Anthony Berghela of Albany County (owner of Romo’s Pizza in Glenmont) took first place in the Traditional American category at the World Pizza Championships in Naples, Italy on Wednesday, June 21st.
The event is the largest pizza competition in Italy, where Pizzaiolos (pizza makers) from more than 20 countries will be judged on preparation, taste, baking and presentation.
“Congratulations to Anthony Berghela of Romo’s Pizza and Restaurant on bringing the Pizza World Cup back to Albany County!” County Executive Daniel McCoy wrote Facebook.
The restaurant said the award-winning pie is an evolution of the restaurant’s New Haven-style pizza, with some changes to better suit Italian culture. Facebook.
“We added San Marzano tomatoes to the sauce and used 48-month-old Parmesan and buffalo mozzarella.”
A Waterfleet native, Berghela is no stranger to the world of competitive pizza making.
He competed in the Caputo Cup in Las Vegas and Atlantic City in 2018, finishing in the top 10 each time, according to his team profile at the World Pizza Championship website.
Berghela was inspired to open Romo’s Pizza in 2009 when visiting uncles visited another local pizzeria.
“Anthony is always trying to improve himself and his business, staying up late watching videos and books from famous pizza makers, trying to learn new techniques and recipes to improve his business,” his bio reads.
He later attended San Francisco’s International Pizza School, run by chef Tony Gemignani’s restaurant in the city’s North Beach district. It was there that he was introduced to different styles of pizza dough, sauces and cooking methods.
“Anthony’s vision is to bring these new ideas back to his hometown,” his bio reads. “Under Tony’s continued guidance, he went to work and perfected the new type of pizza he had learned.”
Ultimately, the original space could no longer meet demand, and Berghela opened what is now Romo’s Pizza in January 2016.
According to the restaurant, the restaurant offers a variety of styles of pizza, including Neapolitan and Sicilian, along with a variety of salads, wings, pies and cold cuts. website.
One of the most popular dishes cry Gracie Pie is a Sicilian pizza topped with sliced mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese, and extra virgin olive oil.
“Second to none,” wrote one satisfied reviewer on Yelp.
“The food is always delicious and the portions are huge,” wrote another Yelp user. “Pizza was delicious and the crust was perfect!”
The pizzeria said it will offer the award-winning pie for dine-in and takeaway on Wednesday, June 28. It will be added to the permanent dine-in menu in the coming weeks.
Romo’s Pizza is located at 365 Feura Bush Road, Glenmont.Learn more about it website.
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