Orlando Pizza Show brings Chefs and Industry Insiders to Orlando
The Orange County Convention Center will be the location for a slew of pizza competitions including a Gluten Free Pizza Contest on Sunday, September 12, the American Pizza Championship (APC) on Monday, September 13 and the U.S. Pizza Team Trials on Tuesday, September 14. All competitions are hosted by PMQ Pizza Magazine during its annual Orlando Pizza Show (OrlandoPizzaShow.com).
The Gluten Free Pizza Contest will pit 10 contestants from across the U.S. against each other and the APC will draw 18 contestants to see who will make the best pie in these two competitions. Contestants are allowed to make any style pizza they desire, but it must be made on-site. The winner of the APC will represent the United States during the annual international America’s Plate competition held each year in New York. The 10 contestants in the U.S. Pizza Team Trials will compete in freestyle acrobatics, largest dough stretch and fastest dough stretch competitions for a coveted spot on the Team scheduled to march this year in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Judges for the competition will consist of industry experts with a diverse background. For the Gluten Free competition, the judges will be Chef Michael Bersell from the Disney Animal Kingdom, Julie Kincart of the Celiac Disease Foundation, Frank Baldassare of “The Missing Ingredient,”a web-series dedicated to gluten free cooking and Carolyn Vanderzyden of the National Foundation of Celiac Awareness.
Judges for the APC will be Chef Ralph Pagano known best for his role on Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen” and 16-year-old chef and blogger Jeremy Salamon. Finally, judges for the U.S. Pizza Team Trials will include Bruce Hofmann, Ph.D., a life coach and business success consultant; Marc Chaykin, president of U.S. Cheerleading Championships and U.S. Pizza Team veteran Dave Smith, winner of the 2009 U.S. Pizza Team Triathlon.
The competing contestants come from as far away as Ohio, New York and Texas and as close as Jacksonville and Miami.
