Pizzeria di Lusso has its roots in New Jersey—and, more recently, at a pizza counter in Milwaukee.

Executive Chef Kyle Toner and partner Paul Damora both grew up in New Jersey, but they first crossed paths at the former Milwaukee restaurant Wolf Peach. Kyle was behind the counter making pizzas. Paul was on the other side eating them. Watching Kyle work, Paul turned to his wife, Jill, and said, “I can tell this guy is from Jersey.” Something about the mannerisms gave him away.

About five years later, Kyle and Paul teamed up to open Sorella in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood. Since 2020, Sorella has become known for its Italian cooking and wood-fired pizzas—but the two Jersey guys behind it never lost their affection for a very different kind of pizza.

The kind they grew up with.

Pies baked in a deck oven. Thin, crisp crusts. Saucy pan pies. Neighborhood pizzerias filled with families. The places they stopped into regularly and the pizzas that became part of birthdays, Friday nights and family traditions.

Those neighborhood pizzerias—and the memories made in them—are the inspiration behind Pizzeria di Lusso.

When Kyle and Paul found a home for Di Lusso on Oakland Avenue in Shorewood, the neighborhood immediately felt right. Its walkability, busy sidewalks and urban density reminded them a little of where they grew up—and of the kind of neighborhood where a great pizzeria belongs.

At Di Lusso, those memories come to the table in two distinct styles: thin-crust pizza inspired by Trenton-style and pan-baked Grandma-style pizza reminiscent of what an Italian grandma made in her kitchen, alongside unique starters, salads and housemade sweets. At the bar, guests will find craft cocktails, cold beer and a thoughtfully curated wine list.

Pizzeria di Lusso is the kind of place Kyle and Paul remember growing up with—made for Shorewood, with a little bit of Jersey.

Press