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
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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