PPTC Member Spotlight: Miriam Weiskind
Miriam Weiskind, delivering one of her homemade pizzas
July’s second member spotlight is on PPTC member (and pizza-maker extraordinaire!) Miriam Weiskind. Miriam joined PPTC for the running, but she’s currently busy spreading her love of pizza around Brooklyn (and beyond). She admits she’s never tried a Da Nonna Rosa pie (!), but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t make her own that rivals some of New York’s best. Read on for how she started her new passion project...and for her recs on the best slices in the city.
You got into pizza making as a career change. What did you do before?
I was a freelance Creative Director focusing on brand strategy, branding and marketing.
Where were you working before you started making pies from your apartment?
I had three different jobs: I was (and still am) operating my design company, mdoubleu, and worked as a pizzaiolo at Paulie Gee’s in Greenpoint, as well as running corporate pizza tours with Scott’s Pizza Tours. I’ve actually been a tour guide for him every Friday for the past 7+ years. It was a fun “side job” I took on because of my love for pizza, and it allowed a nice break from the high demands of running my design studio (solo!)
What was the biggest challenge in scaling down your design business to work from home?
Most clients shut down [their offices], so the work stopped right away. For pizza? The biggest challenge for me has been food storage...and working in a much smaller kitchen.
Describe how your idea to sell/give away pies during COVID came about.
I had a really bad week three weeks into COVID where I couldn’t get unemployment to go through, and feared being alone forever due to the virus. A friend of mine told me I had a choice to make: either sulk and stay depressed, or take this time as an opportunity to do something with my life and come out better on the other side. A lot of my neighbors had also lost their jobs and I missed baking pizza, so I put up a menu by the mailboxes and started baking pizzas for everyone, for free.
How did you spread the word, come up with pricing, etc?
A friend asked if he could sponsor a pie/pay a pie forward to help me pay for supplies. Then they told friends...and the rest is history.
Miriam’s side hustle (featured in the NYT!)
The pies are 100% free for anyone who lost their job, is a frontline worker, or just having a tough emotional time right now. When people ask to pay, I tell them there is a suggested amount on the menu, but to donate whatever they’d like. I set super low prices in order to give everyone a break. What most pizzerias would charge $18-25 for, I suggest a $10-14 donation.
What types of pies do you make?
I offer wood-fired pizza and Sicilian pies. The dough for round pies takes three days to make, so those orders are limited to only 14 pies per day. Sicilian is one per night. I also sell it in individual square slices on Saturdays.
Everything has been by word of mouth and Instagram (via @thezareport). I am old school and have people DM me to place an order. First come first serve.
What has the response been thus far?
Incredible! I have a lot of people request to order more the same night. They tell their friends, and so on. I’m pretty sure I am feeding most of PS10 right now, and kids just sweeten the deal even more. The NYT just wrote a piece about my pizza, so I have a feeling the week long waitlist for pizzas might increase just a tad.
Do you plan to continue with this once restaurants open?
I am going to go back and bake at Paulie Gee’s 1-2x per week, but with COVID and crime, I have to drive there instead of taking the train. The tours aren’t happening like they used to, so my plan is to do pop-ups and private events and then gradually open my own spot.
I heard you're donating pizzas for PPTC's food runs, and also as a reward for the Al Goldstein virtual 5ks - is that true?
I am! Come grab those free pies! I’m also offering the VRAT group a free pie for every 100 miles logged.
A sampling of Miriam’s most popular pies.
@thezareport’s pizza menu! Contact Miriam on Instagram to place an order.
Is pizza your favorite post-run food? If not, what's your favorite indulgence?
Don’t disown me, I just joined… but I LOVE deep dish pizza for a post race treat. It’s high in protein and perfect for muscle recovery! For my SUPER big races, I get a double decker burger from The Dram Shop.
What's your favorite NYC pizza?
[gasp] I can’t possibly answer that! But I can give you some Brooklyn pizzerias to check out because it’s all about sharing the pizza love in our community: Luigi’s on 5th Ave and 20th street for a stand-up slice. Gio is The Godfather of pizza and knows everything. Never question him! I also love Numero 28 on 7th. They are the ONLY wood-fired pizzeria to offer reheats on solo slices. Then there is Sam’s on Court Street. He has been there over 85 years, and they use a coal-fired oven converted to gas for what will become one of the most insane cheese pizzas of your life. Most people walk past it, but know you know the secret!
And one last one…Sottocasa on Atlantic is a great tasting simple Neapolitan pizzeria at a great price. They’ve been around for 10 years. A lot of these places have inspired me so enjoy! True story: I have never eaten Da Nonna Rosa’s ravioli slice!
Text by: Miriam Weiskind
Edited by: Janet Gottlieb
Photos courtesy of: Miriam Weiskind
Produced by: Alison Kotch