Tournament of Pizza 2010 brackets
Pasquale's gutsy pick for last year's tournament finals. Will the brackets break their way again?
Simmer the sauce! Toss the dough! And fire up the oven! The Tournament of Pizza, sponsored by Sunmark Federal Credit Union, is back!
For the first time in the storied history of the TOP, the crowd helped picked the tournament field. More than 500 ballots were cast and eight pizzerias got spots in this year's tournament.
As is tradition, the winners of last year's regional brackets automatically qualified for the field.
That left four spots, one in each bracket, for the selection the committee to fill.
Here's how the brackets shape up for the first round. There's a larger look at the brackets above (or just scroll up), and here's a pdf version for easy printing.
First round matchups:
Saratoga
Nunzio's vs. Pope's
Cusato's vs. Antipasto's
Returning champ: Nunzio's
Crowd picks: Cusato's, Pope's
The selection committee went to Clifton Park for the last spot in this bracket. Antipasto's is known for its vegetarian options, and that intrigued the committee.
Schenectady
Marino's Flying vs. Fireside
Johnny C's vs. Pizza King
Returning champ: Marino's Flying
Crowd picks: Pizza King, Fireside
Pizza King and Fireside were a close 1,2 in the crowd voting. Rotterdam gets pulled into the party with the selection of Johnny C's.
Troy
I Love vs. Pop's
DeFazio's vs. Giuseppe's
Returning champ: I Love
Crowd picks: Giuseppe's, Pop's
Watervliet's Giuseppe's was the #1 vote-getter in crowd voting. And Pop's, in Cohoes, is a newcomer. DeFazio's, upset in the first round of the inaugural TOP, takes the the final spot.
Albany
Pasquale's vs. Lou-Bea's
The Fountain vs. Paesan's Guilderland
Returning champ: Pasquale's (two time overall winner)
Crowd picks: The Fountain, Paesan's Guilderland
The crowd went back to fan favorite The Fountain and the well-known Paesan's, both previous competitors (though Paesan's first appearance was via its Albany shop). This left the selection committee in a tough spot (it was hoping the crowd voting would mix things up a bit). Sensitive to Ed's passionate lobbying, the committee looked toward downtown. But it was also drawn to Lou-Bea's back-from-ashes story. And the Delaware Ave shop ended up with the final spot.
_____
TOP 2010 scoring will again feature the 100 point system. Results start next week.
Results from Tournament of Pizza 2009
Results from Tournament of Pizza 2008
Big thanks to Sunmark Federal Credit Union for sponsoring another year of the TOP.
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Comments
So...is there a sit down judging? Or do the judges just order a pie anonymously and taste it on their own? Are spectators allowed?
... said Marie on Sep 29, 2010 at 6:22 PM | link
@Marie: And can we eat the leftovers?
... said ethan on Sep 30, 2010 at 10:59 AM | link
The Tournament of Pizza lasts longer than the NBA playoffs.
... said Julia Thorne on Sep 30, 2010 at 12:11 PM | link
Honestly, although I missed out on the voting, Townsend Park deserved a seat at the table this year.
... said Dan McBain on Sep 30, 2010 at 12:21 PM | link
At least AOA doesn't take their talents to souff beach....
... said Dude on Sep 30, 2010 at 12:26 PM | link
As you know, we're big fans of the Capital Region too. Always love to see things like this return. One of Albany's best kept Pizza secrets is Victory Cafe. Their Chicken Taco pizza is hands down some of the best pizza I've ever had. Just curious if they ever throw their hat into the competition? Recommendation List at Victory: Chicken Taco, Deluxe Turkey Club, Black and Bleu, or White Broccoli/Garlic. Cheers. -Ed
... said Ed on Sep 30, 2010 at 1:19 PM | link
this is cute you all do this!
i love pizza and brackets
... said me on Sep 30, 2010 at 3:24 PM | link
I haven't had a Fireside pizza in years. I'm very interested to see if it's still as good as it used to be.
... said Ali on Oct 2, 2010 at 5:44 PM | link
Remember Ario's in Latham Circle Mall Food Court...???
Yeah yeah-I know it's still in existence on Rt. 7 but for whatever reasons-it's just not the same!
Speaking (actually writing) of Latham Circle Mall-remember Papa Gino's!
How 'bout The Orchard?
... said MarK on Oct 2, 2010 at 7:35 PM | link
Haha, I'm a few days late reading this, but I appreciate the consideration and the mention. You raise a compelling point about Lou-Bea's (and that's the sort of cool result that curation can uncover that wouldn't have come out of a popular vote).
The geography is indisputable: their stretch of Delaware Avenue *is* east of Lake Avenue, which is the first time ever for a City of Albany tournament pick! That totally counts for something.
I look forward to reading the results again this year. I think I'll also need to try some Lou-Bea's pizza. If given the opportunity, I'll see if I can offer some more refined lobbying next year. :D
... said Ed L. on Oct 5, 2010 at 4:26 PM | link
You should try Maris'a Place Pizza in Guilderland. It is first rate and authentic.
http://marisasplacepizza.com/
... said Italian from Brooklyn on Oct 5, 2010 at 7:16 PM | link