About
a man on a mission
Since 2017, Steve Dolinsky – a 13-time James Beard Award-winning food reporter, formerly “The Food Guy” at NBC 5 Chicago – has made it his mission to dispel myths and show the world there is more to the Windy City than just deep-dish, stuffed or tavern-style pies. He’s written two books on the subject, launched a weekly tour business, produces and hosts a bi-monthly podcast and is now taking the next logical step – creating a series of pizza festivals with three objectives in mind: showcase a region’s unsung pizza artisans; educate and inform the public on how to make better pizza at home and what goes into great pizza; finally, to give back to the community through charitable partnerships. Here’s are some highlight reels from our events in L.A., Nashville and Chicago:
Chicago
Pizza City Fest Chicago brings together 30-40 of the region’s best pizza makers for two days of pizza making and appreciation all in one location. Thanks to several commercial electric ovens on-site, guests are able to see each pizza maker create, bake and serve up their remarkable pies right in front of them.
In Chicago, attendees can take in a series of highly curated seminars and panel discussions with some of the country’s greatest pizza makers. In previous years, our “Dough Whisperers” panel was a Who’s Who of American pizza: Chris Bianco (Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix), Dan Richer (Razza, Jersey City), Tony Gemignani (Tony’s, San Francisco) and Laura Meyer (Capo’s & The International Pizza School, San Francisco). Other panels have included “Women in Pizza,” “Who Really Created Deep-Dish?” and “How to Make Great Pizza at Home.”
Los Angeles
In Los Angeles, we feature 40 unique pizzerias from all over Southern California. Steve has curated a stellar lineup from Santa Barbara down to San Diego, with several different styles, including Sicilian, artisan, Neapolitan, Detroit and even a few classified as “L.A. Style.” We’ll also have a few special limited time “Collab Labs” featuring mashups between great independent bakers and artisan produce suppliers.
In Los Angeles, our first “Dough Whisperers” panel featured Daniele Uditi (Pizzana) and Evan Funke (Felix, Mother Wolf), plus demos on pan pizza at home, a conversation with the Producer of “A Chef’s Table: Pizza” and a panel discussion on how to build a pizza business with five guys who’ve succeeded in transforming an idea into a brand.