What happens when you take New York nostalgia, wild creativity, and a family-run pizza shop— and bring it all to the world stage in Las Vegas?

In this episode, we head to Las Vegas to hang out with the crew from Yukon Pizza, a family-run shop that blends New York nostalgia with bold, competition-level creativity. From balancing 800g dough balls to topping pies with mortadella, marinated grapes, and pistachios, they’ve built a style that’s all their own. We talk about chasing perfection, the cost of cheese, competing on the world stage, and why— at the end of the day— it’s all about community.

Highlights:
0:00 – Introducing The Grapes of Thrash: the award-winning nontraditional pie
0:26 – A sourdough starter with 128 years of history
1:50 – Dough-making process: ice-cold water, mixing, and the “salt and oil” method
4:40 – Why Yukon Pizza uses 100% sourdough and no commercial yeast
5:00 – Starting the day: wood fire, dough prep, and building rhythm in the kitchen
6:11 – Recreating the perfect New York slice from childhood memories
7:12 – Balancing service: cheese, pepperoni, half-and-half, and specialty pies
8:47 – The reality of cheese costs and how operators can protect margins
9:35 – Struggles with “competition dough” and embracing what works
10:49 – Crafting the competition pizza: mortadella, balsamic grapes, herbs, pistachios
12:18 – Taste test reactions: crunch, structure, and flavor explosion
13:04 – Winning at Pizza Expo: from “just having fun” to bringing home the plate
13:18 – Roots and inspiration: family, rice farming, and food memories
13:34 – Promoting the team and uplifting the pizza community
14:25 – Final reflections: pizza is for the people, and family comes first

Check them out:
https://yukonpizza.com/
https://www.instagram.com/yukonpizza
https://www.facebook.com/yukonpizza

Thank you to our show sponsors:
Bacio Cheese:
https://bit.ly/3FmQ3up

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Shot by Marlin Mack
Edited By Valentine Phelippeau

Topics:
pizza podcast, Yukon Pizza, Las Vegas Pizza Expo, New York style pizza, competition pizza, sourdough pizza, mortadella pizza, pistachio pizza, best pizza Las Vegas, family run pizzeria, artisan dough, pizza competition 2024, wood fired pizza, unique pizza toppings, pizza community, pizza business stories, pizza makers interview, craft pizza, gourmet pizza, pizza industry insights