Pie in the sky, Caliente Pizza & Draft House again top among pizzamakers

Mary Pickels
Tuesday, March 12, 2019 12:00 p.m. | Tuesday, March 12, 2019 12:00 p.m.

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Caliente Pizza & Draft House managers again place in International Pizza Challenge and World Pizza Games.

Caliente Pizza & Draft House, with several Pittsburgh locations, continues its roll of bringing home pizza competition accolades.

Another Great Year at the International @PizzaExpo!

Thank You To Everyone Who Has Supported Us. We Already Can't Wait Until Next Year!!??? pic.twitter.com/3e9U5G7kS1

— Caliente Draft House (@calientepdrafth) March 9, 2019

Nine Caliente employees, including five store managers and regional chef Eric Von Hansen, recently traveled to the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas.

In the Challenge competition, Nick Fink, Bloomfield location general manager, competed with the “Nicky Had a Little Lamb” pizza topped with herbs, arugula and lamb in the “non-traditional” division, while Aspinwall general manager Jay Falk opted for the literal “quail four ways” in the “pan” division. Each placed in the top 10 pizzamakers in their divisions.

For the World Pizza Games, in the pizza acrobatics competition, Mt. Lebanon general manager Matt Hickey placed in the top 10 in “freestyle acrobatic pizza tossing,” “fastest dough stretch” and the “pizza triathlon.” Hickey also came out on top in the “largest dough stretch,” earning the bronze medal in that category.

The expo is the world’s largest pizza exhibition and sees hundreds of competitors.

Caliente won a World Championship title in the “pan” division with its “quack attack” duck pizza on its first attempt at the International Pizza Challenge in 2016.

In 2017, it placed first in the “non-traditional” and “traditional northeast divisions” and won a World Championship in the “largest dough stretch” in the World Pizza Games. It won another World Championship in the non-traditional division in 2018 with Von Hansen’s “Wagyu Beef Truffle Fromage” pie.

The recent wins resulted in an invitation to the World Pizza Team, led by 13-time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani. Owner Nick Bogacz and Von Hansen will travel with the team to Parma, Italy, for the Pizza World Championships in April.