The nation’s best pizzaioli battled to the last curd using REAL California cheeses and fresh California flavors
The first annual California Pizza Challenge (CPC) was a resounding success, showcasing eight winners overall, including two grand prizes to compete in the World Pizza Championship in Parma, Italy, in April 2025. Hosted by the U.S. Pizza Team and sponsored by REAL California Milk, the CPC took place at the Pizza Tomorrow Summit and California Restaurant Show, August 25-27, in Los Angeles.
Taking first place in the Non-Traditional category as well as the 3-Cheese Challenge—and claiming the title of Grand Champion in the Secret Basket Face-Off—powerhouse and USPT member Giovanni Labbate of Tievoli Pizza Bar in Palatine, Illinois, floored the judges with his California Peach Perfect Pizza in Non-Traditional and with his entry, simply titled 3-Cheese Pizza, in the 3-Cheese Challenge.
Labbate’s Non-Traditional entry featured a New York-style dough topped with a garlic and olive oil base, peach bacon jam, fresh and shredded mozzarella, burrata, prosciutto, cherry tomatoes, basil, grilled peaches, honey, flaky salt and fresh lemon juice. “We knew we were going to California, so we felt California peaches would be perfect for our Peach Perfect Pizza,” Labbate said. “The rest of the pie was really built around that idea.”
Labbate continued, “The 3-Cheese Challenge was a great way to highlight California cheeses and to make a simple pizza but full of complex flavors. We chose fresh mozzarella, shredded mozzarella and ricotta because they are well balanced cheeses that work very well together.”
Labbate’s grand prize-winning pizza needed to use a mixture of secret basket items featuring Cowgirl Creamery Wagon Wheel, Sierra Jack Hatch Chile and Fiscalini Faremstead’s San Joaquin Gold cheeses, blueberry-infused bacon, Margherita Foodservice Genoa Salami, white sweet potatoes and tree oyster mushrooms. Made with a New York artisan dough, Labbate’s creation showcased a garlic-and-oil sauce base with fresh spinach, roasted white sweet potatoes, blueberry bacon, peach bacon jam, Wagon Wheel, mozzarella, red onions and shaved Asiago cheese.
With so many great pizzas to be tried, judging was difficult. “Everyone brought their top pizza game this year.” said judge and honorary USPT member Rudy Waldner of Marketing from the Trenches. “With so many different categories, it really allowed the pizzaioli’s creativity to flow, even when bound by strict category rules, like in the 3-Cheese Challenge.”
Taking first place in the Pizza in the Pan contest was Tore Trupiano of Mangia e Bevi, who won with his Fig Illusion Pizza. Featuring a Roman/focaccia hybrid crust, uniquely, all the ingredients for this award winner were added entirely post-bake, propelling Trupiano to the top of the winner’s podium and ultimately the Secret Basket Face-Off, where he was narrowly edged out by Labbate.
Trupiano baked the shell with sea salt and EVOO and topped it (post-bake) with baby wild arugula, Real California stracciatella, 18-month prosciutto di Parma, and striped tiger and mission figs, all tossed with blood orange-infused olive oil and pomegranate arils. The pie was then finished with a pomegranate balsamic glaze and fresh ground black pepper.
Rounding out the event was George Taylor of Taylors’ Pizza House, who took top honors in the Best Traditional Sauce event after having been talked into entering on the spot. Honorable mention goes to Kira Zabrowski of Much Ado About Pizza for the only perfect score in the entire competition for her Best Traditional Sauce entry. She was also a last-second, on-the-spot entry into that category.
Dominating the athletic field was the “Blue Blur” himself—David Whisker of B.C. Pizza. Taking first place in both Fastest Pie Maker and Fastest Box Folder, Whisker successfully defended his titles against the throngs of hungry pizza athletes.
In a seemingly endless battle for second and third place in the athletic games, Jamie Culliton and McKenna Carney, both of The Nona Slice House, passed the baton back and forth. But when it came to Freestyle Acrobatics, Carney pulled out all the stops with a mesmerizing routine set to Applause by Lady Gaga. When asked about her fourth time winning a trip to Parma, Carney said “Competing is always fun. You get to come out and see all your friends and support each other, but winning is pretty cool too.”
Congratulations to all competitors! The final scores are as follows:
Non-Traditional:
1st – Giovanni Labbate, Tievoli Pizza Bar, Palatine, IL.
2nd – Alex Koons, Hot Tongue Pizza, Los Angeles, CA.
3rd – Jamie Culliton, The Nona Slice House, Safety Harbor, FL.
Pizza in the Pan
1st – Tore Trupiano, Mangia e Bevi, Oceanside, CA.
2nd – Dustin Finnegan, The Nona Slice House
3rd – Michael Pitera, Pizza a Modo Mio, Charleston, S.C.
REAL California 3-Cheese Challenge:
1st – Giovanni Labbate, Tievoli Pizza Truck
2nd – Ali Haider, 786 Degrees, Sun Valley, CA.
3rd – Nicholi Ludlow, Psychic Pie, Sebastopol, CA.
Best Traditional Sauce:
1st – George Taylor, Taylors’ Pizza House, Endwell, NY.
2nd – Kira Zabrowski, Much Ado About Pizza, Pleasanton, CA.
3rd – Rico Lunardi, Slice on Broadway, Pittsburgh, PA.
Freestyle Acrobatics:
1st – McKenna Carney, The Nona Slice House
2nd – Gracie Vinson, The Nona Slice House
3rd – Dustin Finnegan, The Nona Slice House
Largest Dough Stretch:
1st – McKenna Carney, The Nona Slice House
2nd – Wilhelm Rodriguez, Papa’s Pizza, Cabo Rojo, Puerto Ri
3rd – Jamie Culliton, The Nona Slice House
Fastest Pie Make
1st – David Whisker, B.C. Pizza, Boyne City, MI.
2nd – Jamie Culliton, The Nona Slice House
3rd – McKenna Carney, The Nona Slice House
Fastest Box Folder
1st – David Whisker, B.C. Pizza
2nd – Jamie Culliton, The Nona Slice House
3rd – Sean Dempsey, Dempsey’s Brewery Pub & Restaurant
Additional competitors were Isaiah Ruffin, Pizza by Ruffin, Seattle, WA.; David Goldy, Wild West Pizza, Lompoc, CA.; Mark Zabrowski, Much Ado, About Pizza; Patti Taylor, Taylors’ Pizza House; David Solum, Danger Von Dempsey’s, Aberdeen, S.D.; Morgan Marino, The Nona Slice House; Damiano Trupiano, Mangia e Bevi.
