Local Chef Earns First Place Honors at the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas

Greenville, NC, April 01, 2018 --(PR.com)-- Massimo Mannino, chef and co-owner of MarabellaRestaurants, placed first in the Southeast Region finals at the International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas.

There are five divisions in the pizza bake-off known as the largest U.S. pizza-making competition. Mannino participated in the Traditional division, placing first in the Southeast Region. Approximately 200 pizzaioli gathered to compete in Traditional, Non-Traditional, Pan, Pizza Napoletan and Gluten Free divisions. Contestants bring their own ingredients and must create a pie from their pizza menu on the spot to present to a panel of judges. The judges then score on taste and visual presentation/appearance.

In addition to this first-place honor, Mannino was named World Champion at the Pizza Expo’s 2017 Northeast Pasta Showdown. In 2016 Mannino joined the US Pizza Team, was awarded 3rd place in the Western Culinary Trials, Classico division, and 2nd place in the International Pizza Challenge, Pan Pizza division. Nino’s Cucina Italiana was recently named Best Italian Restaurant through a reader contest sponsored by The Daily Reflector, the local newspaper in Greenville, NC. The same contest awarded Marabella Old World Pizza the title of Best Pizza. Locally, Nino’s has won the People’s Choice award at the March of Dimes’ annual Signature Chefs Auction fundraiser in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017. Marabella Old World Pizza also won Best Pizza in Mixer, a local entertainment magazine, in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Mannino has also been featured in documentaries on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Weekend and various other press.

Massimo Mannino is Co-Owner/Co-Executive Chef of Marabella Restaurants which includes Nino’s Cucina Italiana in Greenville, NC, Marabella Italian Restaurant in Washington, NC and Marabella Old World Pizza in Greenville and Farmville, NC. Mannino enjoys sharing over 75 years of Italian family tradition that has been acquired over three generations, and continues to make food fresh daily from centuries-old authentic Italian and New York-style recipes.