South Dakota Chef Wins Gold At World Pizza Championships

A South Dakota chef brought home quite the souvenir from a recent trip to Italy.

Sean Dempsey, owner of Dempsey’s Brewery Pub & Restaurant in Watertown, returned to South Dakota as a gold medal winner at the Pizza Senza Frontiere – World Pizza Champion Games in the central Italian city of Parma.

The event features pizza makers from more than 30 countries competing for prizes in 18 different categories, from classic pizza to traditional Neapolitan pizza and Roman-style pizza, as well as more modern and innovative specialties, including creative categories such as dessert pizza.

The dessert pizza battle is where Dempsey captured the World Championship for his Carrots & Cream Dessert Pizza.

Dempsey, who is also a member of the United States Pizza Team, also notched Top Ten finishes in the Mystery Box (7th) and Pizza & Wine (10th) categories.

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Dempsey’s Brewery Pub & Restaurant, on North Broadway, has been a fixture in Watertown since 1999 and is the second-oldest brewery in South Dakota.

The restaurant is open Monday to Saturday: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM, Sunday: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM.

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The Best Pizzas In South Dakota

Grab a slice and enjoy some of the best pizza in South Dakota

Pizza is one of those things in life that usually everyone can agree on.

Leave it to Best Things South Dakota to uncover South Dakota’s best and favorite local pizzas. From cheese and sausage to pineapple pizza, Best Things South Dakota identified the best traditional and creative pizzas throughout the Mount Rushmore state.

Unfortunately, one pizza establishment on the list, Sioux Falls’ Zaroty closed its doors in the summer of 2020. So, I took the liberty of including one more Sioux Falls pizza place people really like!

Gallery Credit: Christine Manika

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Road Trip-Worthy Restaurants Within 90 Minutes of Sioux Falls

Veer off the beaten path. Take a road trip and try some favorite small-town eateries. Just by driving a few miles, you could find some delicious hidden gems.

From steaks to seafood, chislic to chicken, these are out-of-the-way unexpected finds that will make your taste buds tingle.

Here's a list of 16 Road Trip-Worthy Restaurants within 90 minutes of Sioux Falls.

Gallery Credit: Karla Brown