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Date: 12/15/2022
LUDLOW – Casa Pizzeria earned “Best traditional pizza in the Northeast” recently at the Pizza and Pasta Convention in Atlantic City, NJ, in October.
On Oct. 16 and 17, the fourth annual Pizza and Pasta Northeast returned after a two-year absence.
The event showcased top suppliers for pizzerias and Italian restaurants in Atlantic City and featured a schedule of pizza and pasta demonstrations by top chefs, seminars and workshops given by industry leaders and special presentations from featured keynote speakers.
Jimmy Casapizziolo competed against 40 other contestants from around the country and took home first place with his take on New Haven style pizza with a thin and crispy crust.
“This is a big seller at our shop because no one can get it thin like we do,” he said.
Casapizziolo said that his pizza was a talking point at the expo because of how new he was to compete at it.
“It was really shocking because most of the guys have been competing for many years and have never even placed. It blew everyone’s mind including the judges, that we were first time competitors,” Casapizziolo added.
Casapizziolo and his son have been running Casa Pizzeria for the last five years while only being open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
It is open every day and located at 325 East St.
“We don’t do this for the money. It is the best hobby,” Casapizziolo said.
Casapizziolo is mainly a music producer for TV where he works in his studio at home making background tracks for reality shows.
“You can only do it for so many hours a day, so the pizza place is something else to do,” Casapizziolo said.
Casapizziolo and his son enjoy going to pizza expos to be able to learn about different styles of pizza that they can bring back to the shop to make and sell.
“It is like 10 different pizzerias in one shop. You really cannot try only one type of pizza,” Casapizziolo added. “We have people who say they drove almost an hour to get a pie from us.”
To order from Casa Pizzeria, you can call ahead but there is no pre-ordering. When you call the pizza place, they will tell you when they can have your pizza ready, and it is up to you to decide whether you will wait or not.
To place an order, you can call 589-0468 or check out @casa_pizzeria_ludlow_ma on Instagram.
“I do it my way and not Western Massachusetts way. That is probably why we won the award,” Casapizziolo said.
He added that he will continue to run the pizzeria for four hours a day, but is looking for people to hire to teach them how to make pizza and have them travel with him to expos to compete.
Casapizziolo received a letter from Congressman Richard Neal for his award and hard work.
Neal said, “Beating out 40 contestants, this award is proof of your hard work and dedication. This honor is a testament to your hospitality, and I commend you for all that you’ve done. I am delighted to join with your family, friends and the entire Western Massachusetts community in celebrating this milestone achievement.” According to Casapizziolo, they hardly sell to people from Ludlow but are still very popular because of their Facebook, Instagram and multiple awards.
This is not the first time Casa Pizzeria has gained public recognition.
The restaurant was named the best pizza place in the state by MassLive in 2017 and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy gave Casa Pizzeria an 8.8 pizza review this past summer.
Casapizziolo said, “It is validation to be recognized. A lot of people laughed at us when we first started. It is amazing to believe that we have almost thousands of people coming to our shop.”