Pittsburgh Pizza Makers Place 3rd in Non-Traditional and 5th in the Traditional Pizza Categories
Sara Boyer of Iron Born crushed the field to place third in the world for the non-traditional pizza and Rico Lunardi of Slice On Broadway brought home fifth place in the traditional competition.
Another year another Pizza Expo in the books. I sent my septuagenerian father, Tom Tallarico, to cover the event and he unfortunately ran into some “tech issues” so his full report is delayed. Much like leftover pizza, it may not be as fresh but you bet it’ll be just as good. Maybe there will be a special edition next week recapping his adventure.
What’s important to chronicle is the performance of Sara Boyer of Iron Born and Rico Lunardi of Slice On Broadway, who proudly presented Pittsburgh pizza to rank among the top pizza makers across the globe. Pittsburgh pizza continues to show up at the International Pizza Competition, out pizza-ing competitors from across the world.
Sara Boyer - Iron Born - 3rd Place in Non-Traditional Pizza, 1st Place in North East Division
Sara has been on a bit of a hot streak in the pizza world. When I reached out to Pete Tolman to ask about the expo he had this to say about Sara, “This will be her first time in Las Vegas to see the city and the expo. So I am excited for her to get to experience it and enjoy the city. She competed in Pan-Style Division in Atlantic City 2019 and placed 3rd in her first attempt. So we are excited she will be in non-traditional for her first time and hopeful!”
The non-traditional category is tough as you can be up against any type of pizza. The talent and variety is eclectic, so you have to focus on what you can control. Iron Born is consistently putting out unique, decadent pizzas that defy tradition. It’s no doubt that they rank pretty highly in competition. They have a wow factor that propels that boggles the imagination. Makes you say, you can do that with pizza?
Visit Iron Born to sample some of Sara’s work and congrats to the team for highlighting Pittsburgh pizza!
Rico Lunardi - Slice On Broadway - 5th in the Traditional Category
Every time I wrote about Slice On Broadway it’s important to point out Rico’s attention to detail and consistency across his various pizza shops in the area. One mediocre pizza can ruin a fan! The pizza critics in this city can be harsh and unforgiving.
As Slice On Broadway expands across the city, the quality hasn’t dipped. The pizza is as stellar in East Liberty as it is in Carnegie. Prior to the competition, I asked Rico why he was competing in the traditional category. He said, “I decided to do traditional because it is more of my style and what I am used to making. I have been tweaking my dough and sauce. That is the nice part about traditional category. They are judging you more on technique rather then creativity.”
Rico is a master of technique, carefully manicuring the pizza to ensure perfection is spread across the pie alongside a smooth layer of tomato sauce. This competition focuses on execution. The rules below mandate exactly what can go on the pizza and when. With little room for flexibility the only way to get your pizza to stand out is creating the ideal pizza. Check out Slice On Broadway for a consistently great pie.
Competitors provide the dough, cheese/cheese blend, and spices. They must use a red sauce. No more than two (2) of the following toppings may be added: Pepperoni, Sausage, Bacon, Ham, Mushrooms, Peppers, Tomatoes, Onions, and Olives. Please note that different varieties of these toppings will constitute only one (1) topping. A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil after baking is acceptable; NO other toppings &/or finishers can be added once the pizza enters the oven, including fresh herbs, other drizzles, or cheeses are NOT allowed once your pizza has entered the oven. Pizzas in this division must be traditional round pizzas ranging in size from 12”-18”. A competitor’s pizza will be disqualified if the judges decide it contains too many toppings or impermissible toppings.
I hope you found it interesting. If you made it this far I’d really appreciate you sharing the article to help grow the pizza audience.
Thanks and pizza ya later!
-Dan Tallarico, Pizza Journalist