Giovanni Di Palma, famed pizza maker and owner of  the celebrity favorite restaurant group in Atlanta that includes Antico Pizza Napoletana, Gio’s Chicken, Bar Amalfi and Gio’s Caffee is bringing the centerpiece of his empire to Miami Beach’s Art Deco District.  The opening of Antico Pizza, at 1058 Collins Avenue, in the space that used to house historic Cuban restaurant David’s Café, heralds the arrival of classic Neapolitan pizza in Miami; considered by many as the best in the USA  (ZAGAT gave the pizza a 28, highest rating ever for a pizza restaurant).

DiPalma who grew up in New York, arguably the pizza capital of the United States, has roots that go back to Napoli – via his grandfather’s hometown of Cimitile, where he visited summers growing up and then returned frequently as an adult, ultimately learning the secrets of pizza from legendary pizzaiolo Ernesto Cacialli.  One of only a few Americans to be honored in Italy for his pizza, DiPalma has been awarded Ambasicatore Il Mondo by Commune di Napoli and received an international “Top in Class” award at the Festa Della Pizza in Salerno, where he imports his flour from today.