Announcing the Great NoCo Pizza Challenge!

Shannon Howard | Dec 15, 2010 | Comments 13

NOCO fans, I hope you’re ready for an adventure! Because we’re about to undertake a four-month culinary odyssey, with the goal of answering one very important question: Who has the best pizza in North County?

I started thinking about this a few weeks ago, after dining at two classic local pizza joints that I hadn’t visited in quite some time. One totally lived up to its reputation. The other…well, let’s just say it was an off night.

Both of these restaurants are included in The Great NoCo Pizza Challenge, along with 20 more from all across the area that were nominated by you, the readers. Only independent North County restaurants are eligible, so there are no chains or franchises in this competition, although a few of the places do have another location somewhere else. For our purposes, please vote only on the North County location.

Here’s how the voting will work… Starting December 29, two restaurants will go head to head in a randomly selected match-up. Every Wednesday at 11am, a new match-up will begin and you will have one week to cast your vote. Winners will proceed through the brackets until the grand champion is announced on April 27, 2011.

There will be a “People’s Choice” champion and an “Editor’s Choice,” and for my part, I will actually purchase and review at least one pizza from all 22 restaurants. In support of these local businesses, who are often very slow during the winter months, I encourage you to do the same. Have some friends over! Make it fun! But know that you do not have to buy a pizza to cast your vote.

So…with that said, here are the contenders for Best Pizza in North County:

12/29/10:   Fresh Italy vs. Faraci Pizza
1/5/11:        Angelo’s vs. Erio’s
1/12/11:      Massa’s vs. KD Gray’s
1/19/11:      Omar’s vs. Cannoli’s
1/26/11:     Cork Wine Bar vs. Meglio’s (Luigi’s)
2/2/11:       Pirrone’s vs. Halls Ferry Inn
2/9/11:       Ponticello’s vs. Fresh Italy/Faraci
2/16/11:     Hill Brewing Co vs. Angelo’s/Erio’s
2/23/11:     Adamo’s vs. Mattingly’s
3/2/11:       Roberto’s vs. Massa’s/KD Gray’s
3/9/11:       Cugino’s vs. Omar’s/Cannoli’s
3/16/11:      BJ’s vs. Saullo’s
3/23/11:      Nick & Elena’s vs. Cork/Meglio’s
3/30/11:     Deaver’s vs. Pirrone’s/Halls Ferry Inn

4/6/11:       Quarter-Finals
4/13/11:     Semi-Finals
4/20/11:     Finals

Voters, you can download a printable PDF of the full bracket here. Restaurants, be sure to grab a copy of this poster, which you can print out and use to promote the Challenge and hopefully drum up more votes! (It’s 4.7MB, so it may take a minute or so to download.)

Any questions, please email me at shannon@nocostl.com. And remember, voting begins on December 29!