Before Shawn Randazzo even opened his own pizzeria, he was already an internationally recognized pizza maker. In 2012, Shawn entered the International Pizza Challenge at the International Pizza Expo, a renowned industry trade show that brings together the world's best pizza artisans. There, he was awarded with two honors: Pizza Maker of the Year and Best American-Pan Pizza.

It's not surprising that he claimed the country's best pan pizza considering the meticulous preparation involved. His square steel pans—synonymous with Detroit-style pies—have the same design as the ones mechanics use to catch small parts or the tears of busted carburetors while working on cars. It takes three hours to prepare each pan, as they go through several cycles of being coated in seasoning and then heated in the oven until the flavor is quite literally baked in. The steel construction ensures even heat distribution, leaving the deep-dish crust perfectly baked each time.

It was coming off his Pizza Expo victory that Shawn was inspired to open Detroit Style Pizza Company. Here, he uses the same award-winning recipes and high-quality pans to prepare specialty pies such as the Motor City meatball pizza with mushrooms and red onions. The specific recipe that won Shawn his pan-pizza title was the chicken Caesar, which is topped with white-meat chicken, Applewood-smoked bacon, a two-cheese blend, and Caesar dressing, which caramelizes the onions as the pie bakes.