All Over Albany

Steve Barnes' Tournament of Pizza predictions

Updated 12:55 pm

We're very happy to announce that as part of a collaboration between AOA and the Times Union, the TU's Steve Barnes -- who writes the Table Hopping blog and column -- will be handicapping each round of the 2010 Tournament of Pizza. He'll also be visiting the two finalists for a video segment ahead of the championship round.

Here's Steve's look at the opening matchups. Results from "the cheese round" start later today.

Albany

Pasquale's vs. Lou-Bea's
Pasquale's is the two-time TOP champ. Whether wowing judges in the first year with a simple, traditional pizza margherita or winning big with an unexpected bruschetta pizza in the 2009 finale, Pasquale's consistently impressed. Lou-Bea's earned its spot after a nod from the AOA editors, who felt that the venerable shop -- which claims to be the city's oldest continually operating pizzeria -- deserved a shot after coming back from a devastating fire last year.

Prediction: Pasquale's
If sentimentality and affection had taste components, Lou-Bea's would take this easily, but the champ is the clear favorite here.

The Fountain vs. Paesan's of Guilderland
Audience allegiance in AOA voting brought The Fountain back for another try despite its first-round elimination in 2009; it has the sort of fans who fill online review sites with sentences like, "This has been my favorite pizza for 30 years." Paesan's, now about 20 years old, is a family affair with six Capital Region locations. Its Albany location was knocked out in the first round of 2008 TOP.

Prediction: Paesan's
This is a tough call, because the operations are so different. The Fountain's is pizza you eat the bar with pals and a pitcher; Paesan's gets gobbled up while sitting on the couch at home with the kids on a Friday night. The latter's consistency should win out.

Saratoga

Nunzio's vs. Pope's
Nunzio's won the Saratoga bracket in 2009 and marched all the way to the finale, losing out to Pasquale's; Pope's is a longtime Spa City favorite that is a first-time TOP entrant. Look for a notably crispy crust and tasty cheese from the newcomer. Will it be better than Nunzio's deservedly acclaimed tomato sauce and crust, the latter of which drew special notice in last year's cheese-pizza round?

Prediction: Nunzio's
Second place in 2009 bodes well for this year's showing.

Cusato's vs. Antipasto's
Two first-timers face off in the second pairing of the Saraoga bracket. Cusato's fans voted it into contention, while AOA editors invited Antipasto's to see what a vegetarian eatery can do.

Prediction: Cusato's
The difference between the styles of the restaurants -- Cusato's is a pizzeria and deli, Antipasto's a sit-down restaurant with markedly more expensive pizza -- should make for an interesting match-up. Look for a surprise win by the underdog.

Schenectady

Fireside vs. Marino's Flying
Fireside, the longtime Electric City pub, got knocked out of the first round in year one for pizza that tasted burned, but reader votes brought it back for another try. Fireside will have a tough round against Marino's, the 2009 Schenectady champ.

Prediction: Marino's
Last year in the cheese round Marino's scored consistently well in crust, toppings and sauce.

Johnny C's vs. Pizza King
Johnny C's, a Rotterdam family restaurant, goes up against the Schenectady winner and eventual semifinalist from 2008.

Prediction: Pizza King
Johnny C's fans swear by its thin-crust pies, but Pizza King lost so narrowly last year, by a margin of just 3 percent, that you know Pizza King must be itching for a chance to take back the Schenectady title.

Troy

I Love NY vs. Pop's
I Love NY handily won both Troy rounds in 2009 but got badly thumped with a more complicated pizza the semifinals, suggesting its strength may lie in traditional pies like the first round's cheese. Only a few months old, Pop's, of Cohoes, is run by a air of brothers who named it after their grandfather.

Prediction: I Love NY
Gotta go with the proven track record here.

Giuseppe's vs. DeFazio's
Fan-chosen Giuseppe's, of Watervliet, is a newcomer to TOP. They've got the uneviable task of taking on the woodfired pies from DeFazio's, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year.

Prediction: Giuseppe's
The restaurant won awards earlier this year for its chicken wings and its wing sauce, so its contest mojo should be workin' on pizza, too. Past TOP judges have felt that DeFazio's pizzas are better in the restaurant than as takeout, which is how the tournament is conducted. Plus, the new guy have a lot to prove in this showing.

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Thanks to Steve for his predictions! We're looking forward to his continued commentary during the tournament.

Updated at 12:55 pm: We had the matchups in the Troy bracket switched around. It's been fixed. Sorry about that.

The 2010 Tournament of Pizza is sponsored by Sunmark Federal Credit Union, which now offers banking from mobile devices. They even have an app for iPhones and Android phones.