The proprietor of an area Northeastern Pennsylvania pizzeria has introduced residence some of the prestigious awards within the pizza business. Tony Cerimele of Nesquehoning/Pittston is a World Pizza Champion! Tony is the proprietor of New Columbus Pizza Co in Nequehoning has been named the 2024 Pizza Maker of the Year. Cerimele competed towards 50 different prime rivals within the pan pizza division, and a whole lot extra from different divisions. The gifted pizzaioli got here from world wide to compete in 3 grueling rounds at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas.
Pizza Expo is in its fortieth yr of operation and is heralded because the pizza business’s largest pizza occasion. The occasion is operated by Pizza Today and attracts hundreds of pizza fanatics from across the globe. It’s really a world occasion that brings within the business’s finest and brightest pizza individuals and best services and products. In the event you’re in search of a who’s who of the pizza business, that is the occasion to attend.
The competitors is troublesome, but it surely turns into much more difficult contemplating contestants should journey with their instruments and components. En path to being a World Pizza Champion, individuals like Tony Cerimele should overcome many obstacles.
Tony Cerimele’s Pizza Making Journey
Cerimele, who additionally owns native cellular wood-fired pizza catering enterprise New Columbus Pizza Co. He has been making pizza for 22 years. He began making pizza in 2002 when he met his spouse, Marianne, who hails from Previous Forge, PA “the pizza capital of the world” and is aware of a factor or two about nice pizza. Tony all the time loved Previous Forge pizza and needed to study to make it.
He attended grasp pizzaiolo Tony Gemignani’s Worldwide Faculty of Pizza to study extra concerning the craft. However the studying didn’t cease there. He continuously put within the work – experimenting with totally different recipes, components, instruments, and methods.
Cerimele’s World Pizza Champion Bio:
The Cerimele household’s begin within the meals enterprise goes again to the 1950’s within the New Columbus part of Nesquehoning, PA. Presently owned & operated by Tony Cerimele & his household, it was initially began by his grandparents Michael and Mayme… later to be adopted by his Uncle Michael (Schmick), with monumental assist from his dad and mom Fred and Marquerite. Though catering flourished and was initially their predominant enterprise, pizza surprisingly turned what the Cerimele household could be recognized for. Tony’s grandmother Mayme started making pizza for his uncles, and as a substitute of consuming it, they might take it and promote it at native fireplace halls and golf equipment. And so, it started… Pizza would then be bought each Friday and big day for the following 60 years to the current day.
At this time, the household’s recipes dwell on by way of Tony. He provides specialty pizza, signature household favorites, and an expanded cellular wooden fired pizza catering possibility. There isn’t a mistaking his gentle as air crust, secret cheese mix, and 60-year-old sauce recipe. However Tony didn’t cease there. His quest for making one of the best pizza he can led him to turning into a licensed Pizzaiolo from The Worldwide Faculty of Pizza in San Francisco by good friend and mentor Tony Gemignani. The end result of his laborious work and dedication to the craft garnered him a spot on The World Pizza Champions, a real spotlight of his skilled profession. The WPC group travels the world competing in competitions, advancing the occupation to new heights, and focuses on giving again to the communities through which they serve.
A Particular Sicilian Pizza
The pizza he created within the first and second rounds of competitors was a upside-down Sicilian model pie. “Upside- down” refers back to the sauce being on prime of the cheese. His technique was to maintain the pizza comparatively easy and use high quality components that he was acquainted and cozy with. Tony made his dough at residence in Pittston on Monday and had the problem of carrying it with him on an airplane flight throughout the nation. He needed to carry all of his instruments and components alongside as properly.
Cerimele constructed the pizza along with his signature dough, sauce made out of prime quality tomatoes and a few mozzarella cheese that he might depend on. To chef it up a bit, he added pepperoni jam made by Lee Hunzinger in addition to some honey whipped ricotta that he’s additionally recognized for. The thought was to create a brilliant gentle and crispy crust, usher in some traditional sauce and cheese flavors, and a few contrasting notes and textures with the jam and ricotta.
I spoke to Cosmo Salerno, proprietor of Cosmo’s Cheesesteaks in Scranton, who had the prospect to strive one in all Tony’s prime secret take a look at pizzas. Cosmo, who’s a gifted pizziolo himself, mentioned of Tony’s take a look at pizza he tasted: “I couldn’t cease consuming it. I knew once I ate it that he could be within the operating. The dough was the fluffiest and crispiest I’ve ever eaten. I fell in love with it instantly!” He went on to say that “each element was properly thought out and there wasn’t any ingredient that overpowered the opposite. It was completely balanced.”
Judging at Pizza Expo is No Straightforward Activity
Gregorio Fierro, who’s a Chef, Restaurant and Pizza Marketing consultant, and Licensed Grasp Pizza Teacher served as a choose at Pizza Expo this yr and in years previous. He takes the function very critically and took the time to clarify simply how thorough and rigorous the judging course of is. He mentioned, “These pizzaioli put their hearts and souls into getting ready these pizzas, and we owe them knowledgeable and trustworthy evaluation.”
Many individuals don’t acknowledge the whole lot that goes into judging a pizza. “Earlier than the judging course of started, Pizza At this time developed a code of conduct and ethics for judges and we met to debate these requirements and have been required to signal and conform to them. A few of it’s common sense, however some issues like avoiding making facial expressions or discussing a pizza as a result of these issues can affect one other choose’s opinion. We work laborious to attenuate these potential conflicts.”
Scores vary from 0 to 10 and are scored in hundredths of a degree increments. In addition they do blind judging within the first rounds in order that judges don’t know who made every pizza. Fierro added, “The group actually labored laborious to make it as truthful and moral of a contest as attainable. I give Invoice Oakley and his group at Pizza At this time in addition to the Worldwide Pizza Problem loads of credit score.”
Advancing to the Subsequent Spherical
Within the first spherical of judging, Tony positioned in third. Since judging could be subjective, the method is to take the highest 5 scoring pizzas and have the pizziaoli make them once more to compete towards one another. The task is the make the exact same pizza that was made within the first spherical once more.
Tony executed his plan to perfection, with a bit assist from above and the Polin oven that he credit with doing a implausible job baking the pizza. Jim Henry, proprietor of Jimmyhank Pizza, additionally efficiently competed at Pizza Expo and was in attendance to observe Cerimele make his award profitable pizzas. “As quickly as I noticed Tony’s parbakes through the preliminary rounds, I might inform it was going to be one thing particular. Mild and fluffy clouds of dough, with a agency construction, the right vessel for his superb pepperoni marmalade that was about to grace it. I’m so glad for Tony, he’s one of many hardest working pizzailos I do know. Very cool to see him carry residence the {hardware} to Pennsylvania.”
On to the Finals
The winner of conventional, non-traditional, pan, neapolitan, and finest cheese slice all compete for pizza maker of the yr within the last spherical. Contestants are allowed to make use of their very own dough, however have to make use of the components within the venue’s pantry. The idea is lots just like the present “Chopped” on the Meals Community. Within the pantry Tony reached for sausage and peppers as they have been toppings he was conversant in.
Once more, he used his dough to make a lightweight and ethereal Sicilian crust as he did within the first 2 rounds. Tony pinched off some unfastened Italian sausage, positioned it right into a pan and baked it into the Polin pizza oven to get some char. After the sausage was completed baking, he utilized it together with the sauce and cheese atop the pizza and continued baking. When the pizza was completed baking, he added a crumble of the key ingredient – thinly sliced contemporary mozzarella. He additionally drizzled honey for sweetness and brushed a few of it on the crust. When requested why he brushed honey on the crust, he wasn’t fairly positive why, however he simply felt prefer it was the factor to do in that second!
The Sicilian pizza was dressed superbly and Cerimele walked it over to the panel of 5 judges to current and describe his pizza. Whereas the judges examined the pizza carefully previous to it being sliced up a hush fell over the crowded conference heart. Watching the livestream on-line, the announcer John Gutenkanst might be heard commenting on how crunchy the crust was as he overhead a choose biting into it!
Tony Cerimele World Pizza Champion!
A hush came to visit the group and there was a palpable rigidity hovering over the convention because the judges rated every pizza and handed of their scoring sheets. Although it wasn’t lengthy earlier than the winner was introduced, it appeared like an eternity, however then the announcement was made – Tony Cerimele was topped a World Pizza Champion and was named the Pizza Maker of the Yr 2024!
Check out my review of New Columbus Pizza Co!
A Victory With Particular That means
Only a few hours after his victory, I requested Tony the way it felt. “It feels fairly good. It’s one thing I got down to do and I did it.” It’s a little bit of a narrative of a redemption and perseverance as Tony recalled his expertise from the prior yr’s Pizza Expo competitors. “Final yr, I positioned forty fifth out of 48 rivals. It didn’t work out the best way I needed it to. I made an Previous Forge double crust pizza that didn’t go over properly with the judges. Now this yr I’m again with a special pizza. I’ll name it the rise of the Sicilian.”
I requested Tony about what reaching the top of a pizza maker’s profession and realizing a dream means to him. His voice instantly softened, however was immediately capable of put this all right into a significant context. Tony’s devoted the victory to his father, Zeppy, who handed a few years in the past, and his household who means a lot to him. “I felt like Zeppy was an angel on my shoulder the your complete time I used to be right here. There have been too many coincidental issues that occurred for him to not be there pulling strings and serving to issues fall into place. I’m proud to have my daughters see how laborious I labored working towards and coaching for this second. They’ll see if you put within the work and persevere, it pays off.”
A World Pizza Champion We Can Have a good time
Onerous work, ardour for pizza, respect for the craft, dedication to bettering, and striving to attain objectives are all issues that lead Tony to this lifetime achievement. He’s represented his household, his hometown of Pittston, the area of NEPA, and the state of Pennsylvania properly. We’re actually fortunate to have such a gifted pizzaiolo elevating the bar within the pizza business domestically and on a nationwide degree. Tony Cerimele World Pizza Champion has a reasonably good ring to it!
You will discover Tony’s Previous Forge double crust white pizza in The Pursuit of Pizza recipe guide created by he and his fellow World Pizza Champions teammates. WPC is a non-profit basis, and all of the proceeds go to make a want basis.
Watch Tony Cerimele seem on Good Morning America
