Too much pizza? No such thing! Especially at the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, the annual event for restaurant owners and chefs to check out the latest and greatest in the pizza industry, not to mention have some fun! Although it was not my first time at the Expo, it was a brand new experience for me to be a part of the Galbani Professionale team. Five years ago, I attended the Expo as a keynote speaker and It was exciting to see how much it has grown since. I was amazed to see all the new developments and changes in the pizza industry. One of the most exciting parts of the Pizza Expo is always the pizza competitions – the competitors are incredibly serious about their craft and it gets quite intense!
For those of you who didn’t know, I recently became the brand ambassador for Galbani, the number 1 cheese brand of Italy, and so far it’s been an amazing experience. I chose Galbani cheese in a blind taste test for my restaurant, Prova Pizzabar. It was so exciting to represent Galbani at the Expo this year. The Galbani booth was pure Italian heaven! The chefs were serving delicious, cheesy pizzas with a variety of toppings, and a delicious assortment of cannolis and other sweet treats- all made with Galbani cheese. I did a fun demo of my chicken piccata pizza from my restaurant Prova Pizzabar using Galbani Premio Mozzarella (you may have caught it on Facebook Live). I had a great time meeting fans at the booth and taking some fun photos in the Galbani photobooth.
After my demo, I had a few minutes to walk around the expo. As the owner of a pizza restaurant, it’s crucial to keep up with the latest and best technology, equipment and ingredients in this evolving industry, and I was definitely in the right place for it! I had the opportunity to check out some great pizza ovens and kitchen tools, as well as sample some tasty Italian goodies. One of the highlights of the expo was reconnecting with old friends, like Stefano Ferraro, master oven builder and Enzo Coccia, master pizzaiolo, who taught me how to make pizza in Naples. It has been 9 years since I last saw him.
After a long day at the expo, I attended the Galbani and friends party at the Hyde Lounge at the Bellagio hotel. I had a wonderful time mingling with the Galbani team and meeting some of their best customers. What better way to end the night than watching the Bellagio fountains from inside the Hyde lounge! Can’t wait until next year!
