Mirko D’Agata is on a mission to elevate the Napoletana pizza style and the broader profession of pizza making.
D’Agata, the talented executive chef at Montreal-headquartered No. 900 Pizzeria Napolitaine, won the Pizza Napoletana division at the International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas in March.
In a phone conversation with Canadian Pizza in May, D’Agata said it was the first time a chef with a franchised group of pizzerias had achieved the honour. The pizzeria has 31 locations in Quebec, one in Toronto and one in Lyon, France.
“The competition is always full of Italians from Italy, U.S. and Canada,” said D’Agata. “I’m really, really proud as an Italian and now a Canadian. It’s really important. One of my goals is to let people understand that being a pizzaiolo should be recognized as being a chef. You have culinary and bakery skills and, also, you are working in the flow of the kitchen. All these things are part of being a professional.”
The job needs to be recognized as a profession, he said. “It’s not easy and it deserves to be valued.”
“Of course, for me another source of pride is it’s the first time a Canadian and a franchise has won this category. Previous winners were single chefs or those from a small group of restaurants. This win explains how you can control quality when you have a great team,” said D’Agata, who is in charge of training for the franchise.
With this honour, the time seemed right to push for a certification program in Canada – something D’Agata has been working on for about two years.
The passionate chef will instruct the first cohort of Napoletana pizzaioli in a professional five-day course to be held in July at the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana school at 55 Rue de Louvain O in Montreal in partnership with the AVPN in Naples, Italy. This will be a small but intensive class – there is room for four students at a time – based on the traditional rules and practices of Napoletana pizza. Students will master traditional techniques including making dough balls, stretching, fermentation and cooking.
The course is open to everyone – “we start from zero” – but best suited to students with some cooking experience. D’Agata described the process: “We’ll have two ovens. We want to be very hands on, with two people per oven. One stretches, the other cooks, and then they change. We need to have theory and a lot of practice.”
The examination will be held as part of a video conference with experts in Naples through the AVPN. The goal of the association, which was founded in Naples in 1984, is to promote and protect the traditional techniques, rules, ingredients and other hallmarks of the regional style “in accordance with the characteristics described in the AVPN International Regulations.”
D’Agata said that in future graduates may have the option to work for No. 900, possibly for two years, following their certification.
The plan is to grow the program year by year. “Then we can talk about other styles, but for me it’s important to represent and bring this to the public. That’s my goal for the next year.”
He would like to have a partnership with Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ) in Montreal or another post-secondary culinary school as a part of Italian cuisine program.
Meanwhile, D’Agata, a bit of a media sensation this spring following his international win, intends to keep the momentum going and spark interest in his beloved style across Canada.
“Pizza chefs need to know different pizza styles. You need to know how to manage and transform local ingredients as was done in the past. I think one day we can have a Napolitaine, Detroit, Chicago or New York style taught by professors. This needs to come from real expertise that is shared.”
A dedicated website is in the works and will provide information about the program, schedule and examination.
For more information, contact D’Agata through Instagram @mirkodagata, Facebook or LinkedIn, or by contacting No. 900 Pizzeria Napolitaine.