese right out of the oven.
St. Louis native Kelsey Baker, sous chef, goes for Pizza Bones’ Gooey Butter Cookies. Baker brings 15 years of experience to the team, having worked in savory and pastry after culinary school. Patino says, “Kelsey works hard and has fun doing it, enjoying learning along the way. Her favorite date is April 25th.” Nice. Like the perfect pizza, not too hot or too cold.
From the front and back of the house, and elbow-deep in dough, these women’s work brings the magic of this phenomenal food to life. Stop by your favorite local pizza spot and show some love for the ladies.
*a version of this was published in Richmond Magazine.
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