Earlier this year, The New York Times released its list of “22 of The Best Pizza Places in the United States,” and one Maryland restaurant made the cut: Little Donna’s in Baltimore.
Located at 1812 Bank Street, Little Donna’s is known for its tavern pies—pizzas with a thin, crispy crust, square cuts, and sauce and cheese that extend all the way to the edges. The restaurant offers a variety of unique pizzas, such as the Tomato Pie (with crushed tomato sauce, shaved garlic, wild oregano, and EVO), Taco Pizza (featuring housemade chorizo, green chili crema, shredded lettuce, crushed corn chips, and tomato salsa), and Bianca (with fresh ricotta, lemon-marinated greens, and sesame seeds).
Owner and chef Robbie Tutlewski, a Gary, Indiana native, brings a wealth of culinary experience to Little Donna’s. He studied at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago and has worked with some of the industry’s most renowned chefs. Before relocating to Washington, D.C., Robbie spent a decade in Phoenix, Arizona, where he collaborated with Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco, a key mentor and close friend. Their partnership led to the opening of several restaurants, where Robbie gained invaluable insights into the craft of making food with purpose and integrity.
In D.C., Robbie honed his skills at the acclaimed restaurant Tail Up Goat before deciding to open his own venture. Outside of cooking, Robbie has a passion for punk music and was once in a band humorously named “Sounds Like Sh*t.” Fortunately, he discovered his true calling in the kitchen, where he continues to nurture his passion for feeding others.
Cooking has been central to Robbie’s life since childhood, when he first learned to make pierogi with his grandmother, “Little Donna,” who was from Yugoslavia. Though he wasn’t initially enthusiastic about cooking, he was the only one allowed to assist her due to his small hands and patient nature, which made him perfect for handling the delicate dough.
Robbie grew up in a household where his grandmother prepared soup, bread, and pie daily. A true powerhouse at just 4 ½ feet tall, she worked tirelessly from sunrise until midnight to feed her family and ensure every guest left with leftovers. Her hardworking and generous spirit deeply influenced Robbie’s approach to cooking and hospitality.
As The New York Times’ Brett Anderson writes, “It isn’t surprising that Robbie Tutlewski decided to put soft-shell crab on pizza. Little Donna’s — which made The New York Times’s 2023 list of the nation’s most exciting restaurants – is in Baltimore, after all. Here, crab is an all-but-mandatory menu item. And the soft-shells really take to the treatment. They’re pan-fried, quartered and then scattered atop a cooked white pizza, where their buttery juices settle into the cheese. The seasonal special is just one example of how Mr. Tutlewski channels a lifetime’s worth of experiences through his pizzeria.”
