Wolfgang Puck Smoked Salmon Pizza. Credit: Antonio Diaz

Michelin Chefs Are Redefining Artisan Pizza: Inside the Trend

8 Minute read

08 Sep 2025

Jillian Dara

Journalist

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From Wolfgang Puck to Wylie Dufresne, Michelin-starred chefs are bringing fine-dining precision to casual pies. Here’s why artisan pizza has become the industry’s latest obsession.

Pizza is more popular than ever—particularly the wave of venues from Michelin-starred chefs spotlighting artisan slices and high-quality toppings. From Wylie Dufresne’s Stretch Pizza on Gramercy Avenue in Manhattan to Tom Kemble’s Spring Street Pizza, a New York–style spot in Southwark, London, the trend is clear. But in a world awash with overused buzzwords, what does artisan pizza really mean?

“Artisan means care,” says Wolfgang Puck, whose flagship restaurant Spago became famous for its laid-back California cuisine and later inspired more casual ventures like Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill across the country. “It means the dough is made by hand, the ingredients are thoughtfully sourced, and the person making the pizza loves what they do. It’s not about being fancy, it’s about being intentional.”

Though Puck was one of the pioneers of premium pizza, drawn to “the beauty of a casual concept opening doors to more people,” there has been a resurgence of pizza joints from Michelin-starred chefs. Their menus highlight high-quality, handmade ingredients and the attention to detail diners expect from fine dining, served in a more relaxed, rustic setting.

“We have several regulars we look forward to seeing every week,” says Wylie Dufresne of Stretch Pizza, noting that in fine dining most guests visit only a few times a year. “At this point in my life, having a place where people can come a couple of times a week is really appealing.”

Puck links the current resurgence to the post-Covid world, where “customers are craving comfort and also quality.” Chef Tom Kemble echoes that sentiment, recalling that during lockdown, when his restaurant was closed, he “fell down the rabbit hole of pizza making,” which ultimately inspired his new concept. “I purchased a Gozney Roccbox and spent three days making my first batch of pizza dough. Firing the first wonky pizza and sharing it with my wife and daughter in the garden reminded me of the ability cooking has to bring us all together,” he says.

At Stretch Pizza, the best-selling pies are plain and pepperoni, but one of Dufresne’s favorites was inspired by a bar down the street from his apartment. “We like to take inspiration from all around us—classic French dishes, sandwiches, dishes from past experiences,” he explains, noting the bar’s grilled Muenster cheese with mushrooms on pumpernickel bread, which inspired the flavors of their Old Town pie.

Kemble brings the same personal memories to his current menu, including a pan con tomate–inspired creation he first encountered on holiday in Île de Ré. “I started serving pan con tomate for lunch daily, washed down with a glass or two of chilled rosé. Each day I added something new—first anchovies, then basil, and finally burrata with more fruity olive oil. It’s a great combination of creamy, salty, and crunchy that translates perfectly into a pizza topping.”

At L’Amico in New York City, chef Laurent Tourondel riffs on a favorite from his upbringing in France, La Reine, which he has transformed into Pizza Francese. “It’s a popular pizza made with Emmentaler and Gruyère cheeses, French prosciutto cotto, onions, and mushrooms, finished with a spiced pili pili oil,” he explains.

For Puck, his bestseller was born of innovation: the smoked salmon pizza is a pie people still line up to order at Spago today—even if it’s not on the menu. The story goes that actor Joan Collins once ordered smoked salmon with brioche, but the kitchen was out of bread. “I improvised with a warm, crispy pizza crust, added a little dill cream, some red onions, a generous layer of smoked salmon, and finished it with chives,” recalls Puck. “She loved it, and before long, everyone was asking for it.”

All the chefs agree that high-quality ingredients elevate their pizzas without making them feel overdone, but the true star is the dough. “Any great pizzeria starts with the dough,” says Dufresne, noting that it’s important to help people understand your concept by staying consistent with your product. “Once you have that foundation, you can get creative with toppings,” adds Tourondel.

But how creative is too creative? The chefs largely agree that fruit has no place on pizza. “I don’t like sweets on pizza, like pineapple,” says Puck, with Tourondel concurring. Dufresne points to bananas—popular in Sweden—as something he would never put on his pies. And Kemble goes further, questioning the very idea of dessert pizza. “I have never understood them,” he says. “Surely a perfect scoop of gelato is the best way to end a meal?”

08 Sep 2025