Pielands team prepares for a busy National Pizza Day

ATLANTA - Atlanta restaurateur Billy Streck is a big fan of classic New York pizza and sub shops. You know, the kind of place where you can get a big, folded slice of pepperoni and cheese and a foot-long meatball sub filled with hearty marinara sauce. 

But flying back and forth to the Big Apple every time he had a craving wasn’t exactly convenient. So Streck decided to create his own shop, right in the heart of one of Atlanta’s most popular neighborhoods.

The result is Pielands Sub and Slice, located at 1021-1023 Virginia Avenue Northeast in Virginia-Highland. Open for lunch and dinner starting at 11 a.m. daily, Pielands has gained a loyal fanbase thanks to its menu of classic 16-inch round pies, square-pan pizzas, wings, salads, and subs. Among the pies on the menu are the Classic White (with mozzarella, ricotta, Pecorino Romano, parmigiano, and garlic butter sauce) and the Italian Stallion (with mozzarella, pepperoni, Italian sausage, peppers, onions, and mushrooms). And today, in honor of National Pizza Day, customers can pick up a large cheese pizza for just $10.

Of course, if you’ve ever been to any of Streck’s restaurants (including Standard Service in Gainesville and Hampton + Hudson in Inman Park, both Good Day favorites), you know atmosphere is an important element of the experience. At Pielands, the owner says the goal was to create a casual space that evokes the charm of those New York pizza shops; to that end, customers will find a jaw-dropping collection of pizza-themed stickers and vintage Ms. Pac-Man video game.

Now, here’s the truth: we’ve been waiting for a chance to spend the morning with Billy Streck and the team at Pielands — and since today is National Pizza Day, it felt like the right time to pop in and grab a slice…or three. Click the video player in this article to check out our morning getting a little taste of New York right here in Atlanta!