Dino: Pizza master

Imagine strolling the streets of Naples and coming across a local pizzeria. A young man is tending to the ovens, wielding his pizza paddle. That could well have been chef and pizza expert, Dino Santonicola. The Naples native performs the same culinary tasks at Bethesda’s new pizzeria, Pizzeria da Marco. Considering that Santonicola started his kitchen career at the age of 13 in a neighborhood pizzeria, it is no wonder that his pizza skills are in demand. “I started in a pizza place down the street from my home,” he explained. “I was just hanging out there and the staff were friends. I asked if I could help out in the kitchen.”