VITTORIA TRUPIANO

Meet @vittoriatrupiano of @mangiaoceanside in San Diego!

Vittoria grew up in restaurants, so it was never a question if she’d make pizza, but rather a question of when. “My dad and grandpa have always had restaurants and I’ve worked in them since I was able to walk. I remember making my first pizza all by myself. I was about in 2nd grade and my dad put it in the oven for me.” Today, Vittoria is in the restaurant 5 days a week. She works as head server and a pizzaiola along side her father, Tore Trupiano. “He’s the head pizza guy, but I find my way to the station. If I’m the server and I made a pizza, I’ll say, ‘made by yours truly!’ A lot of our customers know the dynamic between me and my dad and they love it!”

Vittoria doesn’t just work with her dad, she works with her two siblings as well. “My younger brother is an aspiring pizzaiolo. He’s a bit slower than I am, but he’s doing a good job and I’m coaching him. My sister, who is 2 years older, does more of the bookkeeping, especially for my grandpa. She handles all the payroll and sends out the schedules. I think that we’re all easy going. We might get into little bickers, but never anything big.” Family businesses can be messy, but that couldn’t be further from Vittoria’s experience. “The restaurant is a really prolific part of our lives. We go home and we talk about the highlights of our workdays together. We bond over the experience. In general, it’s a big part of our lives, but it’s never impeded on our relationships. If anything, it’s made them stronger, especially with her father. The restaurant allowed us to spend time together and create a really good dynamic.”

Restaurants have been a Trupiano family business for decades. “My grandparents arrived from Sicily in January 1968. They settled themselves in Michigan and my grandpa opened his first pizzeria to establish himself. However, it was too cold there compared to the Sicilian summers they were used to, so they moved to Orange County, opened a restaurant there and then later to Oceanside. Today he owns a restaurant in Oceanside Harbor – Dominic’s at the Harbor, which he’s owned since 2000. The Trupiano Restaurant Group has owned a multitude of restaurants both in the U.S. and Sicily. The most recent in October 2018, Tore Trupiano opened @mangiaoceanside. We didn’t get our pizza oven until a year later because we had to do some construction. When we finally got it, I was fascinated and would always watch my dad make pizza. Incentivized by hunger and the irresistible Napoletana style pizza we have, I thought, ‘let me figure this out.’”

To figure it out, @vittoriatrupiano slowly started to insert herself in the pizza station. “I started self-implementing and before I knew it, I got really good at it! Then when my dad would go on trips with my mom, he’d go, ‘ok, you’re the pizzaiola.’ I’m a reliable sub for the restaurant. It’s fun and I really like the fast-paced nature of it – tickets rolling in, stretching dough, topping pizzas and watching the pizzas in the oven behind me.”

For Vittoria, pizza is creative freedom. “Pizza is the playground of the business. My sister’s handling the numbers and paying people out, but making pizza is where you can get creative and master your craft. It’s where you can concoct new flavors – sometimes they work out and sometimes not. It’s fun using your brain creatively. Serving is really fun, too. I really enjoy the hospitality that is instilled in me and thus has heightened my communication skills.”

Last year, @vittoriatrupiano went to her first Pizza Expo where she competed, showcasing her creativity. “My dad invited me, and I thought, ‘why not?’ The pizza I made won 4th overall in the pan category and 1st on the @galbaniprofessionaleus team. I made a Roman style pizza with lavender and chamomile mascarpone, coriander/cumin/black pepper braised lemons, smoked Atlantic salmon, anisette ricotta cream, caviar, fried capers and bulls blood micro greens. I think I did well because it was creative and refreshing. We sold it as a special for a short while after.”

Competing at Expo can be stressful, but Vittoria went into it cool, calm, and collected. “I had this idea that this was just a new experience in a new environment. They put me at the prep table where I had to bring all of my ingredients and use an oven I’d never seen before. While those are all things that should have made me more nervous, it actually calmed me. I thought, ‘I have no reputation, nothing to lose and nothing prove. This is my first time so whatever happens happens and I’m just going to have fun.’ I remember my mom saying, ‘I don’t know how you were up there smiling and talking to people all relaxed.’ I responded, ‘we’re here to have fun and share our passion.’ It’s the Pizza Olympics.”

Returning to Expo this year, Vittoria was excited to see the community. “I was happy to see the friends and people I had met since last year. Since my dad has been going to the Pizza Expo for almost 28 years straight, he has a lot of friends. It’s awesome to see the dedication. We’re all just friends – we’re competitive and want to do the best pizza, but behind the scenes in the prep station, we’re all fist bumping and telling each other ‘Your pizza looks great!’ It’s a very warm feeling at the Expo.”

@vittoriatrupiano is a young woman who is part of the new up and coming generation. “I think a lot of attention has been brought to me because of the expected stereotype of a pizzaiolo. Food is a male dominated industry, which is funny to me because women are supposed to be the masters of the kitchen and they are, but are often overlooked. People don’t often see a young woman like me. Between me and few others, it’s only a hand full of us girlies. There were a couple hundred competitors and not many were women. I’ve definitely had some confused looks but always turn out to be positive interactions. People are generally amazed in a way. I’m flattered by it.”

While Vittoria’s always been present at @mangiaoceanside, many are still surprised when they see her at the pizza station. “Most of the time, when people come in, they see my dad at the oven. Therefore when I’m on pizzas, they’re astonished, as a young woman has replaced the expected older gentleman. Over the years Vittoria’s dad has entrusted her and her siblings with more and more responsibility. “He definitely gives us free reign more or less because we’ve grown up in the restaurant. We’re all similar in a business aspect and he has trust in us. From making pizza to making the work schedule. It’s all interchangeable between us.”

Vittoria’s advice for others is an important reminder to have fun. “It’s the creative aspect for me. The creativity that you can allow yourself in the kitchen – especially with pizza since it’s such a prolific and traditional food in the world – makes it so fun. If your creation/pizza doesn’t turn out how expected, it’s ok. Nothing is ever too serious. Keep going and moving forward and try to better yourself. Sometimes I stretch my dough and it comes out shaped like different continents, or some flavors and textures don’t pleasantly interact, but I laugh and learn from it. Just have fun along the way.”

Pizza isn’t @vittoriatrupiano’s only passion and although she’s involved in family business, she’s forged her own path. She’s currently in grad school at UCSD studying International Affairs. “I’m not really sure what the future holds for both of these paths and if they’ll intersect. I might not stay in pizza forever, but the experiences I’ve gained through it, like competing and meeting people, will always be a part of me and if I ever need to whip up a pizza in the kitchen, I’ll be happy to do so. I’m pretty set on my path right now, applying for internships and making travel plans to experience more cultures and food around the world. I’m always ready for new challenges and encounters. No matter where or what I am doing I will find the joy in it and make the most of it!”

Vittoria’s oozes optimism and joy and leaves everyone she interacts with in a brighter mood. She’s a reminder not to take yourself too seriously – that there’s always a silver lining and mistakes are ok. She champions those around her, inspiring them to follow their passions. Next time you’re in San Diego, make sure you stop by @mangiaoceanside to share a slice with Vittoria!