Drop everything to dedicate himself to pizza: who is the new emerging pizzaiolo in the Pizzerie d’Italia guide

Born in 1997, Davide Giallongo has always been fascinated since childhood by that magical little ball of water, flour and yeast. The dream of opening a pizzeria never faded, even when he decided to take care of the family business in the construction sector. From the apprenticeship in the pizzerias of Pozzallo, where he watched and learned with curiosity all the secrets of the white art, to the inauguration of Mazzini60, two years ago. In between, hundreds and hundreds of pizzas made, courses and professional training, experimentation. As in many other cases, it was Covid that dictated a change of course in Giallongo’s life.

The life change

“During the pandemic I explored the world of pizza in a more technical way. And it was precisely in that period that I decided to turn my passion into a real job. What convinced me were also my friends, who tried my pizzas and supported the choice to open my own pizzeria,” says Davide. The springboard was the management of a seaside resort where Giallongo’s pizza came to life every day, pizza after pizza. Thus Mazzini60 was born, a project that resulted from winning a youth entrepreneurship tender for the opening and management of a hotel and restaurant structure.

Mazzini60 in Pozzallo

Two years later, Davide wins the Special Emerging Pizzaiolo Award – Acqua Panna San Pellegrino in the Pizzerie d’Italia 2026 guide and is already a reference point and part of that unofficial movement of Sicilian pizzaioli who have transformed pizzerias and pizza into something more than just a simple, popular dish. The venue, in the centre of the town known not only for landings and its port that connects Sicily to Malta, but also for its beaches where kitesurfing is practised, is a warm and welcoming place where the oven and preparation counter immediately greet the customer, and the open kitchen allows them to follow the preparations live. Alongside Davide are his mother Graziella, father Pietro and brother Salvatore, the commercial soul of the venue.

A pizza of the territory

The pizza proposed by Giallongo embraces contemporaneity but remains anchored to classical references, focusing on local raw materials and quality. It starts with flours, many of which come from ancient Sicilian grains, to seek a balance between crunchiness, correct hydration and leavening. The dough is born from a mix of stone-ground and cylinder-ground flours (“type 1”, wholemeal soft wheat and evolutionary blend) enriched with a pre-ferment biga. The leavening of at least 48 hours guarantees a quality product. A crunchy and fragrant pizza is born in different variations: round pizzas, padellino, pala and tray pizzas. Also worth tasting are the rich combinations linked to Sicilian culinary tradition. Great attention is paid to ingredients, often zero-kilometre, and to Sicilian grains, a resource to be valued. The bond with the territory is fundamental: from toppings with local fish to vegetables and dairy products from the area.

The menu is a journey, which Davide significantly calls Mazzini60 Experience, through the flavours of the land and the different dough techniques. Pala pizzas, double-cooked, classic round ones, can be enjoyed in various recipes: from the montanarina topped with red prawns from Porto Palo di Capo Passero and iblean buffalo stracciatella, to the pizza with beef carpaccio, cardoncelli mushroom cream, truffle petals, roasted mushrooms and meat reduction; the pizza with sweet yellow datterino velouté, Pachino IGP datterino, fiordilatte mozzarella, iblean buffalo stracciatella, Parma PDO ham, drops of basil pesto and extra virgin olive oil. Finally, the Crunchy Pulled Pork Pizza: crunchy pala pizza with fiordilatte, homemade pulled pork strips, coleslaw salad. “The inspiration comes from a mix of personal creativity, customers’ needs and technical exploration,” comments Giallongo. “I don’t like trends but I believe in new techniques that can improve performance without distorting the identity of pizza. Innovation manifests itself in new fermentation techniques and in the introduction of ever-new products.”

The encore with Premiata Focacceria Mazzini

This summer Davide Giallongo landed in the seaside village of Marzamemi, in the province of Syracuse. The new challenge is called Premiata Focacceria Mazzini and plays on the reference to the famous musical group PFM but above all to the Mazzini60 pizzeria-bistro, his first project. Here the focus is on a crunchy focaccia, a “Sicilian crunch”, complete with registered trademark, made from an indirect dough (with poolish), 36-hour leavening, a mix of two type 1 flours. The result is crunchy, crumbly and thin, but not too much. The menu is immediate and direct and is divided into Classic, Vegetarian and Special focaccias. Among the classics, the Regina Margherita: high-quality cooked ham, fiordilatte, IGP datterino, extra virgin olive oil and oregano. Among the specials, the Carciospeck Nord & Sud stands out, with artichoke cream, Ragusano shavings, speck. Among the vegetarian ones, Sapori di Sicilia shines: stracciatella, IGP datterino, zero-kilometre grilled courgettes, basil pesto, Sicilian toasted almonds.

Sustainability and research

For Davide Giallongo, sustainability means intelligent use of resources, enhancing every ingredient while avoiding waste. “Today the pizzeria is closer in identity and quality to a contemporary restaurant, with attention to presentation, service and the dining room,” says the young pizzaiolo. “Pizza must, however, remain central and remain a product accessible to everyone. Table service is considered fundamental: courtesy, respect, speed and hospitality are the key words. The future? To experiment continuously but without ever distorting the identity. To use technology to the advantage of research.”