Day 6, 2018: New York Pizza Festival (Little Italy, Bronx)

New York Pizza Festival

New York Pizza Festival ribbon cutting

DAY 6: OCTOBER 6th, 2018

LOCATION: New York Pizza Festival (Little Italy, Bronx)

GUEST(S): Robin Rothman, Richard Morgan, Scott Wiener, Lisa Tisdale and thousands of fellow pizza lovers

ORDER: 1 slice of Tony's Pizza Napoletana Capo di Monte (Smoked Fresh Mozzarella, Dorati Tomato, Basil, Pancetta, Olive Oil, Sea Salt), half a slice of three cheese (fresh mozzarella, low moisture mozzarella, pecorino), half a slice of Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria's Clarita (Pomodoro, Shaved Onion, Silvered Garlic, Oregano, Spicy Calabrian Olive Oil, Fresh Arugula), 1 bite of Marco's Coal Fired Cacio e Pepe (Bechamel, Fresh Mozzarella, Caciocavallo, Pecorino Romano, Porchetta, Black Pepper, Extra Virgin Olive Oil), 1 bite of Levante's The Levante (Mozzarella, Oven-roasted Wild Mushrooms, Truffle Pate, Prosciutto, and Burrata), 1 bite of Zero Otto Nove's Short Ribs, Sundried Pepper, Tropea Onion, Calabrese Chili Oil

REVIEW: 
The power of pizza. Providing a much needed break from the divisive issues of the day, the first New York Pizza Festival brings together thousands of people to Bronx's Little Italy to celebrate something everyone can agree on: pizza. Never before have I seen so many pizza luminaries in one place. Everyone from master pizza makers like Roberto Caporuscio, Tony Gemignani and Gino Sorbillo to name a few to pizza tour guide extraordinaire Scott Wiener were in attendance. Members of the Italian consulate shared a slice with mayor Bill de Blasio as he cut the ribbon on the inaugural New York Pizza Festival. Beyond the big names, the event galvanizes the entire industry. People donning their best pizza related outfits, bloggers, reps from flour and canned tomato companies, and Italian opera singers contribute to the overall positive vibe. Not surprisingly, the best part is the pizza!  With more than a dozen ovens lining Crescent Street, tended by some of the world's best, the smell of delicious pizza is in the air. Try slices from pizzerias across the country and the world. The New York Pizza Festival: it doesn't get any better than this.


PHOTOS:

Slice of Cacio e Pepe

Four slices of Clarita

1 slice of Capo di Monte

Day 6 bite

Margie DeMarco from Di Fara

Scott Wiener handing me a slice of a pizza he made

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Day 6 instagram

Mayor Bill de Blasio cooking a pie

MISCELLANEOUS:

Lisa Tisdale, Sean Taylor, Richard Morgan, Scott Wiener

1. I first met Lisa Tisdale when she was a volunteer for Slice Out Hunger's dollar slice biggest pizza party of the year.  Btw, this year's SOH dollar slice pizza party is this coming Wednesday!  Slice Out Hunger is a charity that provides food for those less fortunate. Scott Wiener is the founder of Slice Out Hunger and also runs Scott's Pizza Tours.  Both are delicious ways to pass around good in the world.

2. Richard Morgan prefers to read a physical copy of the New York Times.  Oh yeah, and some of the articles in the New York Times were written by him!

Sean Taylor and Tony Gemignani

Slice from Tony's Napoletana (San Francisco, CA)

3. What luck! In 2014, Tony Gemignani's Las Vegas pizzeria called Pizza Rock won a Slicey award for Best of the Southwest but I never had the chance to present it. I saw his name on the list of master pizzaioli and so I brought it with me and BOOM! Presented it to him.  He later presented me with a slice of his own that was absolutely delicious!

Roberto Caporuscio

Caputo flour from Roberto Caporuscio

4. Roberto Caporuscio is the owner of Keste, a slicey award winning pizzeria, is a master's master pizzamaker.  He literally teaches master pizziaoli how to craft authentic Italian pizza. He's also a perfectionist and single-handedly cooked every pie at the Keste booth at today's festival.  This is why when we posed for a photo, he got flour (the fancy imported Caputo flour1) on my sleeve. I WILL NEVER WASH IT AGAIN!

Margie DeMarco and Sean Taylor

5. Margie DeMarco is the daughter of Dom DeMarco. She works alongside him at Di Fara, a slicey award winning pizzeria, and one of the most sought after slices in the entire city.

Sean Taylor and Gino Sorbillo

6. I met Gino Sorbillo.  He is another master pizzaiolo who opened a pizzeria called Sorbillo in Naples, Italy who recently opened up a second location here in New York City!

Dan "the brass" man, Stevie Skins, Trudy Carmichael, Frankie Keys

7. After waking up for an 8am tech rehearsal for Robin Rothman's upcoming Fringe NYC show called Trudy Carmichael's Improvised One Woman Herstory (tix available here), we hopped on the subway up to the Bronx for a delicious day of awesome pizza.  While we were on the train, Robin whipped up the coolest boomerang (animated image) I have ever seen.  Check this out...

RATING:

 5/5