We all know that Chicago has some of the best pizza around, and now a two-day pizza festival is coming to Chicagoland this August to prove it.
On Saturday, August 26th, and Sunday, 27th, pizza and festival lovers can cheese the day away at Pizza City Fest Chicago. The new Chicago festival debuted in West Loop’s Plumber’s Union Hall last year. It will move to The Salt Shed for this year’s festivities, bringing together 40 of the region’s best pizza makers for two days of pizza appreciation under one roof.
Celebrating the most exciting pizzerias across Chicagoland in all their diversity, guests will be able to sample an array of different pizzas while watching pizza pioneers and professionals work their magic, creating fresh-to-order pies. Deep-dish, Tavern pizza, Neapolitan, Sicilian, New York-style, stuffed – you name it – it will be represented at Pizza City Fest Chicago. You can find the full lineup here.
There will also be a variety of beer and wine, live music, highly curated panel discussions with some of the country’s greatest pizza makers, pizza-themed merchandise, and much more. Guests can enjoy a total of 40 pizzerias throughout the weekend, including local favorites like Lou Malnati’s, Nancy’s, and J.B. Alberto’s.
Pizza enthusiasts can also expect educational seminars, such as “The Dough Whisperers” panel on August 26th with Brian Spangler (Apizza Scholls, Portland, OR), Dan Richer (Razza Pizza Artigianale, Jersey City), and Rich Labriola (Labriola and Stan’s Donuts), moderated by Francisco Migoya, the Chef and co-author of the 3-volume “Modernist Pizza.”
If you want to perfect your pizza-making at home, check out “How to Make Pan Pizza at Home” as well as “Third Wave Deep-Dish & Deep Pan” with savvy pizza shop owners of George’s Deep Dish, Uncle Jerry’s and Milly’s Pizza in the Pan, moderated by none other than the Chicago Tribune’s Nick Kindelsperger.
On Sunday, don’t miss the “Women in Pizza” panel with Ann Kim (Lola, Young Joni, Minneapolis), who you may recall seeing on “Chef’s Table: Pizza” this year. See her alongside Connie Zotta (Salerno’s) and Cecily Federighi (Eat Free Pizza, Kim’s Uncle).
The Pizza City team’s festival wants to help promote and celebrate notable artisan pizza makers in other great pizza towns around the U.S. and worked on a similar festival in Los Angeles this past spring.