FREDERICKTOWN — The best pizza in America can be found in Fredericktown. At least that’s what the judges at the American Pizza Championship said this month. Pizza Dock’s Michael Amheiser first won the semifinals at the competition held in Orlando with his hearty Mike’s Favorite pizza, then went on to be crowned the Best Pizza Maker in America.
Amheiser will now advance to the America’s Plate competition, to be held in New York in March. There he will compete against pizza chefs from a minimum of seven other countries, vying for the title of World’s Best Pizza Maker. The next step will be representing America in the upcoming European competition.
“I almost didn’t make it to the Orlando competition this year,” Amheiser said. “I’m sure glad I did.”
Last spring Amheiser competed in a cook-off held in Paris, and his white sauce chicken pizza was deemed the best of all the American entries in the contest.
His APC recent prize-winner, “Mike’s Favorite,” has been under development and undergoing Amheiser taste tests almost ever since he started in the pizza business 20 years ago.
“I just work on it little by little and change things,” he said. “As food has evolved, the quality of the pizza has gone up, too.”
Mike’s Favorite pizza starts off with a deep dish pan brushed with Amheiser’s homemade blend of Amish butter, margarine, spices and Romano cheese. Then he stuffs the crust with Wisconsin award-winning provolone. The pizza is topped with fresh chopped garlic, onion, green pepper, mushrooms, hard salami, pepperoni and bacon, allowing the juices from the meats to seep down into the pie. After baking, Amheiser sprinkles the pizza with basil and more Romano cheese.
This winning recipe really is Amheiser’s favorite, he said, except for one thing — when he makes it for himself, he includes jalapeño peppers.
When Amheiser is not working at Pizza Dock or creating prize-winning pizza pies, he dedicates his time and money to an orphanage he established in Kenya.
