Who has the best pizza between three shops along Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield?
It will be determined at Little Italy Days, running Aug. 15-18.
The annual festival features four days of food, games, crafts and live entertainment with more than 30 acts on three stages.
New this year is a pizza contest between Angelo’s Pizzeria, Caliente Pizza & Draft House and Pizza Italia at 7 p.m. Aug. 16, next to the Pleasure Bar at the Mini of Pittsburgh and First National Bank Stage, the same location as the bocce court.
Each restaurant will serve four slices of plain pizza — one for each of the four judges, who will select a champion.
“It will be fun and was something I wanted to try this year,” said Sal Richetti, a Bloomfield native who has been the festival’s producer since 2012. “All of these pizza places are really good. This would be more about bragging rights.”
Nick Bogacz, owner of Caliente Pizza, said his shop and the other two are staples of the Bloomfield community. He opened his first store in Bloomfield. Caliente Pizza has grown to seven locations with plans for an eighth.
“Little Italy Days is one of the reasons for the success of my business because the festival is where some people tried Caliente Pizza for the first time,” he said.
A bocce tournament is happening Aug. 17-18. It includes a competition between the Irish and Italians and begins at 10 a.m. Aug.17 and 9 a.m. on Aug. 18.
“Little Italy Days is about tradition,” Richetti said. “It’s a celebration of Italian heritage.”
Admission is free.
Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Aug. 15, noon to 9 p.m. Aug. 16-17, and noon to 5 p.m. Aug. 18.
Details: littleitalydays.com
