 Manuela Mendoza and Tim Giroux make pizza at Famoso Neapolitan Pizza, which ranked sixth in a worldwide contest. (Jason Franson, QMI Agency)
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EDMONTON - Dave Houseman's pizza might not be the best in the world, but it's awfully close.
The local businessman is returning to Edmonton Friday after winning sixth place in the International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas.
Around 120 pizza makers from around the globe battled it out for the top prize of $10,000, along with bragging rights.
"It was very good," said Houseman, who owns Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria, which has locations downtown and on the south side of the city.
"It was my first time competing in anything like this, so it was a big learning experience. A lot of people I was competing against have done this for years."
He also beat out two other Canadians from Ontario to finish as the top Canuck competitor.
On Tuesday, the pizza makers whipped up pies to qualify for the semifinals.
Then on Thursday, the handful who passed the first test went on to duke it out for top spot.
The contestants had half an hour to make two pizzas: one for the judges and another for the audience.
They were only allowed two toppings. Houseman chose mushrooms and sausage to add flavour to his crust.
"A lot of what they're grading you on is your dough and your sauce," he explained before the contest.
While the competition might have been fierce, the competitors certainly weren't, he said.
"I talked to a few of the other competitors and took away a few pointers from them.
"Everyone was pretty nice. It wasn't cutthroat," he said.
The grand prize was awarded to a man from Italy.
Houseman, who qualified for the challenge after winning a Canadian Pizza magazine contest, is already gearing up for his next chance to compete.
"We didn't really know what to expect coming out, but I would definitely come back," he said.
The runner-up received a $2,000 prize, while third place was awarded $1,000.
alyssa.noel@sunmedia.ca
