Auggie Russo began Tiny Pizza Kitchen during the pandemic, baking curbside in Brooklyn. Everything in full view. Every customer a conversation. He hated being stuck in the kitchen — so he made sure there was no wall between him and the people eating his pizza.
Now he's found his home. Inside Ralph's Bar & Bowling — a 92-year-old former hotel and bar in Big Indian, in the heart of the Catskills. He built every inch of this kitchen with his own two hands. Single-handedly fires 64 pizzas on a cold winter day. Every pie a 90-second bake at 900°F.
The dough is 48-hour fermented. The recipes come from his Neapolitan grandmother. The toppings range from classic to unexpected — fresh-picked herbs, pomegranate, lemon. Auggie jumps up to greet every guest as they leave. This is not a transaction. This is feeding people.