Soccer Fans Savor Pizza Art

Soccer Fans Savor Pizza Art
Chef Valery Maksimchik poses with pizzas decorated with portraits of Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Uruguay's Luis Suarez at HopHead Tap Room in St. Petersburg, Russia, on June 29. (REUTERS/Anton Vaganov)
Reuters
7/4/2018
Updated:
7/4/2018

ST. PETERSBURG—A restaurant in St. Petersburg has struck a chord with the hordes of soccer fans in town for the World Cup by serving up pizzas featuring the faces of some of the tournament’s biggest stars.

The edible portraits at HopHead Tap Room are a big hit with soccer fans and the restaurant’s regulars alike.

Each soccer pizza portrait takes nearly two hours of careful stenciling and cutting. The dough is cooked before the stenciling process and then the cheese is melted into position.

“We started doing this in connection with the World Cup, we support football and sport through this method,” said chef Valery Maksimchik, who has also made pizza portraits of Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov and striker Artem Dzyuba.

“My main work is as a pizzaiolo, but this is a hobby, so it brings me pleasure, like any hobby would.”

The chef has promised to make pizza portraits of each Russia player if the hosts go all the way and win the World Cup.

<br/>Pizzas decorated with portraits of Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Uruguay's Luis Suarez prepared by chef Valery Maksimchik at HopHead Tap Room in St. Petersburg, Russia, on June 29. (REUTERS/Anton Vaganov)

Pizzas decorated with portraits of Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Uruguay's Luis Suarez prepared by chef Valery Maksimchik at HopHead Tap Room in St. Petersburg, Russia, on June 29. (REUTERS/Anton Vaganov)
Related Topics