By Brian Hernandez
Members of PMQ’s U.S. Pizza Team (USPT) took center stage—and some accolades—at the inaugural Great American Pizza Challenge held recently in Columbus, Ohio.
For the competition’s first outing, the field was stacked with pizzaioli ready to push boundaries and color outside the marinara lines. Among them was Tore Trupiano, USPT captain and owner of Mangia e Bevi in Oceanside, California, who turned heads and recalibrated taste buds with his Dubai Chocolate Pizza—a creation that sounds like a fever dream from Roald Dahl’s Mediterranean vacation that resulted in an unpublished Wonka novel.
Trupiano’s entry, which won first place in the dessert pizza category, started, like most good things, with a mix of chance and defiance. “The Dubai chocolate pizza was created for the Vegas Pizza Expo earlier this year,” Trupiano said. “I didn’t realize the toppings had to be classic, so it never got presented. When the Great American Pizza Challenge added a dessert category, it finally had its moment.”
“There’s a Dubai chocolate trend right now,” Trupiano continued. “Using cocoa like truffle or caviar made me see chocolate as a savory luxury.” His pie hit every note: a salty mascarpone base, a precise Nutella drizzle, whole hazelnuts in the crust, and a hit of flaky sea salt to keep your palate sharp.
It looked as good as it tasted. The sesame-oiled pan crust added crunch, while pistachio, kataifi and tahini brought a Middle Eastern rhythm to the flavor. “It was indulgent but balanced,” Trupiano said. “That’s what the judges responded to. Our team’s pushing boundaries, not just Neapolitan and New York, but dessert and experimental pizzas too. Chocolate’s the new truffle—complex, refined and centuries deep. Just ask anyone who’s ever made mole.”
Over in the Young Pizza Maker Division, the next wave of pizzaioli proved they could hang with the best—and maybe even outshine them.
Alexcia Aldasouqi (pictured below) snagged third place and handled it with trademark Gen Z humor. “My name got butchered so bad, I just wanted to make sure they said it right,” she laughed. “But aside from that, I was really happy since I didn’t think I’d actually win.”
Working at Taylors’ Pizza House under USPT members George and Patti Taylor, Aldasouqi has learned from good stock. “They’ve taught me everything,” she said. “They’re great people to work for and be around.” Her entry showcased fontina and mozzarella, hot soppressata, red onion and a post-bake finish of ricotta and mango-habanero drizzle. “I just made something I’d want to eat,” Aldasouqi said.
She also powered through a little stage fright. “I’d never used a deck oven before, so I was anxious.” When it was over, her takeaway was simple: “Keep it real. I was looking for which pizzas I wanted a slice of.”
Then came Luca Lunardi (pictured with his father below), who took second place in the Young Pizza Maker category and brought heart and heritage with him. “It felt amazing,” he said. “It was my first competition, and I just wanted to make a solid pizza and have fun.”
Luca’s father, Rico Lunardi, owner of Slice on Broadway in Pittsburgh and a veteran U.S. Pizza Team member, was right there to congratulate him—after joking that Luca’s coming for his titles. Growing up around Slice on Broadway, Luca’s competition pie paid tribute to his dad’s Italian “Pizza for Two” entry with fellow teammate Mike Pitera in Italy: house dough, cured salami, spicy capicola, arugula, shaved Romano and lemon zest. “It hit that perfect mix of spicy, salty and fresh,” he said.
Competing beside seasoned veterans taught Luca as much as any recipe. “They’re calm, like they’ve done it a thousand times. I learned to stay relaxed and trust the process.” Luca’s already planning his next move. “My dad’s done amazing stuff, but I want to make my own mark. Pizza’s always been part of my life, and I can’t see that changing.”
From veterans like Trupiano pushing chocolate into savory stardom to young talents like Alexcia and Luca showing wisdom, confidence and flavor savvy beyond their years, the event showcased what’s best about this industry: heart, humor and a relentless hunger for better pizza. To mix my metaphors, it’s safe to say that, somewhere, Willy Wonka’s nodding in approval: “That’ll do, pig…that’ll do.”
Brian Hernandez is PMQ’s associate editor and coordinator of the U.S. Pizza Team.
