Westchester chef, Food Network star launches pizza pop-ups; how to get an invite

Christian Petroni, the Food Network star and former chef/owner behind the Fortina Restaurant Group, has another venture up his tattooed sleeve: Pop-ups and VIP experiences with an NFT hook.

To get access, you need to be plugged in to cryptocurrency.

NFT, for those who need an explanation, stands for non-fungible token, meaning it can’t be replaced with something else.

A bitcoin, for example, is fungible — trade it and you have exactly the same thing. A one-of-a-kind trading card, however, is non-fungible, meaning if you swapped it for another card, you’d have something completely different.

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Long story short: Petroni, who most recently has appeared on the Food Network's "Guy's Chance of a Lifetime" and "Tournament of Champions," is offering one-of-a-kind experiences.

Those who buy his NFT, which launches on Pi Day, March 14, will get invites to his pop-ups, including a pizza party launch at a secret New York city location on March 20, as well as access for future pop-ups around the world in 2022.

Insider status also includes secret Petroni family recipes as well as special editions on the chef's Gabagool merchandise and invitations to his new Port Chester headquarters for private dinners and cooking classes.

“I love where the world is going with these new avenues of digital currency and artwork that’s protected on the blockchain," Petroni said. "In this situation, the artists are getting paid, the chefs are getting paid — as are the cooks that are helping me with our NFT pizza party. They’re all getting paid because collectors purchase NFTs and open the doors for us to do more events like this.”

This is the first "Edible NFT" drop, concepted by Petroni and 8it, a community of curated food recommendations and food pop-ups.

Details at crypto.com/nft/.

Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @lohud_food or via the lohudfood newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Chef Christian Petroni to launch his first NFT on Pi Day, March 14