How an unassuming local pizza shop run by female chef was named one of top pizzarias in the world
A Bay Area woman-owned pizzeria known for its New York-style slices has officially been ranked as one of the top pizza shops in the world.
Laura Meyer, the owner of Pizzeria da Laura, in Berkley, California, was ranked 96 on this year's Best Pizza Awards list - which features chefs from around the globe.
Meyer has already established herself in the culinary realm by becoming the first American and woman to win the World Pizza Championships in 2013.
She began her pizza-making career in 2006 at Pyzano's Pizzeria in the Gold State's Castro Valley.
She worked under acclaimed restaurateur Tony Gemignani, who co-owned Pyzano's, since she was a teenager.
'He taught me how to make pizza as well as how to throw, and is still my boss/mentor to this day,' Meyer wrote in her World Pizza Champions profile.
She studied abroad in Italy during college, which deepened her love for the culinary arts.
Meyer continued pursuing pizza after she graduated - earning several accolades along the way.
By 2023, she finally opened her own restaurant - which sees herds of loyal customers each day.
'It's something that's very personal to me,' the pizza chef told SFGate when Pizzeria da Laura first opened.
'This is my life. This is my career. This is pretty much me in pizzeria form. To name it after myself was important because I'm very proud of it.'
Of the 100 culinary experts ranked in this year's competition, only 10 women, including Meyers, made the list.
This year's Best Pizza Awards rankings was determined by a voting panel of more than 500 pizza experts from 60 different countries. The third annual awards ceremony was hosted in Milan on June 25.
'The Best Pizza Awards is not just another ranking,' the organization explained on its website.
'It's the only accreditation platform that stays true to culinary standards, free from commercial agendas.'
The awards were founded in 2023 to 'preserve the integrity of pizza accreditation' and mirror The Best Chef Awards, another global culinary ranking.
Gemignani has been the only other chef from the Bay Area to earn a slot on the best pizza roster - ranking in 2023 and 2024, according to SFGate. But this year, he did not secure a place.
Meyer is a three-time world pizza champion who specializes in New York and pan style pies, according to her Instagram bio.
Pizzeria da Laura's mouthwatering menu includes four pizza styles - New York, Sicilian, Detroit and Grandma - to match any food-lovers' preference.
New York style mimics the Big Apple's classic thin-crusted circle pie, while Sicilian pizza has a thick and fluffy focaccia-lie crust.
Detroit deep-dish pizza is known for being the perfect combination of doughy, chewy and crisp, while Grandma pies are thin pan-baked pizzas that have East Coast roots.
Meyer offers 13 set topping combinations, but customers can also pick their own variety.
Aside from pizza, the restaurant serves homemade pasta, calzones and delicious appetizers such as arancini, which are rice balls.
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