Daughter of Elkhart restaurant owner wins award at International Pizza Expo

By: Maura Johnson

Posted: Sep 1, 2021 4:03 PM EDT

Photo courtesy: Paul Cataldo Photo courtesy: Paul Cataldo Photo courtesy: Paul Cataldo

ELKHART, Ind. – Carmilla Cataldo, daughter of Antonio’s Italian Ristorante owner Paul Cataldo, won first place in the Mid-West Region for her creation at the 2021 International Pizza Expo.

The 18-year-old was the youngest competitor at the Las Vegas event.

As one of 85 competitors, Cataldo won her division with her “Calabrese” pizza, consisting of a 72-hour cold fermentation dough, homemade Pomodoro sauce, homemade hot honey sausage, and more.

Cataldo won for the Mid-West Region category and lost the World Champion spot by .18 points.

“There is nothing I could have done differently. I have no regrets about the crust, sauce, toppings, bake, or my pizza presentation. I am proud and satisfied with every aspect of the pizza. Even though I didn’t place first (in the world), I am still proud of my pizza,” Cataldo said.

Cataldo has been working at Antonio’s since she was 10 years old and competed in her first pizza competition at age 16.