Pie Squared Regains Pizza Cup Title
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Pie Squared, China’s only purveyor of Detroit-style pizza and the champion of the Beijinger’s 2017 Pizza Cup, walked away with the 2021 crown this afternoon in a five-way taste-off featuring the capital’s best pies.
Facing mouthwatering competition from Forno, Tube Station, Q MEX, and Pyro Pizza, Pie Squared won the hearts of 49 of the 138 voters who came with taste buds prepared to nosh pizza. Forno placed second with 36 votes, followed by Pyro with 22, Q Mex with 16 and Tube Station with 15.
This year’s competition started nearly six weeks ago when we asked readers to rank a list of 100 pizza-serving restaurants in Beijing. That list was honed by your balloting to 64 finalists, then 32, and finally 16 that were then entered into our series of four Taste-Offs.
Drawing more than a third of the votes in the five-way race was Pie Squared's Motown Meatball combo – a thick breaded pie topped with sauce, cheese, Italian-style meatballs and slightly sweet caramelized red onions.
With their victory, they become the third champion to win more than one crown – sharing those honors with Bottega (which has won two Pizza Cups) and Gung Ho!, which has won three.
A brief history of the Beijinger’s Pizza Cup champions:
Pie Squared (2021)
Bottega (2020)
Pizza Saporita (2019)
Gung Ho! (2018)
Pie Squared (2017)
Bottega (2016)
Gung Ho! (2015)
Gung Ho! (2014)
Kro's Nest (2011)
(Note: No contests were held in 2012 or 2013)
Our other finalists today were also no slouches either, serving some of the best pizzas to be had in the city. If you haven’t tried all five, well then you probably need to turn in your pizza fanatic credentials right now.
Guests at the event not only had five pizzas to sample, they were also treated to a buffet of imported cheeses from title sponsors Dinner Bell Creamery and Sartori Cheese.
Many a beer from sponsor Brooklyn Brewery were downed as well, who also provided the the grand prize for the winning team of our on-site Pizza Pentathlon: a rare bottle of BLACK OPS beer – a limited edition brew not for sale in China, made from a secret recipe which sees a stout beer aged in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels before being combined with champagne yeast for a markedly smooth sipper.
Georgia’s Feast was once again the gracious host and kept guests from getting too thirsty with a free flow of cocktails.
Have a gander at some of the cameos from today’s event:
So that’s a wrap folks: the Pizza Cup is done for another year, and here’s the final standings. If you haven’t tried the top 20 or so, you really can’t go wrong. Go forth and indulge!
1. Pie Squared
2. Forno
3. Pyro Pizza
4. Q MEX
5. Tube Station
6. The Local
7. Jing-A
8. Bottega
9. Great Leap
10. Pizza Saporita
11. Gung Ho
12. Annie's
13. La Pizza
14. The Pizza Show
15. Kro's Nest
16. Papa John's
17. Eatalia
18. Georgia's Feast
19. Yummy Box
20. Miam Miam
21. Scott's Family Ristorante Italiano
22. Citywalk Red Oven Pizza Bakery
23. Turkish Feast
24. The Cheesecake Factory
25. Pizza Marzano
26. Hulu
27. Commune Reserve
28. Peter Pan
29. Plan B
30. Ponte
31. Xian Bar, East Hotel
32. Frasca
33. Domino's Pizza
34. Pizza Hut
35. Mr. Pizza
36. Tiago
37. Lily’s American Diner
38. La Platea
39. Laker's
40. Kitty & Daniel
41. The Rug
42. Buona Bocca
43. Tomcado
44. Green Cow City Cafe
45. Tavola Italian Dining
46. Assaggi
47. Mao Mao Chong
48. Paddy O'Shea's
49. NBeer Pub牛啤堂
50. Via Roma•Kempinski Hotel花样罗马意大利餐厅
51. Nine Road Pizzeria速度披萨
52. LMPlus
53. Steam Pizza蒸汽披萨（颐堤港店）
54. Big Pizza比格比萨
55. Lets Seafood非常创意海鲜
56. QS奎妮妙选
57. Eudora Station亿多瑞站
58. La Cucina后厨意餐
59. Grandma's Kitchen祖母的厨房
60. Bacchus Bistro酒神食馆
61. Pizza Now披萨到
62. La Mezzaluna伴月意大利餐厅
63. Volare
64. Very Sport意大利餐吧
65. MIO, Four Seasons Hotel 北京四季酒店•MIO
66. Saizeriya 萨莉亚意式餐厅
67. Brotzeit 博璨德国啤酒餐厅（国贸）
68. The Veggie Table 吃素的西餐
69. Jazz-Ya 爵士屋
70. Tribe 有机餐厅
71. Get Pizza 披萨工廠
72. Bene 班妮意大利餐厅
73. Groovy Schillers 大明餐厅
74. Pinvita Pinvita意大利美食集市
75. German Restaurant 甲丁坊.新德餐吧
76. Happy Bites 嗨派.纽约手工披萨
77. Byone 百万庄园
78. Legend 老牌餐吧
79. Passby Bar 过客
80. Flypizza & Hoodadak Chicken
81. Cup One
82. Nasca Cafe
83. Olive Restaurant and Bar 橄榄餐吧
84. Riva 意岸
85. Joe's by Yonovo
86. Hisewel-Brew-pub 海森威精酿啤酒餐吧
87. Atta BJ
88. Festin Table 佩斯汀西餐
89. Sesto Senso Se•食巳意大利餐厅
90. Chapter, Conrad Beijing Chapter
91. PBD Pizza Bar
92. Just in time 巨时比萨
93. POMONA 波莫娜咖啡厅
94. Casalingo 卡萨琳戈
95. Agrilandia
Images: Uni You
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