Boston hosted its first ever pizza festival on July 8th and 9th and the festival's website promised two days of live music, food, and giveaways outside of City Hall. The cost of admission to the Boston Pizza Festival was $15, and as a self-proclaimed foodie and a Spoon University writer, I couldn't have been more excited.
I have to admit though, that after working at a pizza place for two years I'm not the biggest pizza lover (read: eating it during every shift will do that to a person). This just means that I don't crave pizza, and will simply indulge when the opportunity presents itself. This pizza festival was definitely an opportunity that I couldn't miss.
The festival itself
The festival was packed when I arrived, even though it was later in the afternoon and an unusual time for a meal. A maze of tents housed all 24 vendors, and it was overwhelming, yet exciting. There was music blasting and everyone was really enthusiastic about eating a ton of pizza: the atmosphere was unreal and the passion for pizza was undeniable.
The slices of pizza started at $2, while whole pizzas started at $6. Beer and wine started at $6, and if all that wasn't enough, gelato and cannoli vendors were there to round out the Italian experience.
The game plan
One cannot simply walk into a pizza festival and start eating—I am no amateur and neither were my companions. Our game plan was simple: share a slice or two from each vendor so that we could try as many vendors as possible and all get a few bites of each one.
This method saved our stomachs from a pizza overload and our wallets from a potential nightmare. It worked seamlessly, and while we didn't get to all the vendors, we tried 13 different kinds of pizza, five different desserts, and an iced latte before we were completely full.
Notable slices
While I wasn't disappointed by any of the pizzas we ate—they were all amazing beyond belief—there were a few that stuck out. First was Oath Craft Pizza's "Luau." This pizza had mozzarella, BBQ pulled pork, fresh pineapple, crushed red pepper, a BBQ drizzle, and scallions on it. It was so refreshing with the large chunks of pineapple (because yes, pineapple does belong on pizza) and was completed by a subtle kick from the red pepper.
Another was Locale's "Tartufo." It's a customer favorite of this pizza joint, topped with mushrooms, caramelized onions, fontina cheese, rosemary, and truffle oil. I'm a sucker for mushrooms on pizza, and this is probably the best mushroom pizza I've ever had. Need I say more?
The one that stuck out as the winner of the festival was undoubtably Reach For The Pie's "Thanksgiving Pizza." This one throws all pizza expectations out the window, and creates something new all together. Topped with sautéed ground turkey, squash, turkey stuffing and cranberry sauce, and their signature blend of cheeses, it was an entire Thanksgiving meal in one glorious slice. Stuffing is one of my favorite things in the world, so throw that on a pizza and I'm sold.
Final thoughts
The Boston Pizza Festival did not disappoint. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was full of happiness and excitement, and to top it all off (pun intended), there was a dancing pizza mascot to keep everyone entertained. They pulled out all the stops, from a giant pizza model that people could take pictures in front of to a huge inflatable pizza placed a block away. Everyone came together for the love of pizza, and that's a beautiful thing. Well done Boston, and in pizza we crust.