Sometimes it seems Valentina’s Pizzeria spends as much time winning awards as they’re open for business. Without a doubt though, owner Joe Carlucci’s place makes delicious upscale pies and deserves recognition.
Recently “50 Top Pizza,” a pizza ranking website based in Italy, ranked Valentina’s at 31 in their “50 Top Pizza USA 2024″ list. Valentina’s, which has a Madison address but is technically (we’re told) in Huntsville, is the only Alabama pizzeria to make the list.
The site’s Valentina’s blurb, when translated through Google Translate, says, “Joe Carlucci loves pizza, he makes it inspired by his daughter Valentina, the real boss of the place and by the classic Neapolitan tradition that he combines with American trends. He is also very lively when promoting it on social media and popular television programs. His New York-style round pizza is soft and appetizing, generously topped and closed by a tasty and crunchy crust.”
“50 Top Pizza USA 2024″ is topped by New York’s A Neapolitan Pizza. Tony’s Neapolitan Pizza of San Francisco is ranked second, Philadelphia’s Pizzeria Beddia is third, New York’s Flip fourth and Ken’s Artisan Pizza of Portland’s fifth.
“50 Top Pizza” doesn’t appear to detail methodology on its website. According to a Los Angeles Times report on California pizzerias making the list, “50 Top Pizza is an Italian organization that launched in 2018 and sends out anonymous inspectors around the world to compile their 50 Top Pizza lists that also rank the 50 best pizzas in Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Spain.” “50 Top Pizza” has around 200,000 Instagram followers and another 50,000 or so on Facebook.
Carlucci was born in the Bronx and raised in Carmel, about 50 miles north of New York City. He learned about to make pizza from his brother-in-law Frankie. Carlucci says he got started in the restaurant business when he was about 14, doing dishes at a pizzeria called Redendo’s.
About 23 years ago, Carlucci met and learned from Tony Gemignani, a renown California pizzaiolo and food-TV guest fave. “He taught me a lot of the fundamentals when I was in my mid-20s,” Carlucci told AL.com in 2023. “Kinda redirected me on some things.”
Prior to moving to Alabama, Carlucci also paid pizza dues in Connecticut. He came to Alabama about 15 years ago, brought in as a consultant along with Gemignani for the restaurant Tortora’s in Owens Cross Roads.
After that, he launched his own venture in the Huntsville area, called Joe’s World Famous Wood-Fired Mobile Pizza.
Valentina’s opened as a brick-and-mortar restaurant on Huntsville Brownsferry Road in 2020. Even though they launched during the thick of the pandemic, Valentina’s quickly became Huntsville-area’s most buzzed-about pizzeria, thanks to the handcrafted appeal of their tasty pies. They moved up the street to a new bigger building in 2023.
Carlucci is legitimately “pizza famous.” In 2006, he notched a Guinness Book of World Records honor for highest pizza toss with a 21-foot-5-inch fling. At Naples, Italy’s World Pizza Making Championship he was once crowned fastest-pizza-maker, after manifesting five pizzas in 31 seconds.
According to the Valentina’s website, Carlucci was also, “2023 Pizza Maker of the Year, 2023 International Pizza Expo Winner of Best Non-Traditional Style Pizza in the World, 2022 International Pizza Expo Winner of Best Traditional Style Pizza in the World, a seven-time World Pizza Champion, two-time Guinness World Record Holder, three-time World Champion Pizza Acrobat, and has won awards in competitions worldwide.”
In 2023, Carlucci told AL.com, “I eat, sleep and drink pizza.” And we believe him.
He described the ideal pizza crust this way: “The undercarriage shouldn’t flop,” adding the crust should display what’s known as spiderweb. “It’s crispy but chewy at the same time. That’s what we shoot for.”
Valentina’s, address 25783 Huntsville Brownsferry Road, is open 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 4 to 9 p.m. Fridays and 12 to 9 p.m. Saturdays. More info at valentinaspizzeria.com.
