You’ve Never Seen a Simpler Pizza Do This Much Damage
Five cheeses. No toppings. Maximum respect.
Salvatore “Tore” Trupiano grew up in the pizza business, but his mother once gave him a stern warning about the future: “You can do anything in life,” she told him. 
“Just don’t go into this industry!”
It’s a good thing he didn’t listen. Trupiano, who now owns Mangia e Bevi in Oeanside, California and serves as captain of PMQ’s U.S. Pizza Team, has claimed the grand prize at the prestigious 2025 REAL California Pizza Contest (RCPC). It’s the latest honor in his long and illustrious career in pizza, and it just goes to show that even Italian mothers don’t know everything.
The live bake-off, hosted by REAL California Milk, took place on July 29 at the Culinary Institute of America at Copia in Napa, California. Twelve top-tier pizza makers brought their A-game to the invitation-only event, presided over by judges Tony Gemignani, Laura Meyer and Glenn Cybulski. From
over 250 submitted recipes, just a handful of finalists were chosen to face off in three categories: The Big Cheese, On the Menu and Innovation Wildcard.
At the end of a day filled with sizzling ovens and the sweet aroma of California dairy, it was Tore Trupiano of Mangia e Bevi who rose above the rest. Trupiano claimed first place in The Big Cheese category with a deceptively simple yet meticulously balanced five-cheese pie. His creation—featuring a custom blend of California cheeses including Joseph Farms WM Mozz., Sierra Nevada Organic Cream Cheese, Bellwether Farms Carmody & Crème Fraiche and Vella Dry Jack,—relied on the interplay of textures and flavors rather than a parade of toppings.
Then, as if that wasn’t enough, Trupiano was crowned Grand Champion, a title he humbly accepted despite already feeling content with his initial category win. “I won my category. And really that was good enough for me. I was happy,” Trupiano shared. “But I was up on the stage for the Grand Prize finalist. And sure enough, they called my name.”
The Cheese Philosophy
Trupiano’s championship pizza may have looked minimalistic—five cheeses, one unified color palette—but it was anything but easy to perfect. “Even though it was a simple pizza, [it was] probably one of the hardest ones I’ve ever made because there were no finishers, there were no sauces,” he said. “There was cheese, five different cheeses on it, and that is it,” he said.
He admitted that achieving this level of refinement took trial, error and plenty of cheese sampling. “I tried so many different cheese combinations,” he recalled. “I looked at their list, and I’m like, OK, well, I can get this and I can get that,” Trupiano said of his cheese choices. “I kept practicing and trying different combinations, and I’m like, well, that works, but it’s still not quite there yet. It cost me a lot of money in practice cheese, but it was worth every bite.”
Trupiano’s victory is the result of persistence and passion; after seven years applying for the competition, he finally rose to the top in a competition that drew standout talent from more than 250 national entries. He also won the Pan Division in last year’s California Pizza Challenge.
The Team Factor
Trupiano didn’t face the challenge alone. In fact, four out of the 12 finalists in this RCPC were members of the U.S. Pizza Team, highlighting the remarkable caliber of talent within the squad. Also representing the USPT were Sean Dempsey of Dempsey’s Brewery Pub & Restaurant in Watertown, SD., Kira Zabrowski of Much Ado About Pizza in PLaesanton, CA., and Ray Cullison of Charlie & The Pizza Factory in Kingman AZ. also competed, showcasing a range of pizzas in both The Big Cheese and On the Menu categories.
For Trupiano, the camaraderie mattered as much as the trophies. “Yes, we come here to win, but you know what? I was actually rooting for the other guys. I really wanted to see Kira or Ray up there,” he said. “They’re just up and coming. They’re fabulous pizza makers. They have great attitudes. And they come to these competitions to do what they’re supposed to do. They get it done. They made beautiful pizzas today.”
The competition’s structure, which groups finalists into specific categories, meant three of the four teammates found themselves head-to-head. Trupiano shrugged off any notion of rivalry, “I don’t really want to say, like, I’m competing against my teammates,” he explained. “Sometimes we are on the same stage together. I’ll be honest with you: One thing that I hope does happen someday…I would love to have either my son or my daughter in the final competition with me, and that would be kind of like my landmark, my time to put up my apron.”
Trupiano is, in fact, part of a three-generation pizza dynasty founded by his father, Dominic. Trupiano’s son, Damiano, and his daughter, Vittoria, are poised to carry on the family tradition, both at Mangia e Bevi and in competitions around the world.
A Contest Like No Other
The REAL California Pizza Contest is known for its prestige and its precision. Trupiano praised both the organizers and the experience. “This is actually, I think, my seventh [attempt] trying to get into this competition. And it was everything that I expected it to be. They’ve been very hospitable, very helpful—anything that I needed for the competition. I wasn’t familiar with the kitchen, so all I had to do was ask, and it just appeared.”was ask, and it just appeared.”
The event’s fast pace, he noted, kept competitors on point. “They’re definitely on a time schedule here, probably one that has been the strictest that I’ve ever done. And in saying that, it kept everybody on track. I set timers and alarms on my phone to make sure that I was hitting certain points and [was] where I needed to be.”
California Cheese Isn’t Just Delicious—It’s Doing Dairy Right
Beyond the ooey-gooey, melty magnificence of the pies crafted at this year’s REAL California Pizza Contest lies something just as important: the people behind the cheese. California’s dairy farmers—nearly 1,100 strong—aren’t just producing world-class dairy products, they’re doing it with sustainability at the forefront.
The REAL California Milk seal represents a commitment to animal care, environmental responsibility and innovation across the entire dairy supply chain. From water conservation and methane reduction to recycling practices and renewable energy usage, California leads the nation in sustainable dairy farming practices.
And cheese from the Golden State doesn’t just win awards—it’s consistently ranked among the best in the world. From buttery mozzarella to funky blues and aged goudas, the flavor profiles and functionality of California cheeses offer endless options for pizzaioli to experiment, elevate and win.
Meanwhile, Trupiano’s journey through the world of California cheese has been one of persistence and passion. “You know, starting with being elected as the team captain for the United States Pizza Team, going to [the recent USPT Galbani Summit] in Buffalo and showing well there as well, and then coming here and winning my category and taking the grand prize, that’s just—I think I’m in my lane.”
Here’s a look at the full roster of competitors at this year’s Real California Pizza Contest:
On the Menu:
Edward Stalewski, Mercurio’s Artisan Gelato and Neapolitan Pizza, Pittsburgh
David Goldy, Wild West Pizza, Lompoc, California
Sean Dempsey, Dempsey’s Brewery Pub & Restaurant, Watertown, South Dakota
Sergio Balderas, Truly Pizza, Dana Point, California
The Big Cheese:
Tore Trupiano, Mangia e Bevi, Oceanside, California
Kira Zabrowski, Much Ado About Pizza, Pleasanton, California
Randy Lewis, Hearth Wood Fired Pizza & Catering, San Leandro, California
Charles “Ray” Cullison, Charlie and the Pizza Factory, Kingman, Arizona
Innovative Wildcard:
Marcus Medina, Hella Pie Pizza, Tracy, California
Vanessa Vinsick, Caliente Pizza & Drafthouse, Pittsburgh
Adam Sachs, Toscano Brothers, San Francisco
Ryan Mondragon, Sanctuary Pizza, Modesto, California
