Local pizza 'best in U.S.'!
Onward to world championships!

Emporium's Dave Smith breezed into town briefly this week before heading back on the road in search of an encore.

That will be tall order for Smith, owner of the Pizza Palace Plus on Fourth Street. Last week in Orlando, Fla., his cajun chicken entry was judged "best pizza in the United States."

Competition was intense as the country's three best pizza producers squared off in an event sponsored by the United State Pizza Team.

"I wouldn't have wanted to be one of the judges," Smith said. "The pizzas were so different from each other."

His palate-pleaser earned a perfect score of 45 from three of the four judges. Smith is happy to share the basics of his recipe (but no too many specifics). It consists of cajun sauce, marinated chicken, cheeses, crumbled bacon and celery, topped with blue cheese.

Smith bought the Pizza Palace eight years ago and, soon, was expanding the menu. He recently opened a similar business in Port Allegany.

Not resting on his laurels, Smith is in Atlantic City, N.J., this week for World Pizza Champions competition. His pizza-making skills have also taken him to more than a halfdozen other competitions in cities such as Las Vegas, Pittsburgh and Columbus, Ohio.

To reach the USPT finals in Orlando, he first had to beat out eight other producers, then come out on top of a field of three in the regional competition. His grand prize was an expense-paid family trip to Europe.

Next up for Smith is the world championship round, known in the business as the America's Plate Competition, in New York City next March.