Panino’s Pizza – Fra Noi

U.S. team scores big at Spanish pizza tourney

Fra Noi — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 14:01:01 +0000

U.S. Pizza Team members competed in the “5° Pizza por Pasión” Spanish Pizza Championship in Granada, Spain, on Oct. 8 and took home numerous awards in several categories of competition.

Team members representing the U.S. in the culinary division included USPT Culinary Coach Gino Rago and Bruno Brunetti of Panino’s Pizza in Chicago; USPT athletic director Dave Sommers of Mad Mushroom in West Lafayette, Ind.; and Sean Dempsey of Dempsey’s Brewery Restaurant & Pub in Watertown, S.D. Competing for the team in the freestyle acrobatics division were Missy Green and Caroline Felker, former USPT members and representatives of PMQ Pizza Magazine.

Panino’s Pizza took home two awards in the Classica division. Brunetti received first place for his Tequila Lemon Cream Prawns pizza featuring flavors from both the U.S. and Spain. Using tequila as a base, Brunetti created a cream sauce that featured both green and yellow lemons. Third place went to Rago for his Polenta Boscaiola pie featuring Galbani mozzarella, Italian sausage, guanciale and polenta. Rago topped it off with five types of oven-roasted mushrooms, fresh chives, smoked burrata and Spanish olive oil.

Pizza team from U.S. strikes gold in Italy

Fra Noi — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 17:29:49 +0000

The United States Pizza Team headed out for the 28th edition of the World Pizza Championships in Parma with high hopes — and returned with accolades galore.

USPT member Scott Volpe of Fiamme Pizzeria in Tucson, Ariz. wowed the crowd with his seamless blend of hip-hop break-dancing and flawless dough spinning, earning first place in Freestyle Acrobatics. His performance was set to custom-edited music by fellow team member Lenny Rago of Panino’s Pizza in Chicago, Park Ridge and Evanston.

The culinary side of the USPT took some accolades as well in several events. Rago achieved the second highest score for the United States in the whole event, coming in one point shy of the highest in the USA. He also took the highest American score in Gluten Free. Coming out on top in the Peel category for the USPT and the USA was Rago’s brother, Gino, who notched the second highest score for the USA in the Pan division with partner Bruno Brunetti.

With 19 competitors in 56 categories between them, the USPT brigade was one of the largest teams to compete in the international event.

For details, click here.

Panino’s nets national honor

Fra Noi — Sat, 31 Mar 2018 21:23:22 +0000

Up against 39 other contestants, Lenny Rago of Panino’s Pizza took home the $5,000 grand prize at the Pizza Pizzazz Culinary Competition with his “Hog Heaven” pizza. Held during the Mid-America Restaurant Expo in Columbus, Ohio, the contest invites 40 pizzeria operators to battle it out in a blind taste test. Second place went to Kyle Rosch of Brenz Pizza in Chapel Hill, N.C., and third place was taken home by Craig Allenbaugh of Sauced Wood Fired Pizza in Fairview Park, Ohio.