Virtual PizzaFest to showcase 4 Pittsburgh pizza artisans
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Four of Pittsburgh’s best pizza artisans will show their stuff during this year’s virtual PizzaFest – A Slice Of Delish!
The event, which welcomed a sold-out crowd last year, will take place at 6 p.m. Sunday on Zoom.
In addition to watching as chefs give demonstrations, tips and recipes from their professional kitchens, event participants can pick up their own pizza-making kits beforehand and share the experience from their own homes.
PizzaFest also will feature other culinary performances, a flair bartending show, pizza acrobatics and other fun. Jessica Iacullo, author of the popular Pittsburgh blog “Hungry Girl, Big City,” will host.
“Whether you’re a connoisseur or just love a great pie, you’ll love PizzaFest,” says producer Dee Weinberg. “We’re bringing the city’s most talented pizza chefs right into your home with lots of demos and fun. Any way you slice it, PizzaFest is going to be a deliciously good time.”
A portion of proceeds will benefit 412 Food Rescue, a Pittsburgh-based organization that collects surplus food to be distributed to people who are experiencing food insecurity.
Artisan chefs expected to participate include:
• Michael Mercurio, from Mercurio’s Pizza and Gelato, will create a Neapolitan with fresh tomatoes. He’ll also demonstrate his gluten-free version of that classic pie.
• Nick Bogacz, from Caliente Pizza & Draft House, will offer tips for crafting the perfect dough. A member of the World Pizza Champions, Bogacz is the author of “The Pizza Equation.”
• Rico Lunardi, from Slice on Broadway, will give advice on preparing the perfect sauce. Slice on Broadway’s sauce is made with hand-crushed, imported tomatoes and a unique blend of spices and herbs.
• Edward Stalewski, from Eddie’s Pizza 412, will give tips for making better pizza at home. With 25-plus years of experience teaching in-home pizza classes, he will focus on New York- and Detroit-style pizza.
Also featured will be bartenders from Liquid Flair Entertainment, who will build a signature PizzaFest! cocktail with fun flips, shakes and pours; and award-winning pizza acrobat Matt Hickey, who will share his secrets for stretching and twirling dough.
The $25 ticket includes one virtual entry and a pizza-making kit that serves two. View-only tickets, without a pizza-making kit, are $10.
Tickets are available here.
Pickup for the pizza kits will be noon-5 p.m. Saturday and noon-4 pm Sunday. Participants can select from the following pickup locations: Mercurio’s Pizza and Gelato in Shadyside or Fox Chapel; Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Monroeville, Aspinwall, Mt. Lebanon, Bloomfield or Allison Park; or Slice on Broadway in East Liberty or Carnegie.
PizzaFest – A Slice of Delish! is presented by GoodTaste! Pittsburgh, a producer of culinary shows and promoter of the local food landscape, which introduces Pittsburghers to the best local chefs, national celebrity chefs, new food trends and workshops from national companies.
PizzaFest is sponsored by Penn Mac, Oakmont Olive Oil, Anthony Hunt State Farm and Green Mountain Energy.