Pizza Challenge 2018 Winners

The Vancouver Foodster 4th Pizza Challenge was a great success featuring unique creations at restaurants around Vancouver, Coquitlam, New Westiminster, North Vancouver, Horshoe Bay, and Squamish.  Each restaurant featured their creation on their menu from April 5-29, 2018. and their customers voted for their favourites daily throughout the challenge for their People’s Choice favourites.

Our media judging panel determined the ultimate winners of the challenge, and this was quite the task as each judge who tasted each creation with a rigorous process based on taste, originality/uniqueness and presentation/appearance.

Each media judge scored each creation with a maximum of 40 points as follows: Overall Taste 20 points, Originality and Uniqueness 10 points, Presentation and Appearance 10 points. The highest number of points a challenge creation could have been awarded is 120 points.

Our Media judges for this challenge were: Tara Lee, David Grange and Josh Boettcher.

The Winners are:

1st Place:

{98.5 points}

Backcountry Brewing

Wake-n-Bacon 2.0

Price: $18

Created by: Chef Shannon Brown

Description: Pepper crusted Guencaile, Northarm farm Sunchokes, Creamed leeks & Free ranged Egg with Truffle oil served ontop our house made 24 hour fermented Neapolitan style pizza dough, hand stretched to order.

Ingredients: Truffle cream, Leeks, Sunchokes, Guanciale, Caramelized onion, Green onions, Mozzarella, Free run egg.

Offered: All the time

Backcountry Brewing

405-1201 Commercial Way, Squamish

Web: https://www.backcountrybrewing.com/

Tel:(604) 567-2739

Twitter @Backcountry604

Instagram @backcountrybrewing

Chef Artie & Chef Tristan

2nd Place:

{97 points}

Piva Modern Italian

The Modern Italian

Price: $18

Created by: Executive Chef, Subraaz Abdullah

Description: This pizza uses some of the basic luxuries from a contemporary Italian garden and pantry. Starting with our braised garlic alfredo sauce, we combine the unique flavor of roasted Cornish game hen with a balance of traditional herbs and spices topped with our modern version of pesto to finish.

Ingredients: Roast game hen, capicola, braised garlic alfredo, sweet onion, smoked caciocavallo, arugula pine nut pesto.

Offered: All the time

Piva Modern Italian

787 Columbia Street, New Westminster

Phone: (604) 522-0221

Web: https://pivarestaurant.ca/

Twitter: @PivaRestaurant

Instagram: @pivamodernitalian

Executive Chef, Subraaz Abdullah

3rd Place:

{96 points}

AJ’s Brooklyn Pizza Joint

The Cat’s Meow

Price: $22

Created by: Chef Kristy Ayers

Description: Garlic oil base with fresh mozzarella and grated fontina. Topped with a mushroom confit, spicy panchetta and chili flakes. Cooked with 2 eggs nestled in the middle, and finished with peashoots, lemon oil and truffle salt.  Served on our 14 inch crust only!

Ingredients: Olive oil, Garlic, Mushroom, Thyme, Spicy pancetta , Chili flakes, Lemon rind, Peashoot, Egg, Truffle salt, Fresh mozzarella, Fontina, Salt & pepper.

Offered: All the time

AJ’s Brooklyn Pizza Joint

325 E Broadway, Vancouver

Tel: (604) 428-5805

Web: http://ajsbrooklynpizzajoint.com/

Twitter @Ajsbklynpizza

Instagram @ajsbklynpizzajoint

Chef Kristy Ayers

In the People’s Choice Awards category, the public who tried the Pizza Creations were the ones who had the opportunity to cast their vote throughout the challenge.

The Winners are:

1st Place People’s Choice:

Al Buco Pizzeria

Venezia

Price: $20

Created by: Pizzaiolo Ralph Funaro

Description: Our freshly made pizzas are authentic Italian and this one is named after the famous city of Venezia full of flavours with ingredients from the region your taste buds will be delighted

Ingredients: Mascarpone, Fior di latte, prosciutto cotto , salami, mushrooms, artichokes, Sicilian mixed olives.

Offered: All the time

Al Buco Pizza

2638 E. Hastings Street, Vancouver

Tel: (604) 253-0765

Web: https://www.albuco.ca/

Twitter @albucopizza

Instagram @albucopizza

 

2nd Place People’s Choice:

Piva Modern Italian

The Modern Italian

Price: $18

Created by: Executive Chef, Subraaz Abdullah

Description: This pizza uses some of the basic luxuries from a contemporary Italian garden and pantry. Starting with our braised garlic alfredo sauce, we combine the unique flavor of roasted Cornish game hen with a balance of traditional herbs and spices topped with our modern version of pesto to finish.

Ingredients: Roast game hen, capicola, braised garlic alfredo, sweet onion, smoked caciocavallo, arugula pine nut pesto.

Offered: All the time

Piva Modern Italian

787 Columbia Street, New Westminster

Phone: (604) 522-0221

Web: https://pivarestaurant.ca/

Twitter: @PivaRestaurant

Instagram: @pivamodernitalian

 

3rd Place People’s Choice:

Bay Moorings Restaurant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BC Pizza

Price: $21.99

Created by:  Chef Danilo

Description: Celebrating British Columbia with Fresh scallops, house double smoked bacon, besciamella, fresh homemade pesto sauce, balsamic caviar.

Ingredients: Fresh scallops, house double smoked bacon, besciamella, fresh homemade pesto sauce, balsamic caviar.

Offered: all the time

Bay Moorings Restaurant

6330 Bay Street, Horeshoe Bay

Tel: (604) 921-8184

Web: http://baymooringsrestaurant.com/

Instagram: @bay_moorings

Thank you to all the chefs and restaurants that accepted my invitation and featured the Pizza Challenge creations on the menu for the past few weeks during this challenge.

I encourage you to visit the winning restaurants to try their Pizza creations! See all the Pizza Challenge Entries Here.

By: Richard Wolak

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