With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
If You Love LA Pizza, Then We Have A Festival For You This Weekend
Grab a slice of Pizza City Fest Los Angeles.
(
Photo collage by Gab Chabrán/LAist
/
Pizza City Fest artwork courtesy of Pizza City Fest / Photo by Brian Feinzimer for LAist
)
When James Beard Award-winning Chicago food reporter Steve Dolinsky wrote his book Pizza City, USA he chronicled his mission to find the best pizza in his hometown of Chicago and, perhaps more importantly, to disprove the idea that all Chicagoans only like to eat thick, deep-dish pizza.
After tallying the 101 region's best pies in his 2018 book, Dolinsky took things further by creating an event that showcased all the different styles of pizza, and launched Pizza City Fest in 2022 in Chicago. Soon after, he brought the festival to Los Angeles, which is now in its second year and happening this weekend at L.A. Live in downtown L.A.
Pizza City Fest LA touches down this weekend to celebrate all things pizza. Tickets get you unlimited eats and drinks and desserts.
(
Bailey Holiver
/
Courtesy of Pizza City Fest LA
)
Why L.A.? According to Dolinsky, Los Angeles currently has one of the nation’s most exciting pizza communities thanks to the robust pop-up scene, much of which was born during the pandemic. (That's not exactly news to us here in L.A., but we appreciate the recognition from a Chicagoan.)
Sponsored message
Here's everything you need to know about Pizza City Fest LA, where a ticket gets you unlimited pizza eats and drinks, including beer, wine and cocktails, and desserts.
-
Explore the differences between traditions, from Sichuan’s spicy mala to Japan’s delicate shabu-shabu and Korea’s hearty jeongol. -
These LA-area restaurants could also receive a Bib Gourmand affordable dining award or even a star at the awards event in August. -
Feeling beachy, even if you're not near the ocean? Maybe a quality fish taco could hit the spot.
Who: Pizza City Fest Los Angeles celebrates all things pizza by bringing together over 40 pizzerias from Southern California, stretching from Santa Barbara to San Diego.
What: Pizza Fest also provides the opportunity to discuss concepts such as "crust and crumb" and see how comfortable you are using terms "undercarriage' with a straight face in public. In addition to all the great tastings, the event will feature a series of panel discussions and demonstrations from chefs, authors, and content creators.
When: 1 to 5 p.m., this weekend, April 27 - 28
If you go, here are our top picks for each day
Saturday, April 27th
Brooklyn Ave Pizza Co. (Boyle Heights), Hot Tongue (Silver Lake), LaSorted’s (Silver Lake), Prime Pizza (Fairfax), a collab between Riip Beer & Pizza (Huntington Beach) + Heritage BBQ (San Juan Capistrano) and Tribute Pizza (San Diego).
In the Collab Lab that day: Catch demos from Michael Procaccini from La Parolaccia (Long Beach) from 12:30 p.m., followed by William Joo and Jennifer So of Pizzeria Sei (Pico-Robertson) from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, April 28th
Apollonia’s Pizzeria (Mid-Wilshire), Ghisallo (Santa Monica), Shin’s Pizza (Cypress Park), Gorilla Pies (Valley Village), Secret Pizza (El Sereno), Bettina (Santa Barbara)
Catch the panel discussion that day: "Eating With Your Eyes: Pizza as Art in the Age of Social Media” with Justin DeLeon, Apollonia’s Pizzeria (Mid-Wilshire), and Ines Glaser, Lupa Cotta Pizza & Dough (L.A.). Moderated by Luca Servodio of The L.A. Food Podcast & The L.A. Countdown at 3 p.m.
Where: L.A. Live, 800 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles
Sponsored message
Why: Pizza Fest is about bringing people together. Los Angeles can sometimes feel fragmented, with traffic making it difficult to get from one end of town to the other. At Pizza Fest, pizza enthusiasts can try lots of different slices all in one place.
Dolinsky said the festival emphasizes showcasing small, mom-and-pop, independently-owned businesses. It's also about giving back. A portion of the proceeds from City Pizza Fest will go to C-CAP (Careers through Culinary Arts Program), which provides culinary, job, and life skills to more than 25,000 middle and high school students nationwide.
Cost: General admission tickets start at $125, which gets you unlimited pizza and drinks, including beer, wine, cocktails, and desserts. VIP tickets, $200. Details at LALive.com
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
