World Famous Pies at inaugural California Pizza Festival, July 28 & 29

(Gerry Furth-Sides, photos courtesy of California Pizza Festival). World famous pizzerias headline the inaugural California Pizza Festival on July 28 – July 29 at Los Angeles Center Studios with unlimited pizza-samplings.  World-renowned pizza chefs from Naples, Italy join 30 pizzerias from California, Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia.  Neapolitan Pizzerias, Da Michele, founded in 1870 and made famous for its feature in the movie Eat Pray Love, and Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, the oldest pizzeria-tavern in Naples established in 1738, are being flown in just for the festival.

Domestic stalwarts joining include Vito Lacopelli of Prova Pizzeria, Fernando Darin of Ray’s & Stark Bar, Ali Haider of 786 Degrees, and 12-time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani of Tony’s Pizza Napoletana.

The California Pizza Festival was founded by the creators of Boston Pizza Festival, Directors Raffaele Scalzi, and Giancarlo Natale. With strong Italian roots and deep heritages, Scalzi and Natale look to bring to the U.S. something reminiscent of their homeland, with live music and delicious pizza.  Scalzi owns Casa Mia Cucina Italiana in Marblehead, MA, where he serves family recipes passed down through generations. Natale brings an extensive background in event production.

Pizza lovers have an abundance of styles to choose from, including Neapolitan, Sicilian, New York, and several gluten-free and vegan options. Entertainment during the event includes live pizza-making demos from the United States Pizza Team; a cookbook signing, demo, and meet-and-greet with Chef Tony Gemignani of Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco; acrobat shows from World Champion Pizza Acrobat Danilo Pagano; live music; giveaways from event sponsors; and more. Beverages include beers from L.A.’s Golden Road Brewery, plus  The Winebow Group wines.

Notable culinary talent and eateries participating include: 786 Degrees – Sun Valley, CA;  Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba – Naples, Italy; Da Michele – Naples, Italy; Da Pasquale – Beverly Hills; Dominic’s Italian Restaurant – Oceanside; Dough and Joe – Los Angeles; Fahrenheit LA – Los Angeles; Fiamma Pizza – Tucson, AZ; Local Pizzaiolo – Atlanta, GA; Humble Crust pizza truck – Los Angeles; La Parolaccia Osteria – Long Beach; Le 5 Stagioni – Curtarolo, Italy; MOD Pizza – Los Angeles; Naked City Pizza – Las Vegas; Prova Pizzeria – Los Angeles; Ray’s and Stark Bar – Los Angeles; Settebello – Los Angeles; State of Mind Public House & Pizzeria – Los Altos, CA.

 

Single-day festival tickets can be purchased online at calipizzafestival.com. General admission tickets:  $45/person in advance,  $60/day of the event; children between the ages of  4-10 are $20. VIP tickets ($89) include exclusive access to the indoor-outdoor VIP space, a private bar, and three beverage vouchers.

Support for California Pizza Festival comes thanks to Cauliflower, Anheuser-Busch, The Winebow Group, Le 5 Stagioni, Marra Forni, Ferrarelle, Entercom Communications, Angelo & Franco Mozzarella, and Monti Trentini.

For more information, please visit the website, and follow California Pizza Festival on Facebook and Instagram.

“My partner [Giancarlo] and I are thrilled to bring a slice of Italy to Los Angeles through California Pizza Festival. Pizza makes people happy and we’re using that to bring people together with live music, pizza acrobatics, and fun for everyone,” explains Scalzi. Both Scalzi and Co-Director Giancarlo Natale have deep roots in Italy.  The team partnered with Marra Forni to supply handcrafted wood-fired pizza ovens for chefs at the event, each oven its own unique handmade piece of art.