This weekend, pizza enthusiasts will gather at L.A. Live for the highly anticipated Pizza City Fest, an event celebrating the diverse and eclectic world of pizza.
For a ticket price of $125 on Saturday and $115 on Sunday, attendees will indulge in all-you-can-eat slices from numerous local pizza makers.
The festival promises not just pizza, but also sides, desserts, an open bar, and engaging demonstrations and panel discussions that showcase the art of pizza-making.
Steve Dolinsky, affectionately known as “The Food Guy,” is the festival founder.
A 13-time James Beard Award-winning reporter, Dolinsky has transitioned into the role of a pizza impresario, originating the festival in his hometown before it made its way to Los Angeles for the third consecutive year.
“L.A. is a pizza city. Ten years ago, that wasn’t the case,” Dolinsky shared, reflecting on the city’s evolving pizza scene.
He noted that many restaurateurs pivoted towards pizza during the pandemic, leading to an explosion of diverse offerings across the city.
Trends such as the popularity of ranch dressing, soft-serve ice cream, and the ubiquitous chocolate chip cookie have become staples in L.A. pizzerias.
While Dolinsky believes there isn’t a singular style of pizza that defines Los Angeles, he acknowledges a growing tendency towards Neapolitan-style pies characterized by distinctive ‘leopard spotting.’
At the festival, six unique pizzerias will showcase their signature offerings, each bringing something special to the table.
Naughty Pie Nature, co-founded by Bronwen Kinzler-Britton and Jose Ibarra, will present “The Cosmo” on Sunday.
Kinzler-Britton, originally a line cook at Paulie Gee’s in Brooklyn, has developed her Neapolitan-style pizza utilizing a simple recipe of 00 flour, salt, yeast, and water.
While pepperoni remains a customer favorite, Kinzler-Britton expressed the desire to innovate beyond the classic topping.
“The Cosmo” features crushed tomatoes, mozzarella, Italian sausage, broccolini, confit garlic, parmesan, and a finishing touch of Calabrian chili sauce, with no pasta involved despite its namesake.
In a spirit of community, Naughty Pie Nature joined over 25 other pizzerias in the L.A. Pizza Alliance during the wildfires, providing meals for those affected and first responders, ultimately serving over 100,000 slices.
Chris Wallace of Ozzy’s Apizza will showcase “The Liotta” on Sunday, a classic New Haven-style pizza known for its minimalist approach to ingredients.
Having gained popularity after a visit from Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy, Wallace credits the quality of their thin-crust tomato pies for their increase in sales, which have since quadrupled.
“The Liotta” is characterized by its blend of red sauce, olive oil, and parmesan, and Wallace highlights its adaptability, explaining that it can also be made vegan.
On Saturday, Alex Koons from Hot Tongue will be bringing what he calls “the best plain slice in Los Angeles” to the fest.
Focused on simplicity, this slice features naturally leavened dough made from stone-milled organic grain.
The pizza is topped with California tomatoes and low-moisture mozzarella, balancing simplicity with complex flavors.
Meanwhile, Triple Beam will offer their renowned “Tomato Confit Pie,” a delightful Roman-style pizza measuring 3.5 feet long.
Using lightly salted cherry tomatoes roasted slowly in extra virgin olive oil, this pie is a festival favorite, with a garnish of basil, pine nuts, and garlic.
Chef Marcos Buenrostro and Marilin Jimenez of MexiForno will be serving their “Tijuana-style Al Pastor Pizza,” blending traditional Mexican flavor with Neapolitan pizza style.
Operating from their home in Guadalupe, they’ve successfully transitioned classic taco ingredients into pizzas, keeping business casual while delivering exceptional flavor.
At the festival, their pizza features a green tomatillo salsa base, topped with al pastor meat, pickled red onions, radishes, piped guacamole, and fresh pineapple, all cut directly from the trompo.
Finally, San Pedro’s Miller-Butler, run by husband-and-wife duo Jillana Miller and Ahmad Butler, will dish out their beloved “The Simple Pleasure” on Sunday.
Having began their journey of experimenting with pizza during the pandemic, they’ve since created a variety of unique offerings, such as a Jamaican jerk pizza and a crispy pork banh mi pizza.
At Pizza City Fest, they will present their crowd-pleaser, which presents a delightful garlic cream base topped with a blend of mozzarella and provolone cheese, fresh spinach, and thinly sliced tomatoes, finished with a drizzle of olive oil and their signature sofrito spice blend after baking.
Pizza City Fest not only offers a chance to taste incredible slices, but it also fosters a sense of community among chefs and fans alike, making it an event not to be missed.
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