KINGSTON, Wash. — A local pizza maker earned international recognition recently, becoming the first American to earn a prestigious award at the Pizza World Cup in Rome.

Will Grant, owner of Sourdough Willy's in Kingston and That's A Some Pizza in Bainbridge Island, won the Premio Follie Lifetime Achievement Award at October's Pizza World Cup.

The award is named after Mario Folliero Senior, considered a "legendary figure" who wrote the first collection of poetry and stories about pizza. The award recognizes a lifetime dedicated to the craft of pizza and being an innovator in the pizza world.

Grant is the owner and instructor at the Pacific Northwest School of Pizza and has helped open 16 restaurants.

In addition to the award, Grant served as a coach for two teams that won first place in

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