Giovanni Di Palma’s Award-Winning Eatery Has Garnered More Than 50 Accolades Since Opening in 2009 and is Still Going Strong

ATLANTA (April 25, 2024) – Atlanta’s famed Antico Pizza Napoletana is still going strong as it approaches its 15th birthday in September. Since opening in 2009, the beloved eatery has garnered accolade after accolade for the best pizza throughout the country. This astonishing list now numbers more than 50 accolades and awards, including one of the world’s most-sought-after hospitality awards: the coveted MICHELIN Bib Gourmand. So how does a pizza joint wind up on the list of best restaurants in Atlanta? It starts with owner Giovanni Di Palma.

Di Palma built Antico Pizza with his bare hands along with his eight-year-old son Johnny. When he first opened Antico Pizza in 2009 on Hemphill Avenue in Atlanta’s Home Park neighborhood, it was the only pizzeria in the world to have three massive Gianni Acunto ovens in one kitchen and quickly became a favorite spot for nearby Georgia Tech students. (Three other locations of the pizzeria also are open at the Battery Atlanta in Cobb County, Avalon in Alpharetta and on Hugh Howell Road in Tucker.) As a result of Dipalma’s success, tireless work and vision, the entire district of Atlanta now known as West Midtown surged. West Midtown is arguably the premier culinary destination of the city, garnering national recognition from the MICHELIN Guide, James Beard Foundation and more.

Antico Pizza Napaletana, Atlanta, GA

While the list of esteemed accolades continues to grow, the formula for Antico Pizza remains the same, and its place in the dining community continues to expand. Last year, Antico joined 10 Atlanta restaurants that were awarded MICHELIN’s Bib Gourmand status. Antico Pizza is not only a standout among restaurants in Atlanta, but it also is one of just 13 pizza restaurants in the United States and one of 25 in the world to earn the Bib Gourmand status.

“To be recognized in this elite selection of Atlanta restaurants is humbling,” says Di Palma. “We’re thrilled to be a part of this inaugural class of Atlanta restaurants in the MICHELIN Guide. As we celebrate Antico Pizza’s 15th year, we are excited to receive this new accolade as we continue to evolve.”

From the beginning, he stayed faithful to his family’s age-old pizza Napoletana recipe. The yeasty dough is prepared with finely milled 00 flour, just like in Naples; cheeses are flown in fresh from Italy each week; and he only uses imported San Marzano DOP tomatoes in his tangy red sauce, Sicilian sea salt and extra virgin olive oil. Each pizza is flash-baked for 90 seconds in 1,000-degree custom-built ovens crafted from ancient Santa Maria brick and volcanic rock from Mt. Vesuvius.

Antico created its original style of pizza and caused a nationwide trend. Over the last 15 years, Di Palma has won numerous “Best of” awards, obtained a special Italian certification and was named best pizza in the United States by the Festa Della Pizza in Naples in 2010. Since opening in 2009, the beloved pizza spot has gathered countless awards and recognitions including:

Top in Class for United States, Festa Della Pizza in Salerno, 2010
Critics’ Pick for Best Pizza, Creative Loafing, 2010, 2011
Readers’ Pick for Best Pizza, Creative Loafing, 2010-2018
#2 Best of Atlanta, Zagat, 2011
Where to Eat and Drink in Atlanta, Bon Appetit, 2013
10 Best Pizza in the U.S., Business Insider, 2013
Top 10 Pizzas in the U.S., Gayot, 2013
Best Pizza in Atlanta, Huffington Post, 2014
#1 Most Iconic Atlanta Pizzerias, Eater, 2014
Readers’ Choice for Best Pizza, Atlanta Magazine, 2014
Best. Ever. with Ted Allen – featured, Food Network, 2015
#7 Best Pizza in the U.S., TripAdvisor, 2015
Best Italian Style Pizza, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2015
12 New Pizza Classics, Food & Wine Magazine, 2015
10 Best Atlanta Restaurants, USA Today, 2016
50 Best Restaurants, Atlanta Magazine, 2017
Best Pizza in 23 U.S. Cities, Zagat, 2017
Where to Eat, Drink in Atlanta, Sports Illustrated, 2017
The 101 Best Pizzas in America, The Daily Meal, 2019
Best Pizza Place in Atlanta | Best of Atlanta, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2019
The 10 Best Pizzerias in Atlanta, Serious Eats, 2019
9 Great New Pizza Places in Atlanta, Zagat, 2019
# 3 Best Pizza Place in Atlanta | Best of Atlanta, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2020
#4 Best Pizza in Atlanta, GA Followers, 2020
The Best Pizza in Every State, Food & Wine Magazine, 2021
Best Pizza in Atlanta, Thrillist, 2021
Where to Eat Pizza in Atlanta, Creative Loafing, 2021
Best Pizza in Atlanta, Access Atlanta, 2022
Best Pizza in Atlanta, The Atlantan, 2023
Best Pizza in Atlanta, Gayot, 2023
Steak Shapiro’s Top 10 Pizzas (#2), Atlanta Eats, 2023
Best Pizza in Atlanta, The Infatuation, 2023
#2 Best of Atlanta Pizza, Secret Atlanta, 2023
#3 Best Pizza in Atlanta, TimeOut, 2023
#1 Best Pizza in Alpharetta, Rough Draft, 2023
Top 10 Best Pizza in Atlanta, Culture Trip, 2023
#16 Best Pizza in the Country, TimeOut, 2023
#35 Best in the U.S.A., 50 Top Pizzas, 2023
Top 17 Best in the Country, Gotham Magazine, 2023
Top 100 Restaurants in Atlanta, Jezebel, 2023
Best Pizza in Atlanta, Epicurious
Best Pizza in Every State, Reader’s Digest, 2024

Di Palma notes, “It’s phenomenal for our simple pizzeria to be included in the MICHELIN Guide, along with all of our other awards and recognitions. Making this pizza day in and day out takes tremendous attention to detail and passion, and some days we wonder if people really appreciate and understand what it takes. Having the recognition that we do at Antico makes me emotional and gives me a sense that it is all definitely worthwhile.”

The post Antico Pizza Napoletana Celebrates 15 Years and Continues to Defy Conventional Culinary Expectations in Atlanta appeared first on Pizza Today.