Caliente Pizza & Draft House announces new menu items for 2021
PITTSBURGH — After months of meticulous planning, Caliente Pizza & Draft House is proud to announce the release of its new menu debuting on March 22.
Chicken is the new pizza at Caliente Pizza & Draft House. With a rise in popularity of chicken sandwiches and the infamous chicken sandwich wars, Caliente wants a piece of the action. The new menu will debut three chicken sandwiches and a chicken parmesan hoagie.
There’s something for everyone at Caliente Pizza’s five locations including Bloomfield, Hampton, Aspinwall, Monroeville and Mt. Lebanon. Vegan fans can now enjoy Caliente’s freshest vegetables and beloved signature dough on a new gourmet pizza topped with a dairy-free, soy free, gluten free and Non-GMO Project Verified Mozzarella cheese.
Returning to the menu is a fan favorite – the Luca Brasi – which was recognized as a finalist at the Trofeo CaputoCup World Championships in Naples, Italy, in September 2019.
The award-winning restaurant releases new menu items every March and regional chef, Eric von Hansen, starts experimenting months in advance.
“I keep a notebook by my bed because too often my ideas come to me at night, “said von Hansen. “I call it ‘mad scientist syndrome’ because I’m constantly experimenting with a dab of this and a dash of that to find that unique combination. With the recent chicken wars, I was inspired to create our own take on the sandwiches by adding the savory Caliente flavors our customers love.”
Below is a complete list of all of the new items available on Caliente’s new menu:
Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich
To satisfy those with a spicy side, this breaded chicken sandwich has a bit of a kick to it featuring Nashville hot sauce, pickles and pepper jack cheese, served with a side of tots or fries.
Chicky Chicky Parm Parm Chicken Sandwich
Much like the hoagie, this sandwich contains breaded chicken breast, mozzarella cheese and marina sauce, served with a side of tots or fries. This creation allows Caliente to highlight two significantly different cultures in one dish.
The Company Chicken Sandwich
By incorporating pickles and mayonnaise together inside a bun, this breaded chicken sandwich is a classic rendition of popular chicken sandwiches everywhere. Tots or fries are served as a side as well.
Chicky Chicky Parm Parm Hoagie
To include a popular staple of Italian-American cuisine, this hoagie features a blend of mozzarella and provolone cheese, breaded chicken and marinara sauce.
Forces of Nature
Topped with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, onion, black olives and vegan cheese, this vegetable-lovers pizza features plant-based ingredients that are animal-friendly and come from the earth.
Luca Brasi
This unique creation features Caliente’s signature dough, crushed plum tomato sauce, sweet sausage and a roasted pepper medley made with fresh basil, banana peppers, roasted red peppers, sweety drop peppers, Jalapenos and green chili peppers. Ropped with fresh mozzarella for a tasty spin on the mobster hitman in the Mafia crime classic.
Get Saucy
We’re debuting three new wing sauces – Nashville Hot, Caliente Rub and Salt & Pepper.For those who like their foods extra spicy, Caliente is offering two new take-home sauces, which include the Caliente Hot Pepper Oil for $8.99 and Mike’s Hot Honey for $12.99.
The menu will still include the team’s award-winning pies including the Mee-Maw, recognized as the Best Pizza in America 2019, and the Quack Attack, voted #1 pan pizza in the world.
Chef Eric talks about all of the new menu items on our YouTube page here.
ABOUT CALIENTE PIZZA & DRAFT HOUSE
Caliente Pizza & Draft House is an award-winning, locally owned and operated pizza restaurant known for its roster of gourmet pizzas and craft beers. With five locations in the Pittsburgh area, Caliente is also known internationally as three-time World Pizza Champions and represents Pittsburgh on the World Pizza Champions Team. In 2019, Caliente Pizza & Draft House earned the title of Best Pizza in America. For locations and more information, visit www.pizzadrafthouse.com.
Caliente’s owner delivers thirty pizzas to Light of Life Rescue Mission as part of the World Pizza Champions and the Slice Out Hunger Movement. If you want to learn more about Light of Life, their mission, and how you can help visit https://www.lightoflife.org/ To learn more about Slice Out Hunger visit https://sliceouthunger.org/0:00
Caliente Pizza & Draft House delivers 30 pizzas to the homeless community in honor of National Pizza Day
World Pizza Champion team members joins national movement to “Slice Out Hunger”
PITTSBURGH (February 10, 2021) – As part of a national “slice out hunger” movement to celebrate National Pizza Day, pizzerias across the country donated food to homeless shelters and soup kitchens. Here in Pittsburgh, World Pizza Champion team members Caliente Pizza & Draft House delivered 30 pizzas to Light of Life Rescue Mission on February 9.
Light of Life Rescue Mission is a local Christian nonprofit organization that provides life-changing recovery programs, food and shelter for food-insecure and homeless populations in Pittsburgh. The Mission is open 365 days each year and provides shelter to approximately 125-155 people nightly. In addition, it offers job search assistance, winter accessories and case management to people experiencing homelessness.
The initiative was started by members of the World Pizza Champions, an international group made up of elite pizza professionals including Caliente’s Nick Bogacz and Eric Von Hansen. In 2018, Carmine Testa and his two sons – most popularly known as the ‘Jersey Pizza Boys’ – came up with “Pizzas Across America” as a way to feed the hungry on a day dedicated to the dish.
This year, the World Pizza Champions partnered with Slice Out Hunger, a volunteer-driven nonprofit that uses food donated by independent pizzerias, to expand the program knowing that so many people are fighting food insecurity during a pandemic. In fact, according to Feeding to America, they expect 50 million people, including 17 million children, to experience hunger.
“We absolutely loved working with Light of Life Rescue Mission last year for National Pizza Day,” said Nick Bogacz, founder and owner of Caliente Pizza & Drafthouse. “While Chef Eric and I couldn’t serve pizza like we did last year, we wanted to make sure we kept the tradition alive. As the pandemic continues, we are committed to finding ways to support the hunger relief efforts here in Pittsburgh.”
Read the official press release here or check out the photos from our delivery on Caliente or Light of Life Rescue Mission’s social media pages.
Caliente Pizza & Draft House is an award-winning, locally owned and operated pizza restaurant known for its roster of gourmet pizzas and craft beers. With five locations in the Pittsburgh area, Caliente is also known internationally as three-time World Pizza Champions and represents Pittsburgh on the World Pizza Champions Team. In 2019, Caliente Pizza & Draft House earned the title of Best Pizza in America. For locations and more information, visit www.pizzadrafthouse.com.
Caliente Pizza & Draft House announces new menu items for 2021
Caliente Pizza & Draft House delivers 30 pizzas to the homeless community in honor of National Pizza Day