Pizzerias across the planet were honored recently by 50 Top Pizza, a guide compiled by Italy’s leading “pizza inspectors,” but individual pizzaioli took home some prestigious awards, too.
Tops on that list: Michele Pascarella of Napoli on the Road, located in London, England. He was the recipient of the Ferrarelle Award for Pizza Maker of the Year 2023. According to the Daily Mail, Pascarella is a native of Caserta, Italy, who moved to the UK when he was 19.
As the name implies, Napoli on the Road started as a mobile operation, with Pascarella cruising around the city on his Ape Piaggio and serving wood-fired pizzas to hungry Londoners. Today, it’s also a two-store brick-and-mortar concept in Richmond and Chiswick.
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“We are the first pizzeria in the UK to use seasonal ingredients and to change our menu almost entirely every three months to respect the course of nature,” Pascarella told the Daily Mail after receiving the Pizza Maker of the Year award.
He said he believes using seasonal ingredients “not only benefits the restaurant’s bottom line but also adds to the overall dining experience, attracting more customers and fostering a sustainable and community-oriented approach to the culinary business. Also, being seasonal can be an advantage…for various important things, like freshness and flavor. Seasonal products are often harvested at the right time, resulting in better taste and quality.”
Michele Pascarella at the 50 Top Pizza awards ceremony. (Napoli on the Road / Instagram)
A seasonal menu is both good for the environment and for the economy, he noted. “A restaurant can support local farms and reduce the need for long-distance transport. Seasonal ingredients are generally abundant, and this reduces the cost.”
Some of Pascarella’s signature pies include the Genovese di Agnello, boasting a slow-cooked ragu sauce made with onions and lamb, fior di latte and Parmigiano-Reggiano; the Tonno & Cipolla, featuring fior di latte, tuna filet, semidry cherry tomatoes, black olive powder and a caramelized red onion jam; and the Fillet Tartare, topped with Parmigiana-Reggiano fondue, fior di latte, baby mixed leaves, beef filet tartare, crushed hazelnuts and Amalfi lemon olive oil.
Meanwhile, two celebrated American pizzeria operators were also honored with awards from 50 Top Pizza, while a New York pizzeria took the prize for best pasta.
Anthony Mangieri of Una Pizza Napoletana (Una Pizza Napoletana / Instagram)
Anthony Mangieri, owner of Una Pizza Napoletana in New York, received the Source of Inspiration 2023 Mammafiore Award, while Tony Gemignani, the pizza maestro behind Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco and other concepts, captured the Performance of the Year 2023 Robo Award.
Earlier this year, 50 Top Pizza named Una Pizza Napoletana the No. 1 pizzeria in the U.S., while Tony’s Pizza Napoletana earned the No. 4 spot.
Additionally, 50 Top Pizza’s Pastificio Di Martino Award for Best Pasta Proposal 2023 went to Ribalta in New York.
The awards were presented during a mid-September ceremony that was streamed live around the world.
