There was a lot of fuss over the May opening of Bethesda's Pizzeria da Marco that was importing both its domed brick oven and its pizzaiolo from Naples. Now, a mere three months later, chef Dino Santonicola is officially on his way out. The pizzaiolo confirmed to Eater via e-mail that "Da Marco is up and running and doing well, so I decided to move on for a new adventure."
Santonicola says that his last day will be September 11, and that he's choosing from among three offers for his next project. Curiously, the restaurant's owner Alessandro Ferro said he had no knowledge of Santonicola's impending departure when reached by telephone this morning, so there's no word just yet on who might replace Santonicola at the Bethesda pizzeria.
Pizzeria da Marco has gotten some mixed reviews since it opened, and of course it was the Yelpers that led Santonicola to lash out against "closed-minded" pizza-eaters in an interview with the Feast just a week after the restaurant opened. Whether that played into the decision is anyone's guess. More details when they're available...
· Pizzeria da Marco [Official Site]
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