The Citiblog
Marking Women's History Month with Giorgia Caporuscio at Don Antonio
March 1, 2024, 8:11.42 pm ET
In the male-dominated world of pizza there are handful of female chefs making a name for themselves. In New York City, two come to mind - Pizzaiola Giorgia Caporuscio, the owner of Don Antonio in Midtown [309 W 50th St, nyc] and Melissa Rodriguez, the Executive Chef/Partner at Mel’s in Chelsea.
Having recently taken over the business from her father Robert Caporuscio, GIorgia is one of the few recognized women pizza makers in both her native Italy and adopted home of New York. She currently serves as the Ambassador of “Women in Pizza”, a movement that empowers women in the pizza industry.
Our Jennesh Agagas caught up with Giorgia Caporuscio at Don Antonio. Here is an excerpt from that interview:
CITITOUR: When customers come to Don Antonio, what do they most want to order?
CAPORUSCIO: “The fried pizza. We fry the pizza, put tomato sauce with buffalo mozzarella, Pecorino Romano cheese and basil. We put it in the oven for a few seconds so it is nice and crunchy,” adding, “The other top seller is the pistachio pesto and sausage pizza.”
CITITOUR: Can you tell us about your journey and your passion for pizza making?
CAPORUSCIO: “I had no idea this was going to be my future. I came here just to learn English and to have fun. My father just opened a pizza place and the only option was to stay with my father and be at the pizza shop. And everyone made a joke of me. Oh, you are Italian, female, you don’t know how to make pizza. You don’t know how to make pasta. Basically, I started to make pizza to show them that I could make it better than them. After, I fall in love. It is in my blood to make pizza.”
CITITOUR: What was it like taking over?
CAPORUSCIO: “Really, hard. My father is all about Italian tradition, so for me it was really hard to step out of his shadow, but little by little I think people understood my vision and appreciate what I am doing. I think more people need to see a female run the shop, especially the next generation.”
CITITOUR: What makes Don Antonio stand out?
CAPORUSCIO: “We use high level ingredients, oil from Italy for frying. Our producers know what is important to us. High quality products. The tomato sauce is coming from Italy, the flour, the gluten free.“
Don Antonio is currently offering 45 different types of pizza, as well as calzones. The naturally-levened dough undergoes a 48-hour fermentation process. Each 12-inch pie is cooked in a blistering 850-degree, wood burning and take just 90 seconds to cook.
The restaurant also has extensive beverage program run by Caporuscio’s husband that changes every six months, offering an Italian spin with drinks like the Amalfi Sour (gin, pineapple, lemon, limoncello) and an Italian Old-Fashioned (bourbon whiskey, chinotto, bitter- 15 a Don Antonio's classic since 2012).
Caporiscio says while Don Antonio is just steps away from Times Square, people should think of it as your local pizzeria. Judging from the crowds, Don Antonio is a prized go-to spot for tourists and locals alike. For more information, visit donantoniopizza.com
To See more of Jennesh Agagas' interview with Giorgio Caporuscio click here [VIDEO]
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