Paper Plane Pizza is Poppin’

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Ordering the right slices comes easy at Paper Plane as there are typically 5-6 different ones every day—Plane Jane, ‘Sconnie Special, Slice du Jour, Veggie and Meats. Obviously known for their pizza, this is also one of the only places in town to get garlic knots. Added bonus—theirs are vegan and you wouldn’t know the difference. 

Not limited to slices, the menu has different sizes of whole pies (you can also build your own from a variety of toppings), chow down on a hoagie, and be a little healthier with good salad options. Again, I wish I could consume more than I can in one sitting, but there will most definitely be return visits. 

Co-owner Milos Stevanovic says he got into pizza like everyone else did, as a kid eating a lot of it. Originally from Chicago, Milos got really into bread making over the years after not being able to find what he wanted at stores. After 13 types of flour, three different hydration methods, and trying with and without a starter, Milos finally got the perfect pizza dough recipe for what has become Paper Plane Pizza. It’s got the fluffy crust of New York style with the thin bottom that people in Milwaukee tend to like. The sauce is perfectly balanced between sweet and savory, and all the toppings are evenly spread across the slice.

Milos and I got to talking and his partner Dustin Drankiewicz happened to catch us just as I was finishing my slices. Both live in Chicago now, however Dustin is a South Milwaukee native. They met when Dustin hired Milos to manage the bar he owned in Chicago before the days of COVID. The three of us discussed the many differences in owning a small business in Milwaukee versus Chicago and it’s simply a no-brainer to start in a smaller market. However, I think they’ll be anything but small once people get word. 

While they’re in the 3rd Street Market Hall at the moment, they’re shopping around for a brick and mortar in Milwaukee and looking to make the move to live in Milwaukee full-time. Whichever neighbor they choose is a lucky one, that’s for sure. 

Their stand in the market is lucky to have a little bit of sunshine from the rooftop windows and is located directly across from the bar. For other 80s babies like me who frequented the mall in its heyday, you can also look up and spot that old monkey balancing his beers on a wire while enjoy a hot slice and cold beer.

Long gone are the days of eating pizza in the top-floor food court of the Grand Avenue Mall; here are the times of eating at gourmet food stands like Paper Plane Pizza.