Michael Pitera is packing his bags for Italy after securing an all-expenses-paid trip to represent the United States at the Campionate Mondiale della Pizza in Parma, scheduled for April 2027. The Charleston pizza maker claimed top honors at a premier national culinary contest in Orlando, outpacing a crowded field of seasoned professionals with a distinctly crafted pie.
Pitera captured first place in the “Pizza in the Pan” category at the 2026 Galbani Professionale Pizza Cup, which ran from October 25 to 27. The victory secures his second consecutive appearance at the Campionato Mondiale della Pizza.
The Winning Recipe in Orlando
Competing at the national level required precision and complex flavor pairings. Pitera, who owns Pizza a Modo Mio on Bees Ferry Road in West Ashley, entered his signature “Smoky Jewel” pie into the Orlando competition.
The winning entry featured a grandma-style pizza base built on a sesame seed crust. To construct the flavor profile, Pitera combined a smoked provolone and mozzarella blend with fresh chicken cutlets, vodka sauce, burrata, and Calabrian chili oil.
“The pizza that I made was grandma-style pizza with a sesame seed crust,” Pitera said. “Smoked provolone and mozzarella blend. It was fresh chicken cutlet, vodka sauce, Burrata and Calabrian chili oil.”
That combination earned him a score of 365.99 from the judging panel, placing him more than seven points ahead of every other competitor in his category.
Standing Out Among Industry Veterans
The Orlando event stands as one of four premier annual pizza competitions in the United States, sharing top-tier status with the International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas, the Real California Pizza Contest in California, and the Great American Pizza Challenge in Ohio. For Pitera, stepping into that arena meant facing heavy competition.
“I was up against some monster pizzaiolas, people that have been in the industry longer than me,” Pitera noted.
Sitting in the audience alongside his wife and fellow pizza maker, Pitera listened as the second- and third-place winners were named. Believing he had fallen short, he prepared himself for another attempt next year.
“I kind of said, ‘Maybe next year, I know I didn’t win,’” Pitera recalled. “All of a sudden, I heard, ‘Our grand champion is Michael Pitera,’ and I was in a state of shock.”
Preparing for the Global Stage
As Pitera prepares for his journey to Parma in April 2027, the local culinary community has rallied behind his upcoming international appearance.
Whether his American-crafted technique can claim a global title is unclear, but this latest victory establishes his footprint in the professional pizza industry.
