Who Makes The Best Pizza In The World? Caputo Cup Crowns Best Pizzaiolo

They should call it the clash of the Tomato Sauce Titans. The upper crust (crispy, and slightly blackened around the edges) of the pizza world met this week at the second annual Global Pizza Seminar and Caputo Cup pizza competition, which took place, for the first time, in New York at the Neapolitan Express Studio. At the competition, 42 of the best pizza makers worldwide showed off their ability to make a traditional Neapolitan pie and a traditional New York pizza. A discerning panel of judges then tallied the points and counted the best in each category.

First place for best New York-style pizza went to Nino Coniglio from Williamsburg Pizza in Brooklyn, (#77 on our list of 101 best pizzas in America), RC Gallegos from RC's NY Pizza in Houston, Texas, and Aurelio Petra from Dellarocco's in Brooklyn. Both first and second place for the best Neapolitan pizza went to pizzaioli from Rossopomodoro, the pizzeria inside Eataly. Gazmir Zeneli, from Rossopomodoro's New York location nabbed first place, while Francesco Montuori from the Chicago location got second. The bronze went to Israel Hernandez from Antica Forma Pizzeria in Vernal, Utah.

Each first-place winner received a $1,000 check and one pallet of Caputo pizza flour.

"The secret to great pizza is use the best flour, put in a lot of work, and a lot of love," said winner Gazmir Zeneli.