Every year, the International Pizza Challenge crowns a World Champion Pizza Maker. This year, that title went to Canadian chef Mirko D’Agata of Pizzéria NO.900, who took the top prize in Las Vegas for his work rooted in traditional Neapolitan technique.
While this year’s winning pie is unavailable at the Pizzéria NO.900 in Toronto just yet, pizza fans can try previous award winners from D’Agata at their Beach location, including the marinara that took the Neapolitan pizza category at the competition last year.
More than 700 makers competed for the coveted honour in Las Vegas from March 22 to March 26, with the victor determined by a series of anonymous taste tests. D’Agata’s winning pie was the Padellino with ossobuco; its dough went through a rigorous 20 hours of cold fermentation, followed by 10 hours of room temperature fermentation. “Before the final, I had to wake up during the middle of the night to prepare my dough. It was exhausting but incredibly rewarding,” according to D’Agata.
Toppings include low-temperature-cooked ossobuco; Milanese-style risotto cream; a 30-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano emulsion gremolata with parsley, garlic and lemon; and a saffron tuile. “The competition was intense, emotional and very fun. With 750 participants from all over the world and a blind tasting jury, every moment counted. It pushed me to perform at my very best,” D’Agata says.
Pizzéria NO.900 has been excelling in the competitive world of pizza. Following category and overall wins at the 2025 and 2026 competitions, D’Agata was invited into the prestigious World Pizza Champions non-profit organization. (There are only 70 members; he is one of the first Canadians to become a part of it, and the first Québécois chef.)
Pizzéria NO.900 also moved up one spot to No. 42 in the 50 Top Pizza 2025 list, making it the only Canadian pizzeria chain on the list. They have 35 locations across Canada and France, including their Beach location, which opened in 2024. “(Our pizza) is rooted in classic recipes that are sometimes adapted to suit Canadian tastes. We work with local producers and seasonal ingredients, while always respecting Italian and Neapolitan culinary traditions,” D’Agata says. “Our philosophy is simple: few ingredients, minimally processed, used at their best moment and fully elevated.”
D’Agata believes pizza is having a moment in Canada; Canadians also won in the traditional category and cheese slice division at the competition this year. “My focus now is to bring that same level of excellence to our restaurants, starting with the summer menu,” he says. “I want to continue sharing my passion for pizza, training the next generation of pizzaioli, so next year I would be glad to celebrate a colleague of mine if they win and not me”
