Welcome to the Vancouver Foodster Pizza Challenge. I have invited restaurants from all over the city to enter a new Pizza creation into this challenge, their chefs had to create a new Pizza just for this challenge. Each restaurant will be featuring their Pizza creation on their menu from June 20 – July 14, 2013. How Does this all Work? Well, this is a public challenge, you are invited to go out and order any or all of the Pizza creations in this challenge, then you decide who you think has the best Pizza creation.

Share your experiences: Tweet (and don’t forget to tweet or instagram your photos) throughout the challenge, our twitter address is @Vanfoodster and the hashtag is #PizzaChallenge please include this hashtag in all your tweets during the event.

Voting criteria –  some things to help you judge your favourite Pizza – keep these things in mind: originality, creativity, uniqueness, traditional, non-traditional, price, value and most importantly taste.

Get some friends together and make lunch, happy hour, dinner or late night of it, visit 2 places or more to share and taste the different Pizzas or go solo or with a friend.

Here are the 14 Pizza creations in this challenge, listed in no particular order other than when they were received by us.

Lombardo’s Pizzeria

Description: Pancetta, Grape and Rosemary with Mozzarella on a Garlic Olive Oil Crust

Price: $14.00 for a medium 12″- $25.00 for a large 16″

Created by: Giulia Lombardo

Available: Lunch and dinner daily

Lombardo’s Pizzeria

1641 Commercial Drive, Vancouver

Tel: (604) 251-2240

Twitter:  @LombardosPizza

Web:  http://lombardos.ca/

 

Eight 1/2 restaurant lounge

Description: gluten free tequila chorizo bruschetta pizza made with our own sausage made by D Originals, Soul Food arugula, and a Granville Island produce bruschetta.

Price: $12.50

Created by: Chef Thomas Chauca and Mike Wiebe

Available: brunch, lunch and dinner menu

Eight 1/2 restaurant lounge

151 East 8th Avenue, Vancouver

Tel:  (604) 568-2703

Twitter:  @eightandahalf

Web:  http://eightandahalf.ca/

 

Cotto Enoteca Pizzeria

Pizza Di Spagna

Description: Arugula Pesto, Chorizo Sausage, Roasted Red & Yellow Peppers, Parmigiano Reggiano, Mohan Cheese and Fresh Baby Arugula (Gluten free option as well).

Price:  $14

Created by: Executive Chef – Nathan Wright

Available: brunch, lunch and dinner menu

Cotto Enoteca Pizzeria

6011 Hastings Street, Burnaby

Tel:  604-299-8002

Twitter:  @CottoEnoteca

Web:  http://cotto.ca/

 

Ragazzi Pizza

Alla Portoghese

Description: Sautéed kale with garlic and a hint of spice ,smoke cured sausage with a cream potato infused sauce

Price: Large $19.45 and Small $11.10

Created by: Manager Paul Teixeira

Available:  All day Tuesday -Sunday

Ragazzi Pizza

2996 E. 22^nd Avenue, Vancouver

Tel: 604-433-2235

Twitter:   @RagazziPizza

Web: http://www.ragazzipizza.com/

 

Rocky Mountain Flatbread

B.C. Flatbread Pizza

Description:  Our house made organic flatbread topped with B.C. Hothouse Red bell pepper base; sage, thyme & garlic marinated Oyster mushrooms; sautéed leek & double smoked maple bacon; oven cured grape tomatoes; roasted apples; Natural Pasture buffalo mozzarella & topped with fresh chives.

(Note:  Can be ordered on a gluten free base or vegetarian or both!).

Price:  Small: $11.95; Regular $17.50; Large $27.50

Created by: Chef Oliver Zulauf and Chef Russell Phillips

Available: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Rocky Mountain Flatbread

1876 W 1st Avenue, Vancouver

&

4186 Main Street, Vancouver

Tel:   604-730-0321 (1^st) & 604-566-9779 (Main)

Twitter:  @Flatbreadco

Web:  http://www.rockymountainflatbread.ca/

 

Urban Fare Alberni

Wild Hawaiian

Description:  House made dough, Mango chipotle puree, teriyaki grilled pineapple, banana peppers, baked coconut chips, roasted wild boar belly, coconut Gouda, mozza and Edam. Topped with baby arugula.

Price: $18.99 for the full pizza. And by weight the price is $2.19/100g

Created by: Executive Chef Ryan McDonald

Available: 11am until closing daily.

Urban Fare

1133 Alberni Street, Vancouver

Tel:   (604) 648-2053

Twitter:  @urbanfare

Web:  www.UrbanFare.com

 

Q4 al Centro 

Carpaccio Pizza

Description:  Caramelized cipollini onions, roasted portabella, shaved beef tenderloin, crispy arugula, truffle essence.

Price:

Created by:  Executive Chef Bradford Ellis

Available: All the time.

Q4 al Centro

780 Richards Street, Vancouver

Tel:   604-687-4444

Twitter:  @Q4alCentro

Web:  http://www.q4restaurant.com/

 

Nicli Antica Pizzeria

Bianca con fichi, prosciutto serrano e gorgonzola

Description:  White pizza with fresh figs, grana padano, mozzarella di bufala, and gorgonzola. Finished with serrano ham, arugula, EVOO, and balsamic reduction.

Price: $23

Created by:  Chef David Tozer

Available: Nightly

Nicli Antica Pizzeria

62 East Cordova Street, Vancouver

Tel:   604-669-6985

Twitter:  @NicliPizzeria

Web:  http://www.niclipizzeria.ca/

 

Via Tevere Pizzeria

Girasole

Description:  Girasole (jee-rah-soh-leh), translates into “sunflower”. It’s a white based pizza made with panna (savory cream), parmigiano, prosciutto cotto, fresh corn, fior di latte and basil.

Price: $16

Created by:

Available: Tuesday – Sunday dinner.

Via Tevere Pizzeria

1190 Victoria Drive, Vancouver

Tel:   (604) 336-1803

Twitter:   @ViaTeverePizza

Web:  http://viateverepizzeria.com/

 

Chameleon Café

 

Bacon & Clam Pizza

Description:  Crispy Pizza with a complementary flavours. Clams, bacon, onion and cheese toppings make this pizza smell and taste great!

Price: $15

Created by:  Chef Corine

Available: all the time

Chameleon Café

11965 224 Street, Maple Ridge

Tel:    (604) 467-5664

Twitter:   @224thMR

Web:  http://chameleoncafe.ca/

 

The Bibo

Friariella

Description: Friarielli or Friggitelli that are small sized slender thin-walled mild south Italian peppers that are perfect for frying. He prepares the Friarielli in a pan with cherry tomatoes and tomato sauce and then he adds the mix on top of the pizza dough in the middle of its cooking. When the pizza comes out from the oven he adds on top fresh buffalo mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil.

Price $16

Offered: Lunch and Dinner

Created by: Chef Marco Di Stefano

The Bibo

1835 W 4th Ave, Vancouver

Tel: 604-568-6177

Twitter: @TheBiBo

Web:  http://www.thebibo.com

 

Novo Pizzeria

Il Finocchio Fantastico (The Fantastic fennel)

Description: A creamy white pizza with a base of  Panna(cream) , pernod, alleppo pepper,  buffalo ricotta, and smoked provolone, topped with  wood oven roasted onions  and house fennel sausage.  Out of the oven it’s finished with  fennel pollen, sea salt, fennel fronds, and a lime  Mostarda-lime drizzle.

Price: $18

Created by:  Carmine Paradiso

Available:  All the time

Novo Pizzeria

2118 Burrard Street, Vancouver

Tel:    (604) 736-2220

Twitter:   @NOVOPizzeria

Web:  http://www.novopizzeria.com/

 

Grain Tasting Bar

Duck Prosciutto Pizza

Description: Oyama duck prosciutto, fig jam, goat cheese, fresh arugula, walnuts and aged balsamic vinegar

Price: $15

Created by: Executive Chef Thomas Heinrich

Available:  1pm -10pm daily

Grain Tasting Bar

655 Burrard Street, Vancouver

Tel:   604-639-4768

Twitter:    @Grain_Bar

Web:  www.grainvbc.com/

 

The Parlour Restaurant

Yaletown Pizza

Description: Albacore Tuna, Red Onion, Green Onion, Avocado, Cilantro, Spicy Aioli . Available with gluten free crust.

Price: $18

Created by: Sean W. Holland (owner/Chef)

Available:  All the time

The Parlour Restaurant

1011 Hamilton St, Vancouver

Tel:   604-568-3322

Twitter:   @ParlourYaletown

Web:  www.theparlourrestaurants.com

Make sure you pick up one of the Pizza Challenge postcards available at each of the participating restaurants and keep a record of your favourites. Remember to Vote for your favourites from June 21-July 15, 2013 at https://vancouverfoodster.com/pizza-challenge/

By: Richard Wolak