Inside the 2026 Real California Pizza Contest | Winning Detroit Style Pizza Revealed

What does it take to win one of America's most prestigious pizza competitions? In this exclusive interview, Jim Mirabelli (Virtual Pizza Academy & NEPA Pizza Review) sits down with Jim Henry (JimmyHank Pizza & Virtual Pizza Academy) to discuss his incredible journey to winning the 2026 Real California Pizza Contest. After being selected as one of only eight finalists from across the United States, Jim traveled to Napa, California to compete against some of the nation's best pizza makers. Using premium Real California Milk cheeses, he created his award-winning Motor City Elote—a creative Detroit Style Pizza inspired by authentic Mexican street corn (Elote)—and earned the title of 2026 Real California Pizza Contest Champion. In this podcast-style conversation, you'll hear: 🍕 How Jim was selected as a national finalist 🏆 What it was like competing in the Real California Pizza Contest 🧀 Why Real California Milk cheeses played a key role in his winning pizza 🌽 The story behind the award-winning Motor City Elote Detroit Style Pizza ✈️ How he successfully flew pizza dough across the country for competition 🔥 Competition strategy, preparation, and baking under pressure 📺 His appearance on Philadelphia's Positively Philadelphia before the contest 🍕 Visiting legendary pizzaiolo Tony Gemignani at Tony's Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco 👨‍🍳 Behind-the-scenes insights from the Culinary Institute of America at Copia in Napa Valley 📚 Lessons every home pizza maker and professional pizzaiolo can apply to their own pizza journey Whether you're passionate about Detroit Style Pizza, pizza competitions, artisan pizza making, or simply enjoy hearing inspiring stories from award-winning pizza makers, this episode is packed with valuable tips, behind-the-scenes experiences, and plenty of pizza talk. If you enjoy pizza education, restaurant reviews, dough science, and interviews with some of the best pizza makers in the country, be sure to subscribe for more content from Virtual Pizza Academy and NEPA Pizza Review.