Erica Bell and everyone else at Double Zero Pie & Pub understand what it takes to succeed. The Chinatown pizza shop’s signature neo-Neapolitan pizzas, developed by award-winning pizzaiolo Michael Vakneen, have been hailed by critics and the international pizza community since the restaurant opened in the summer of 2023. Double Zero appeared on the prestigious 50 Top Pizza USA list in its first year of eligibility, and on Neon Feast’s list of Las Vegas’ Top Pizzerias even sooner than that — and has been consistently recognized by both organizations every year since. People in the know have known from the beginning that Double Zero delivers serious pizza.
Bell understands the dedication to quality and consistency required to impress those people, and the responsibility that comes with those honors. Since assuming the head pizzaiola position in addition to her general manager duties, she has continued to represent that award-winning vision of a modern spin on Neapolitan tradition.
“Chef Michael Vakneen taught me everything I know,” Bell says of those pizzas.
What People Want
But Bell also understands Las Vegas: how it eats, what it enjoys and what it expects from a neighborhood restaurant. And her understanding of what might be missing from the menu inspired her to expand that education.
“I’ve taught myself tremendously,” she recently told the Food and Loathing podcast. “I’ve been nose-deep in recipe books.”
One result of that research is the addition of 16-inch New York-style pizzas, made with a dough recipe Bell developed herself. It uses a blend of three Caputo flours and a three-day fermentation to produce a thin, crispy crust with plenty of chew.
“We’re maintaining the Neo-Neapolitan (with) Michael Vakneen’s dough, which is amazing,” she says. “So it was really wonderful and exciting for me to create my own.”
The New York pies aren’t intended to replace what made Double Zero special. They’re an expansion of what the restaurant can offer its community.
Bell fell in love with Neapolitan pizza after growing up on more familiar American styles. But she recognizes that not everyone has made that same journey. Some diners don’t know what neo-Neapolitan pizza is. Others see the characteristic leoparding on the crust and mistake it for something burned.
New York-style pizza, on the other hand, requires little introduction.
“It’s what people want,” Bell says. “It’s what people are most aware [of]. It’s safe, right? And it’s fun.”
Evolving For The Community
It’s also practical. The 16-inch pies give Double Zero something better suited to takeout, catering, parties and birthdays. And they helped create a lunch program designed to make the restaurant useful in a completely different way.
“We put ourselves in a niche,” Bell says of the original concept. “We have to evolve for our community. And we have to evolve to stay open as a business.”
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the New York pies are available by the slice, alongside smaller salads, sandwiches and lunch combos. The standout bargain is two cheese slices with a Double Zero Lager or craft soda for $12.
The evolution extends beyond pizza. Bell has broadened the all-day menu with baked pastas, including a white lasagna with mushrooms, ricotta and béchamel, as well as a charcuterie board and oven-baked wings. The beer program has expanded as well, balancing local brews with unusual selections for more adventurous beer drinkers.
Through all those changes, Bell hasn’t lost sight of the pizza that built Double Zero’s reputation.
“Our award-winning pizza is our Neo-Neapolitan style,” she says. “Come here, experience that char … and then wander right into the New Yorks and invite your friends and have a good time and drink some beer.”
For more with Erica Bell, listen to the August 14 episode of the Food and Loathing podcast, recorded on location at Double Zero Pie and Pub.
