Most kids love pizza, but few remain so steadfastly devoted that they make a career out of it. Then there’s Celine Eid, the chef-owner of Burlington’s recently launched La Di Da Pizza. “I’ve always been obsessed with pizza,” Eid said.
Eid, who is now in her thirties, said she encountered her first pizza stone at a friend’s house when she was 5 or 6 years old. Immediately, she begged her mom for one of her own. “I didn’t know you could make pizza in your own home. My world was blown,” she said.
That delight infuses the small neighborhood pizzeria Eid opened last September at 294 North Winooski Avenue, in the restaurant space vacated by Despacito. The shop is a dream realized for Eid, a University of Vermont grad who spent many of her formative years in New York City consuming its legendary slices and tirelessly trying to re-create them at home.
The counter-service La Di Da is casual and friendly, with delicious pies and enough whimsy to cure the winter doldrums. When my husband and I walked in the Archibald Street entrance on a frigid Sunday evening, reggaeton was bumping from hidden speakers, and the room was empty but for a few cooks stretching dough and ladling sauce in the open kitchen. We stepped right up to the register, knowing it wasn’t likely to be slow for long.
As my husband read the chalkboard menu and tried to decide, I took in the no-nonsense atmosphere: fluorescent lights, serviceable tables and chairs, stacked bags of flour in a supply room off to the side. Yet a wall of children’s artwork on paper plates, a Valentine’s tree, a disco ball, and a small case of sprinkle-adorned cupcakes and cookies topped with edible glitter made me smile as I bobbed to the beats.
We were tempted by so many of the offerings that we chose four slices ($3.50 to $5.50) of four different pies: a regular cheese with tomato sauce and a chimichurri for me; pepperoni and a Hot Mama special — Calabrian chile, roasted mushrooms, caramelized onions, ricotta and chile oil — for him; plus a cupcake for later ($4.50). They came out of the kitchen in just a few minutes, and each slice was so big it needed its own plate. Full pies, which sprawl 18 inches or larger, run $26 to $36. Eid often posts photos on Instagram of them busting out of their boxes. They include a “not boring” white pie ($34) with fresh mozzarella, fresh garlic, caramelized onions, ricotta and basil oil; a no-frills tomato pie; and the Hot Mama ($36).
Each of our choices threw the textural party you want from a hefty slice of pizza — crispy, chewy and gooey all at once. We appreciated the extra dimension that a halo of Parmesan (standard on all pies) lent to the crust: The smooth shreds brought savoriness to the airy, toothsome edge. The chimichurri slice was a standout, with juicy mushrooms and a punch of garlic and herbs. Dollops of ricotta piped on after baking created a creamy-cool contrast.
Like the New York slice shops it’s modeled after, La Di Da has a menu of pure carbs — not a salad in sight. So far, the only departures Eid has made from pizza are garlic knots and the sparkling desserts, which she makes herself. Just like her pizza, the chocolate chip cookie ($4.25) strikes the perfect balance of crispy and chewy. The candy-bar cupcake both looks and tastes like the product of a trained pastry chef, demonstrating that Eid’s culinary talents extend to more than just ’za.
Whole pies can be ordered ahead online, but slice availability depends on what’s recently been fired. Eid relies largely on her own preferences to shape the menu and adds specials when she has the bandwidth. Unique ingredients on her main pies — such as caramelized onions, hot honey, and a gorgonzola-and-fig jam combo — keep things interesting, while the regular cheese is sure to please a purist. Eid herself is vegetarian and has found that customers generally don’t miss the meat, but she recently added real pepperoni as a concession to the carnivorous.
Eid often sports a good amount of flour on the Dickies coveralls she wears as a uniform. She appears to be living out her childhood aspirations.
As parents do, Eid’s mom gave in to her pleas for a pizza stone and got her one as a holiday gift. It was not a passing phase.
“All through high school I was making pizza, trying to perfect it, even in the middle of the night,” Eid said. She wrote her college application essay on pizza and landed at UVM, where she studied nutrition and dietetics.
All through high school I was making pizza, trying to perfect it.
Celine Eid
After graduating, Eid moved back to the Big Apple and taught middle school science. In her off-hours, she continued tinkering with her recipes and started a pizza pop-up at a local bar in 2023. “It was the best part of my week. It was awesome,” Eid said, noting that she felt like her pizza was a small but joyful part of people’s lives. “Someone came to the pop-up after they gave birth,” she recalled.
After 10 years in New York City, Eid realized that many college friends had stayed in Vermont, so she moved back and carved out a spot in a familiar neighborhood. “I lived in the Old North End when I was in school and loved it. I’m happy to have found a storefront here,” she said.
Earlier this winter, Eid navigated staff shortages due to college breaks, but now she has found her rhythm. “People in the building were asking us to open on Mondays, and I’m always for opening more often,” Eid said. She added Monday service as of January and extended hours until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, so La Di Da is now open every day but Tuesday.
As my husband and I dug into our slices, a steady stream of people wandered in. One couple came with rolled yoga mats in tow. Another pair drank beers at the counter while waiting on takeout. A caterer talked biz with the pizza makers while a lone diner at a table pulled out a knitting project. All were bundled against the winter cold in big coats, boots and hats. I imagined viewing the tableau from outside a fogged window, the “slices” sign welcoming people in from the slushy sidewalk for a few minutes of light and music, a slice of nourishment and of human connection.
A friend joined the knitter, and the two caught up over a Gemini pie ($36). The spicy staple of La Di Da’s menu, topped with sauce, mozzarella, broccolini, vegan Italian sausage and hot honey, impressed them, they said. “It’s very good, very different,” reported Dorsey Hogg of Colchester. “The crust is crispy. The cheese is nice. The sauce is tangy.” Kate Belluche of Burlington added that she appreciated the unique and generous ring of Parmesan on the crust. Overall, she said, “It’s a great pizza experience. I hope they exist forever.”
I do, too. Happily, given Eid’s lifelong devotion to pizza, it seems likely she’ll stick around for a while.
This article appears in February 11 • 2026.
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