Native Italians Antonio Matarazzo and chef Matteo Venini teamed up to open their first Stellina Pizzeria in 2019 in DC’s NoMa Union Market neighborhood. Even today, the rough edges of this lively, vibrant ‘hood are barely sanded down. So props to these two for their pioneering spirit, opening the first Union Market pizzeria. Stellina now has three additional locations in DC and Virginia.
Stellina has accumulated many accolades. These include rankings in 50 Top World Artisan Pizza Chains guide (#24 in 2025, and #40 in 2024), and Michelin Bib Gourmand awards for quality and value. Additionally, Stellina’s press clippings page lists more local hottest and bestest awards. The problem with such recognition is that it tends to inflate a restaurant’s ego. Beware any restaurant, like Stellina’s, with a web page of press clippings. Fear any restaurant website, like Stellina’s, with a self-congratulatory pop-up window that the user must click to close.
Much like Il Canale, another Italian Pizzeria1 with too much self-esteem, Stellina sets high expectations that are impossible to meet. Apparently, these proprietors have never heard the adage, undersell and overdeliver.
Before addressing a few nits, it’s time for the pizza review, DishingPizza’s raison d’être.
Looks like a beautiful, perfect pizza, right? The crust is nicely blistered, and the pizza is properly prepared. Sadly, however, the crust floppiness is so extreme that even eating a small slice of this pizza requires two hands until it’s finished down to the chewy, pillowy crust. Yes, wood-fired pizza is a high-wire act and exceedingly difficult to perfect. However, this degree of crust limpness is unacceptable, especially for a pizzeria ranked and bragged about as one of the top chains in the world.
Aside from the crust2, the pizza is delicious, with flavorful San Marzano sauce, and high-quality mozzarella and olive oil. And ignoring the flop, the high-hydration crust is flavorful, if lacking tang.
Upon finishing its small pie, DishingPizza noticed another table with a much larger pizza. Turns out that Stellina, at least the Union Market location, has a separate Americana menu with 18-inch non-wood-fired pizzas. It’s unclear if this is a secret3 menu, but these pizzas are unadvertised and the server neglected to provide a menu that included them. Loyal followers have read ad nauseam about DishingPizza’s wood-fired pizza aversion and can probably imagine DishingPizza’s irritation upon learning an alternative was readily available.
Stellina’s good:
- Stellalina’s waitstaff are uniformly friendly and prompt.
- The restaurant uses attractive ceramic plates, nice glassware, and heavy silverware, contributing to its upscale casual vibe.
- The pizzas are prepared with high-quality ingredients.
- Indoors, the color motif is dominated by bold red and clean white, creating a fun, vibrant atmosphere. The red-and-white tiling, modern furniture, and whimsical wall decor create a lively, stylish setting.
- The patio at the Union Market location offers a nice vantage point to a colorful, diverse, urban street scene.
If Stellina’s pizza was out-of-this-world great, DishingPizza would be tempted to overlook these other imperfections. Alas.
Stellina’s not-so-great:
- The wood-fired pizzas measure 11 inches, not 12 inches as advertised4. Pizza dough may contract in the oven, but the advertised size is commonly understood to reflect the finished product.
- After this cold, difficult winter, it’s possible Stellina hasn’t yet gussied up their unbecoming Union Market patio.
- Stained and torn paper menus and wine lists give a first impression of dinginess and a tired restaurant.
- Stellina’s recipes web page lists some incomplete pizza recipes that don’t even mention the dough.
Stellina is resting on its laurels. In the competitive DMV pizza landscape, laurels alone don’t cut the dough.
Stellina Pizzeria
Union Market – 399 Morse St. NE, Washington, DC 20002
Mt. Vernon – 508 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20001
Shirlington – 2800 S Randolph Street, Suite 130, Arlington, VA 22206
Tyson’s Corner – 1610 Capital One Dr, Tysons, VA 22102
Style: Wood-fired, Neapolitan
Pizza Quality: 🍕🍕
Overall experience: ⭐⭐
Pie (11″ round): $18
Price per square inch: $0.19
- DishingPizza hates to stereotype, which means that DishingPizza loves to stereotype, but what’s up with these egomaniacal Italian pizza dudes? ↩︎
- Querying about pizza with a deficient crust is like asking, Aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play? ↩︎
- Adding to the element of secrecy, DishingPizza chatted with a pizzaiolo, asking if the 18″ pizzas were baked in their Marra Forni wood-burning oven. He sheepishly said that they’re baked around the corner in a steel deck oven, out of customers’ sight. ↩︎
- Yes, DishingPizza, equipped with its own tape measure, is certain about this. ↩︎