Chef of the Year judges, competitors announced

Toronto – With the Canadian Pizza Summit and Chef of the Year Competitions just days away, Canadian Pizza is pleased to announce our judges and the competitors who will vie for victory as Canada’s top pizza makers on Monday, Oct. 15.

We are thrilled to have five well-respected professionals from the pizza industry on our judging panel:

• Rocco Agostino, Executive Chef/Partner of Pizza Libretto and Partner of Enoteca Sociale of Pizzeria Libretto, in Toronto, and Chef of the Year in 2013.
• Joe Leroux, owner of Amadio’s Pizza in Port Credit, Ont., and 2016 Chef of the Year.
• Kyle Rindinella, Chef di Cucina at Enoteca Sociale Cucina Romana & Wine Bar in Toronto.
• Tom Stankiewicz, owner of Bondi’s Pizza in London, Ont., 2009 Chef of the Year and columnist for Canadian Pizza.
• Roberto Vergalito, owner of Roberto’s Pizza Passion, in St. Catharines, Ont., who competed as part of and coached the Canadian Pizza Team for several years, and was winner of the first Canadian Pizza Games.

We thank our judges for making time in their very busy schedules to support the Canadian pizza industry!

And now the competitors:

Chef of the Year (Traditional)
Angela Risi, Maria’s Pizza West, Brantford, Ont.                  
Giuseppe Cortinovis, Ignite Pizzeria, Vancouver, B.C.                                                         
Bruno De Angelis, Traiteur Terra Mia, Montreal, Que.   
Paul Covino, Giro d’Italia Ristorante, Vaughan, Ont.
Mattia Pagliara, Giro d’Italia Ristorante, Vaughan, Ont.
Jason Pizzolongo, Terra Nostra, Varennes, Que.                                                                
Kyle Corbin, Buon Gusto, Guelph, Ont.                   
Keith Van Every, Buon Gusto, Guelph, Ont.                                                            
Giovanni Campisi, Casa Mia Ristorante, Niagara Falls, Ont.                                               

(Three spots left, sign up now!)

Definition of Traditional: Competitors provide the dough, cheese/cheese blend and spices. They must use a red sauce. No more than two (2) of the following toppings may be added: pepperoni, sausage, bacon, ham, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, onions and olives. Please note that different varieties of these toppings will constitute only one (1) topping. A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil after baking is acceptable; no other drizzles are allowed. Fresh basil on top is allowed without constituting another topping. A competitor’s pizza will be disqualified if the judges decide it contains too many toppings or impermissible toppings.

Chef of the Year (Open)
Rob Laine, Boston Pizza, Cambridge, Ont.              
Dean Litster, Armando’s Pizza, Windsor, Ont.                      
Craig Ross, Art Is In Bakery, Ottawa, Ont.             
Maurizio Mascioli, Maurizio’s Inc., Parry Sound, Ont.                                                        
Rodolfo Santo, Posta Italian Grill (Posta Italbar Cucina), Port Credit, Ont.
James Biello, La Cucina Di Ietta catering service, Montreal, Que.                 
Marco Caveglia, Tuscan Wolf, Whitby, Ont.
Wayne deGroot, Zen’Za Pizzeria, London, Ont.                                                        
Germano Fazzone, Gusto 101, Toronto, Ont.      
Khrystyna Collins, Applestone Pizzeria, Burlington, Ont.                                                  
Lucy Lorefice, Trecce, Toronto, Ont.                    

Great Pizza Box Fold-Off                                                                                
Jocelyn deGroot, Zen’Za Pizzeria, London, Ont.                                                     
James Timothy, Zen’Za Pizzeria, London, Ont.                                                       
Dean Litster, Armando’s Pizza, Windsor, Ont.                                                      
Lucy Lorefice, Trecce, Toronto, Ont.                                                                          
Sabrina Lorefice, Trecce, Toronto, Ont.
Giovanni Campisi, Casa Mia Ristorante, Niagara Falls, Ont.            

(Four spots left, sign up now!)  
                                                                                                      
Good luck to all competitors!

The Canadian Pizza Summit and Chef of the Year Competitions are presented by Canadian Pizza magazine and show sponsors Moretti Forni distributed by Faema Canada (Platinum), Ardent Mills (Gold), Parmalat/Galbani (Gold), and Heinz/Escalon Premier Brands (Silver).

Join us at the Faema Canada showroom at 672 Dupont St. in Toronto to sample some of Canada’s finest pizza, get creative ideas for your pizza, talk to other operators, and learn from business and supply side experts who want to help you work smarter, not harder.

Spots are limited, so register now at www.canadianpizzamag.com/pizzashow.

See you Monday!