For the third consecutive year, a small pizzeria in Madison, Alabama has walked into a room full of New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles restaurants—and walked out with a top ranking.

Valentina’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar has been ranked No. 12 in the United States by 50 Top Pizza USA for 2026—jumping nearly 20 spots from its No. 31 ranking just two years ago. The restaurant also took home the organization’s Best Dessert List 2026 award at Wednesday night’s ceremony, cementing what has become one of Alabama’s most remarkable culinary ascents.

For owner Joe Carlucci, a Guinness world record holder and eight-time World Pizza Champion, the recognition is meaningful precisely because of where it’s happening.

“We’re not in Manhattan or downtown Chicago,” he said. “We built this one guest at a time, one pizza at a time, and we’re proud to represent Alabama on a national stage.”

The restaurants surrounding Valentina’s in the rankings tell that story clearly. Una Pizza Napoletana in New York City claimed the top spot, followed by Pizzeria Sei in Los Angeles and Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco. Valentina’s sits comfortably among them—a standalone building on Huntsville Brownsferry Road that 50 Top Pizza describes as one that “exudes passion and expertise.”

Carlucci has been in the pizza business since he was 14 years old, growing up north of New York City before a consulting job brought him to Huntsville in 2008. He spent three years building a customer base through a food truck before opening Valentina’s in 2020. The restaurant’s rise through the national rankings has been steady and deliberate—the kind of climb that reflects consistency over time rather than a single viral moment.

That consistency starts with the dough, which takes up to 72 hours to prepare using specially milled Caputo flour imported from Naples. It carries through to mozzarella pulled by hand, bacon cured in-house, and meatballs made from a recipe Carlucci traces directly to his grandmother. “I tweaked it very, very little,” he says.

The menu offers four styles of pizza—New York, Detroit, Sicilian, and a Chicago-style cracker-thin tavern pie that has been quietly winning over converts since the restaurant opened. A Neapolitan style, cooked in an igloo-shaped wood-fired oven, rounds out the offering. The 50 Top Pizza guide evaluates restaurants on craftsmanship, hospitality, ingredient quality, consistency, and overall dining experience—criteria that Valentina’s has met three years running, in a market that most national guides overlook entirely.

Carlucci is quick to redirect the credit. “To achieve this once is beyond what most pizza operators ever dream of,” he said. “To do it three consecutive years and continue climbing the rankings while representing a smaller market like North Alabama is incredibly humbling. This recognition belongs to our staff, our guests, and the entire community that has supported us since day one.”

An interior wall at Valentina’s is thick with framed accolades and media write-ups. But the most important number, Carlucci would likely tell you, isn’t the ranking. It’s the one on the ticket the dishwasher clears at the end of the night “Without my staff, I’m just a nobody,” he says. “Every single person matters here. Without the dishwasher, you’re not eating a pizza.”

Valentina’s Pizzeria & Wine Bar is located on Huntsville Brownsferry Road in Madison.