{"id":42376,"date":"2023-04-10T11:11:52","date_gmt":"2023-04-10T18:11:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/?page_id=42376"},"modified":"2023-04-10T11:13:29","modified_gmt":"2023-04-10T18:13:29","slug":"pizzaiolo-of-pop-up-pizza-at-the-plaza-hotel-casino-wins-multiple-awards-inducted-into-world-pizza-champions-team","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/press-room\/pizzaiolo-of-pop-up-pizza-at-the-plaza-hotel-casino-wins-multiple-awards-inducted-into-world-pizza-champions-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Pizzaiolo of Pop Up Pizza at the Plaza Hotel & Casino wins multiple awards, inducted into World Pizza Champions Team"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/strong>: April 6, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MEDIA CONTACT<\/strong>: Amy E. S. Maier, The Warren Group, amy@twgpr.com<\/a>, 702-904-0296<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winning pizza available for purchase one-day only on May 5<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

 LAS VEGAS <\/strong>\u2013 Michael Vakneen, chef and pizzaiolo of Pop Up Pizza at the Plaza Hotel & Casino won first place in the southwest region of the U.S. and second in the world in the non-traditional professional division at the International Pizza Challenge during Pizza Expo 2023 for his \u201cPork Belly and Date Jam\u201d pizza on a 72 hour fermented sourdough crust that is mixed and finished by hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vakneen\u2019s winning pizza is topped with onion and date jam, maple glazed lardons and duck prosciutto from Tempesta Chicago, Grand Cheese Co. smoked mozzarella, Coachella valley dates, Point Reyes blue cheese, Stracciatella, fried and caramelized pecans, orange zest, microgreens, and edible flowers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dubbed the \u201cChamp\u2019s Pie,\u201d Vakneen\u2019s winning pizza will be available for the public to buy at Pop Up Pizza during a special, one-day-only tasting on Friday, May 5, 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. or while supplies last. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vakneen also won the title of World Sandwich Champion at the International Italian Sandwich Championship. Now in its third year, the competition evaluates competitors\u2019 entries that can be a hot or cold Italian-inspired sandwich consisting of any combination of Italian ingredients, sauces, toppings, and\/or garnishes on any type of bread, roll, or bun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vakneen was also inducted into the World Pizza Champions team. The nonprofit, multinational group is made up of elite pizza professionals who are dedicated to promoting pizza making as a respected craft and viable career choice. Team members are selected from world champion competitors and acclaimed industry leaders. Inclusion on the team is by invitation only and based on skill, character, compatibility, and selfless effort on behalf of the industry with the shared goal of setting the industry-wide standard of excellence in all aspects of the pizza maker\u2019s art. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

About the Plaza Hotel & Casino<\/strong>
 Located in the heart of downtown Las Vegas, the Plaza Hotel & Casino combines a vintage Rat Pack attitude with modern styling and personal customer service for the ultimate Vegas experience. First opened in 1971 and built on the site of the original Las Vegas railroad depot, the Plaza has nearly 1,000 modern rooms and suites, a classic Vegas showroom, downtown\u2019s only bingo hall, and 30,000 sq. ft. of refurbished ballroom and meeting space. Larger outdoor events are hosted at the Plaza\u2019s Core Arena, downtown\u2019s only equestrian and multipurpose facility. Guests enjoy a variety of dining options led by the renowned Oscar\u2019s Steakhouse in the hotel\u2019s iconic glass dome overlooking the Fremont Street Experience. A new race & sports book along with hundreds of slot machines and nearly two dozen table games comprise an 80,000-square-foot casino floor. A fully renovated rooftop pool and recreation deck, complete with private cabanas, hot tub, food truck, and dedicated pickleball courts, provide a variety of outdoor amenities. For more information on the multiple award-winning Plaza Hotel & Casino, visit www.plazahotelcasino.com<\/a>. Get updates via Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 6, 2023 MEDIA CONTACT: Amy E. S. Maier, The Warren Group, amy@twgpr.com, 702-904-0296 Winning pizza available for purchase one-day only on May 5  LAS VEGAS \u2013 Michael Vakneen, chef and pizzaiolo of Pop Up Pizza at the Plaza Hotel & Casino won first place in the southwest region of the U.S. and […]","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"parent":50,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"libsyn-item-id":0,"libsyn-show-id":0,"libsyn-post-error":"","libsyn-post-error_post-type":"","libsyn-post-error_post-permissions":"","libsyn-post-error_api":"","playlist-podcast-url":"","libsyn-episode-thumbnail":"","libsyn-episode-widescreen_image":"","libsyn-episode-blog_image":"","libsyn-episode-background_image":"","libsyn-post-episode-category-selection":"","libsyn-post-episode-player_use_thumbnail":"","libsyn-post-episode-player_use_theme":"","libsyn-post-episode-player_height":"","libsyn-post-episode-player_width":"","libsyn-post-episode-player_placement":"","libsyn-post-episode-player_use_download_link":"","libsyn-post-episode-player_use_download_link_text":"","libsyn-post-episode-player_custom_color":"","libsyn-post-episode-itunes-explicit":"","libsyn-post-episode":"","libsyn-post-episode-update-id3":"","libsyn-post-episode-release-date":"","libsyn-post-episode-simple-download":"","libsyn-release-date":"","libsyn-post-update-release-date":"","libsyn-is_draft":"","libsyn-new-media-media":"","libsyn-post-episode-subtitle":"","libsyn-new-media-image":"","libsyn-post-episode-keywords":"","libsyn-post-itunes":"","libsyn-post-episode-itunes-episode-number":"","libsyn-post-episode-itunes-season-number":"","libsyn-post-episode-itunes-episode-type":"","libsyn-post-episode-itunes-episode-title":"","libsyn-post-episode-itunes-episode-author":"","libsyn-destination-releases":"","libsyn-post-episode-advanced-destination-form-data":"","libsyn-post-episode-advanced-destination-form-data-enabled":"","libsyn-post-episode-advanced-destination-form-data-input-enabled":false,"libsyn-post-episode-premium_state":"","libsyn-episode-shortcode":"","libsyn-episode-embedurl":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-42376","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPizzaiolo of Pop Up Pizza at the Plaza Hotel & Casino wins multiple awards, inducted into World Pizza Champions Team - Plaza Hotel and Casino<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/press-room\/pizzaiolo-of-pop-up-pizza-at-the-plaza-hotel-casino-wins-multiple-awards-inducted-into-world-pizza-champions-team\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pizzaiolo of Pop Up Pizza at the Plaza Hotel & Casino wins multiple awards, inducted into World Pizza Champions Team\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 6, 2023 MEDIA CONTACT: Amy E. S. Maier, The Warren Group, amy@twgpr.com, 702-904-0296 Winning pizza available for purchase one-day only on May 5  LAS VEGAS \u2013 Michael Vakneen, chef and pizzaiolo of Pop Up Pizza at the Plaza Hotel & Casino won first place in the southwest region of the U.S. and […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/press-room\/pizzaiolo-of-pop-up-pizza-at-the-plaza-hotel-casino-wins-multiple-awards-inducted-into-world-pizza-champions-team\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Plaza Hotel and Casino\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PlazaLasVegas\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-04-10T18:13:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Tezza-0416-683x1024.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@plazalasvegas\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Pizzaiolo of Pop Up Pizza at the Plaza Hotel & Casino wins multiple awards, inducted into World Pizza Champions Team - Plaza Hotel and Casino","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/press-room\/pizzaiolo-of-pop-up-pizza-at-the-plaza-hotel-casino-wins-multiple-awards-inducted-into-world-pizza-champions-team\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Pizzaiolo of Pop Up Pizza at the Plaza Hotel & Casino wins multiple awards, inducted into World Pizza Champions Team","og_description":"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 6, 2023 MEDIA CONTACT: Amy E. S. Maier, The Warren Group, amy@twgpr.com, 702-904-0296 Winning pizza available for purchase one-day only on May 5  LAS VEGAS \u2013 Michael Vakneen, chef and pizzaiolo of Pop Up Pizza at the Plaza Hotel & Casino won first place in the southwest region of the U.S. and […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/press-room\/pizzaiolo-of-pop-up-pizza-at-the-plaza-hotel-casino-wins-multiple-awards-inducted-into-world-pizza-champions-team\/","og_site_name":"Plaza Hotel and Casino","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PlazaLasVegas\/","article_modified_time":"2023-04-10T18:13:29+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Tezza-0416-683x1024.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@plazalasvegas","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/press-room\/pizzaiolo-of-pop-up-pizza-at-the-plaza-hotel-casino-wins-multiple-awards-inducted-into-world-pizza-champions-team\/","url":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/press-room\/pizzaiolo-of-pop-up-pizza-at-the-plaza-hotel-casino-wins-multiple-awards-inducted-into-world-pizza-champions-team\/","name":"Pizzaiolo of Pop Up Pizza at the Plaza Hotel & Casino wins multiple awards, inducted into World Pizza Champions Team - Plaza Hotel and Casino","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/press-room\/pizzaiolo-of-pop-up-pizza-at-the-plaza-hotel-casino-wins-multiple-awards-inducted-into-world-pizza-champions-team\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/press-room\/pizzaiolo-of-pop-up-pizza-at-the-plaza-hotel-casino-wins-multiple-awards-inducted-into-world-pizza-champions-team\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Tezza-0416-683x1024.jpg","datePublished":"2023-04-10T18:11:52+00:00","dateModified":"2023-04-10T18:13:29+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/press-room\/pizzaiolo-of-pop-up-pizza-at-the-plaza-hotel-casino-wins-multiple-awards-inducted-into-world-pizza-champions-team\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/press-room\/pizzaiolo-of-pop-up-pizza-at-the-plaza-hotel-casino-wins-multiple-awards-inducted-into-world-pizza-champions-team\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/press-room\/pizzaiolo-of-pop-up-pizza-at-the-plaza-hotel-casino-wins-multiple-awards-inducted-into-world-pizza-champions-team\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Tezza-0416.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Tezza-0416.jpg","width":1120,"height":1680},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/press-room\/pizzaiolo-of-pop-up-pizza-at-the-plaza-hotel-casino-wins-multiple-awards-inducted-into-world-pizza-champions-team\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Press Room","item":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/press-room\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Pizzaiolo of Pop Up Pizza at the Plaza Hotel & Casino wins multiple awards, inducted into World Pizza Champions Team"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/","name":"Plaza Hotel and Casino","description":"Hotel \u2022 Casino \u2022 Bingo","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/#organization","name":"Plaza Hotel & Casino","url":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/plaza-las-vegas-logo-160x50-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/plaza-las-vegas-logo-160x50-1.jpg","width":160,"height":50,"caption":"Plaza Hotel & Casino"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PlazaLasVegas\/","https:\/\/x.com\/plazalasvegas","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/plazalasvegas\/","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@plazalasvegas","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/plazahotelcasino\/"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/42376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42376"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/42376\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/50"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.plazahotelcasino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}