“I actually made pork, a lot like my mom makes, braised pork sandwich with fennel, oregano and then I sauteed rapini and made homemade ciabatta. It was a great competition,” Valenti said in an interview onsite after winning at the largest show celebrating pizza in the world.
“I’m very proud of that and it’s a big well deserved pat on the back for all of us,” she said in a video she posted on Wheat Penny’s Facebook page after arriving home.
Valentini says that with spring’s arrival she is looking forward to what lies ahead for the restaurant, the Wheat Penny staff and customers.
Wheat Penny has some spring menu changes coming down the road in the next couple of weeks.
“Spring is really here and (I’m) excited as always to do some seasonal menu changes, to challenge ourselves and to provide some new dishes for our customers,” said Valenti.
Currently Wheat Penny has a Early Spring Caprese Salad on the menu made with housemade mozzarella, spice-roasted carrots, shiitake mushroom caps, homemade zhoug (Middle Eastern spicy cilantro sauce) and olive oil.
This win gets added to her “Nourishing the Community Award” that she won in 2021 from the Ohio Restaurant Association where she was honored with 11 other restaurants.
The Nourishing the Community Award “recognizes an individual or organization for their outstanding contributions through community service or charitable involvement.”
For more on this award and an interview with Valenti pick up a copy of the Sunday, April 3 edition of Dayton Daily News.
Contact this contributing writer at alexis.e.larsen@hotmail.com.
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