By Madison Blinn
Finding good pizza in Pittsburgh isn’t hard. But what if you’ve never heard of the best pizza in town? Meet Eddie Stalewski, @Eddiespizza412 on Instagram, an incredibly knowledgeable at-home pizza genius cooking up beautiful and drool-worthy ‘zas.
From the piled-high toppings and perfect pepperoni cups to the quality ingredients and unique flavor combinations, it’s clear Stalewski’s pizzas are not only made with care, they are made to perfection.
So, who is Eddie Stalewski? He’s an everyday guy who loves pizza. Loves it so much, he wanted to perfect it himself.
As long as he can remember, Stalewski has been a connoisseur of pizza.
“When I was little, my mother, who was a great cook, would make the family dinner and most nights after dinner I would go and get a pizza from my local pizzeria. Pizza on Friday and Saturday was pretty much a sure thing with my friends too,” he says.
Pizza not only was Stalewski’s favorite food as a child, it still is today. He didn’t only like eating pizza, he was fascinated by how it was made, the people who made it, the toppings used … and the works.
As he got older he tried his hand at making his own. Stalewski admits it was quite the process. With his family and friends as taste testers, Stalewski’s very first pies were just OK, he says. Eventually, they became quite tasty, but there were a lot of flubs along the way.
It wasn’t until Stalewski received a gift card to Crate & Barrel that he was able to launch his pizzas from “quite tasty” to “to die for.”
About eight years ago, Stalewski wandered into a Crate & Barrel and found himself geeking out at shelves filled with tons of pizza accessories: pizza pans, pizza peels, pizza cutters and his favorite book, “The Pizza Bible” by Tony Gemignani.
Stalewski used his gift card — and then some — to buy new toys and a book he couldn’t seem to put down. He read it front to back, back to front, and would sometimes fall asleep with it.
He was pizza-obsessed. He made it his mission to make every recipe in the book and boy, did that pay off. He learned about different pizza styles, making dough, the assembly, and insider secrets from an author who was a 13-time World Pizza Champion.
Today, Stalewski can make Sicilian, Neapolitan wood-fired, tavern-style or Detroit-style pizza — and even a handful of award-winning pies. He attends competitions throughout the country and even won the 2022 International Pizza Expo’s Best Non-Traditional Pizza, Northeast Region award for his tavern-style pizza with mozzarella, giardiniera, homemade sausage, pepperoni roses, garlic oil, homemade basil pesto and peppadews.
He can do it all. From classic combos to artisan recipes with unique ingredients, there’s one thing for sure, once I sunk my teeth into a slice of Stalewski’s pizza, I never wanted to go back.
Stalewski has an active Instagram account with more than 100,000 followers. Between the cheese pulls and the sizzling sound of piping hot pizza, he’s worth the follow.
Admittedly, Stalewski did not expect this type of attention on social media when his daughter created the account for him and quite frankly, still doesn’t totally understand it.
“I can’t believe people want to take pictures with me and my pizzas like I am some famous celebrity. It is crazy to me,” he says.
And it’s even more astonishing when he hears, “This is the best pizza I’ve ever had in my life.” Which happens a lot. He’s just a kind-hearted, humble guy from Hampton Township with a knack for pizza.
