Slice of the good life

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Last Thursday night, a crowd of more than 600 gathered at Galdo’s Catering and Entertainment, 20th Street and Moyamensing Avenue, in what simply could be described as pizza heaven. Every which way people turned, one of 17 vendors was offering slice after slice after slice. Vegetables, bacon, pepperoni, buffalo chicken, lobster and pizzaz (bringing the heat with a dose of hot peppers) were among the many toppings gracing the variety of sauces and cheese at the Review’s first annual Pizzalympics. Up for grabs was bragging rights in eight categories: Best Original, vaulted to the most unique of combinations; Most Delicious Crust; Finger-Licking Sauce; Lean ‘n Mean, given to a pie of unparalleled taste and health consciousness; Sicilian, for the classic, square, thick-crusted pizza; Most Creative Topping; Best Tomato Pie; and Winning White, bestowed on the sauce-less, garlic-laden and oh-so-cheesy.

In this three-hour, all-you can eat feast, a panel of six celebrity judges had the tough task of figuring out who fit the above categories best — and it was a tough call.

As patrons weaved through the standing-room-only crowd — some of whom were on a mission to sample every slice possible — opinions were not in short supply as to the night’s hottest, most-debated topic: "Who has the best pizza?"

"Cacia’s [Bakery of 1526 Ritner St.] pizzaz is amazing," Jennifer D’Emilio, of Ninth and Johnston streets, said.

"I like Not Just Pizza," Amanda Murphy, of 11th and Daly streets, added of the shop at 2240 S. 11th St.

Jeff Weir, who came from Port Richmond for the event, offered another point of view — and particular features that caught his taste buds.

"Wolf Street [Pizza] was good. It has a good mix of cheeses and sauce," he said of the eatery at 2135 Wolf St.

On this balmy night, everybody found a favorite (and will be able to weigh in on the eight categories that faced the judges at www.southphillyreview.com/pizza starting today), including the six individuals front and center on Galdo’s dance floor: Geno Vento of Geno’s Steaks; Phyllis Stein-Novack, Review food columnist and restaurant critic; Tom Cardella, long-time Review columnist; NOW 97.5-FM radio personalities Glenn Kalina and Jenn Ryan; and Lou Galdo, owner of Galdo’s Catering. Their choices were recorded, but the suspense lingered until the closing number by King Arthur of WNJC 1360-AM, who kept the crowd entertained by playing a mix of cool favorites, from the likes of Rat-Packers Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. With his voice booming throughout the hall, he encouraged guests to visit each vendor because "they’re all winners."

As the judges savored the selections, local group The Business sang everything from Norah Jones to toe-tapping disco. St. Joe’s head men’s basketball coach Phil Martelli stopped by to pose for pictures, sign autographs and chat with fans.

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Those who stayed until the 9 p.m. closing time were the first to hear the evening’s big news: City Pizza, Front Street and Snyder Avenue and 16th Street and Oregon Avenue, took several honors for Best Crust, Most Creative Topping and Lean ‘n Mean. Manager Bruce Nagel attributed the hat trick to consistency.

"We have the same basic crew for over 10 years. Everyone is trained the exact same way," he said, adding the staff is constantly working on new creations because "we get bored every couple of months so we invent something new."

Though he may not have been a winner that night, John Mariscaoco, co-owner of Not Just Pizza knows his pies are a favorite among his loyal clientele — and he can most likely expect to see some new faces across his counter as a result of the event.

"It’s all homemade and everything’s made fresh. The dough, the sauce — it’s all made the best," Mariscaoco said of his pizza which runs the gamut from breakfast to gourmet.

Sounds like South Philly could be gearing up for rematches all around next year.

And the winners are …

Here are the first annual Pizzalympics judges’ picks:

Best Original: Chickie’s & Pete’s, 1526 Packer Ave.

Finger-licking Sauce: Adrianna’s featuring Chubby’s Pizza, 1717 S. Second St.

Best Tomato Pie: Pizza Shack, 15th and Porter streets

Best Sicilian: Napoli Pizza, 944 E. Passyunk Ave.

Lean ‘n Mean; Most Creative Topping; and Most Delicious Crust: City Pizza, Front Street and Snyder Avenue and 16th Street and Oregon Avenue.

Winning White: Pizzi Pizza, 2654 S. Sixth St.

Whether you attended this year’s Pizzalympics or not, all are welcome to vote for their favorites in each of the above categories at www.southphillyreview.com/pizza starting today.