Steve Dolinsky has announced Pizza City Fest Nashville, with a two-day celebration of all things pizza set for October 19-20, 2024 at First Horizon Park. The Chicago-based author, TV personality, and podcast host has held two Pizza City Fests each in his hometown and in Los Angeles, as we reported last year.
“Pizza City Fest Nashville will celebrate the Southeastern U.S.’s unique pizza landscape, showcasing the diverse and exceptional talents of the region’s top pizza makers,” Dolinsky says in the announcement.
Nashville’s food scene already featured several of the U.S.’s best and most creative Italian restaurants in City House and Rolf & Daughters—both now more than a decade old. A recent influx of out-of-town and homegrown chefs have turned the city into an unlikely Italian hub over the past few years. NYC’s Andrew Carmellini (Carne Mare), Chicago expat Tony Mantuano (Yolan), and Brooklyn export Frankies have set up shop in Nashville. The pizza scene has also been ascendant.
One of the names released on the schedule for Pizza City Fest Nashville is an Appetito favorite, Michael Hanna of St. Vito Focacciaria, who brought Sicilian-style pizza to Nashville a few years back. He’s a standout in a homegrown scene that includes Nicky’s Coal-Fired, Five Points, and Smith & Lentz Brewery, all of which are also on the two-day lineup at the inaugural Nashville Pizza City Fest.
Dolinksy says he targeted not only Nashville pizzerias but those from throughout the region, including pizzas from Memphis, Chattanooga, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Chicago. The festival will allow guests to sample a range slices and styles, including New York, Detroit, Chicago deep-dish, Sicilian, Neapolitan, and Roman.
Pizza City Fest also features panels about pizza and dough throughout its two days of programming, as well as live performances by pizza acrobat Luigi Primo, and, this being Music City, a lineup of DJs and bands.
Tickets will go on sale July 19 at Pizzacityfest.com with general admission pricing starting at $69 and VIP pricing starting at $150 (with discounts for 2-day passes). The announced lineup and schedule, featuring more than 40 pizzerias, is below, and Dolinsky will add updates through the Pizza City Fest website.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2024
Participating Pizzerias/Bakers:
312 Pizza Co
Bella Napoli
Calabria Brick Oven Pizza (Mt. Juliet)
Dicey’s Tavern
Five Points
Goodfellas (Chattanooga, TN)
Hog & Hominy (Memphis)
King Dough (Indianapolis)
Nicky’s Coal Fired
NY Pie
Pizza Friend Pizza
Pizza Lupo (Louisville)
Roberta’s
Rock ‘n Dough
Sorelle’s Italian Restaurant (Eagleville)
Troup’s Pizza (Vestavia Hills, AL)
Uncle G’s Pizza (Birmingham, AL)
Union Loafers (St. Louis)
Salads: Ophelia’s Pizza + Bar
Snacks: The Secret Bodega
Sweets: to be announced
Panel Discussions and Demos:
2 pm: “The Dough Whisperers”
Paulie Gee – Paulie Gee’s (Brooklyn, NY)
Michael Hanna – St. Vito Focacciaria (Nashville)
Robert Garvey – Robert’s Pizza & Dough Co. (Chicago)
Moderator: Delia Jo Ramsey – “Dining with Delia Jo”
3 pm: “Pizza Night at Home”
Alexandra Stafford – Author, “Pizza Night”
4 pm: Book Signings
Music:
12 pm: Jerry Pentecost (DJ)
2 pm: Jon Radford (DJ)
4 pm Patrick Sweany’s Tiger Beats
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20TH
Participating Pizzerias and Bakers:
Bar Vetti (Louisville)
Camacho’s Famous (Clarksville)
Campione’s Taste of Chicago (Gallatin)
Gio’s Chicago Pizza
Il Forno
Mag Mile Pizza
Original Valentina’s Pizzeria (Madison, AL)
Pastaria
PennePazze
Pinky Ring Pizza (Madison, TN)
Pizza Grace (Birmingham)
PizzaVia (St. Louis)
Robert’s Pizza & Dough Co. (Chicago)
Slim + Husky’s
Slim’s (Birmingham)
Smith & Lentz Brewery
St. Francis Apizza (Cincinnati)
St. Vito Focacciaria
Salads: To be announced
Snacks: Chauhan
Sweets: Fat Belly Pretzel
Demos:
2 pm: “Pan Style Like a Pro”
Justin De Leon – Apollonia’s (Los Angeles)
Moderator: Mackensy Lunsford – Senior Dining Reporter, The Tennessean
3 pm: “Stop Using Store Bought Dough!”
Joe Carlucci – Original Valentina’s Pizzeria (Madison, AL)
4 pm: Book Signings
Music:
12 pm: Gordon Persha (DJ)
2 pm: Megan Coleman (DJ)
4 pm: Weird Pals
