North American Pizza and Culinary Academy Opens for Classes

The North American Pizza and Culinary Academy officially opened its doors on May 3, 2018. Founded by Master Instructor and world pizza champion, Chef Leo Spizzirri, and Chef Anthony Iannone, this new state-of-the-art cooking school, and test and demonstration kitchen will specialize in hands-on, interactive education for all levels and ages. The school is located just outside of Chicago in Lisle, IL.

Demonstration Space at the North American Pizza and Culinary Academy

Equipment and Classes

The school features several kinds of equipment, including five styles of Forno Bravo pizza ovens for the students and guests to work with. One of their showpieces is an incredible Napoli140, whose custom copper exterior has over 28,000 hand-placed disks to make it really shine! A Bella Ultra40 wood fired steel oven and a Roma110 oven are among the other premium equipment and appliances made by several manufacturers in the school’s kitchen and oven room floor. This variety offers the students a wide range of cooking experiences and the chance to expand their skills.

As the Chicago branch of the Scuola Italiana Pizzaiolo, the oldest pizza school in Italy, the Academy is able to train and certify pizzaiolos in the Italian Style of wood fired pizza making. As a special treat, the inaugural pizziaolo certification class will be co-taught by Chef Leo and Graziano Bertuzzo, the headmaster of the Italian Scuola (and a world pizza champion.)

All classes at the North American Pizza and Culinary Academy will be led by professional chefs, with options designed for all skill levels, ages, and types of cuisines. Kids summer camps, demonstration classes, special events with famous chefs, private parties, and corporate events will also be on the schedule at the school.

The new custom Napoli reflects the setting sun before shipping out to the school!

The Napoli 140 takes its place in the Oven Room during preparations for the school’s grand opening.

Chef Leo Showing off the Roma 110 in the Oven Room

Chef Leo Describing the Strengths of the Bella Ultra 40

The Journey

Chef Leo began his culinary journey by cooking with his mother and grandmother in the family kitchen. He graduated to working in the mom and pop Italian restaurants around his Chicago neighborhood, learning anything someone would teach him. He has said, “The Italians from our neighborhood were mostly from Calabria, Sicily, and Bari. It is for this reason that the pizza, bread, and dishes that I make are influenced by the casalinga-style cooking of southern Italy.”

Now, a well-known artisan pizza and bread maker in his own right, Spizzirri received his pizzaiolo certification from 11-time world pizza champion Tony Gemignani at the International School of Pizza in San Francisco and completed his studies at the Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli in Venice, Italy. After launching AskLeoPizza.com and The Pizza Project consulting business to train and support other restauranteurs, Chef Leo was ready to expand his reach to include his own culinary school. It has been an intense time of preparation, but he has built a strong team and program that should serve to both challenge professionals and support beginners alike.

Congratulations on the new school, Chef Leo. With your skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm, we know it will be a success!