Chef Chris Bianco
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When Chris Bianco started the diminutive Pizzeria Bianco in the back corner of a neighborhood grocery store, little did he know that he would be such a driving force in the slow food movement and specifically on the artisanal pizza front. Winner of the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southwest in 2003, he has since helped spawn a generation of independent and artisanal pizzeria’s, lending his advice, wisdom, and food philosophies to dozens of fellow chefs and restaurateurs.Chris grew his single pizzeria into a brand that has gained nationwide attention. In 2005, he opened Pane Bianco, about four miles from the original Pizzeria Bianco. Pane Bianco featured split foccacia sandwiches and other baked goods, including his signature dish pizza al taglio. Pane Bianco has been voted to be the best sandwich shop in Phoenix on multiple occasions. Bianco rounded out the lineup by opening an elevated dinner restaurant, Tratto, in Phoenix. Tratto received the only five-star rating from the Arizona Republic. Today, there are three Pizzeria Biancos and two Pane Biancos. Two Pizzerias are in the Phoenix area, with the third, which was opened in 2022, in downtown Los Angeles. The second of the two Panes may be found at the Row DTLA in Los Angeles, just across the street from his Pizzeria Bianco.Mr. Bianco branched out in 2010 by joining third generation canner Rob DiNapoli to create a line of organic whole peeled tomatoes. This premium brand of tomatoes went up against more than a dozen long established brands like Contadina, Muir Glen, Hunt, and Cento, but in 2020 and 2022, the New York Times rated Bianco DiNapoli as the best canned tomato, praising its balance of sweetness and acidity.Both Chris and his restaurant enterprises have been recipients of culinary honors. Pizzeria Bianco was nominated for a James Beard Foundation award in the Outstanding Restaurantcategory in 2013 and 2014, and in 2022 Chris was named Outstanding Restaurateur by the James Beard Foundation, the industry’s highest award.Chris supports many local and national charities, providing support to many worthy causes. One of his favorites is Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer, which he has supported for many years. Started by a young girl named Alexandra “Alex” Scott, who while battling cancer, raised $1 million before her death in 2004 at the age of eight to find a cure so that other children wouldn’t have to suffer. Today, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation is one of the leading funders of pediatric cancer research in the U.S. and Canada, having raised more than $250 million, funded over 1,000 research projects, and provided programs to families affected by childhood cancer.Chris is also the proud spokesperson of the initiative “Pizza for a Smile”.He was the headliner of the first of six episodes in the 2022 season of the NETFLIX "Chef’s Table: Pizza," a documentary-style show that focuses on the beauty and complexity of chefs and the food they create.Click here to watch Chris’s journey with Pizza, and how he got to where is now.Chris and his wife Mia, who is Chris’ biggest and most important supporter, have three children, and they divide their time between Arizona and Southern California.
