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Pittsburgh pizza is international: Caliente Pizza & Draft House chefs tapped to join all-star team of pizza 

by | Jan 16, 2019 | Uncategorized, beer references, events

CONTACT: Robin Rectenwald WordWrite Communications

412-246-0340 robin.rectenwald@wordwritepr.com

Pittsburgh pizza is international: Caliente Pizza & Draft House chefs tapped to join all-star team of pizza 

Pittsburgh, PA (January 15, 2019) – Caliente Pizza & Draft House’s owner Nick Bogacz and regional chef Eric Von Hansen have been invited to join the “all-star” team of internationally well-known pizza chefs competing in the 28th annual Pizza World Championship, the world’s largest pizza competition taking place in Parma, Italy April 9-11.

Bogacz and Von Hansen have been proudly representing Pittsburgh at the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, the largest pizza competition in the U.S., since 2016. After being named World Pizza Champions three times at the Expo’s International Pizza Challenge, Bogacz and Von Hansen were asked by 13-time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani to join his World Pizza Champions team. They said yes.

“Nick and Eric are dedicated to the craft of pizza in every way, from their development of innovative recipes to their commitment to community service,” said Gemignani. “The World Pizza Champions are the best-of-the-best and that’s what these guys are.”

Pittsburgh natives Nick and Angie Bogacz opened Caliente Pizza & Draft House, their first independent pizza shop in Bloomfield in 2012. Although a young shop considering Pittsburgh’s pizza history, Nick Bogacz and Eric Von Hansen are industry veterans. Their expertise in the pizza and gourmet food industry has led to the Caliente team opening four stores in six years and earning recognition at the world’s most well-respected pizza industry events. The World Pizza Champions team is the pepperoni on top of Caliente’s hard work pie.

“I started out in the pizza industry as a delivery driver when I was 17 years old,” said Bogacz. “After working my way up in the industry, it was always a dream to own my own pizza shop. Now it’s unbelievable to have the chance to represent the City of Champions across the globe, in pizza that is.”

What is the World Pizza Champions team?

The World Pizza Champions team, founded in 2005 by the famed Gemignani, is a group of elite pizza pros from around the world who represent the craft through competition, education and community service. Inclusion on the team is by invitation only and members are selected “based on skill, character, compatibility, and selfless effort on behalf of the industry.” This is the all-star team of pizza.

Currently, there are 38 active members with Bogacz and Von Hansen being the only representatives from Pittsburgh. The pair will travel with other members of the team to compete in the Pizza World Championship in April.

What is the Pizza World Championship? 

In its 28th year, the Pizza World Championship is the industry’s most well-respected and competitive industry competition with pizzaiolos from over 30 countries and hundreds of chefs vying for a slice of pizza fame. In Parma, several hundred chefs compete in each category.

This will be Bogacz and Von Hansen’s first trip to the Pizza World Championship. Before the competition, they’ll travel with Gemignani and other teammates to learn about cheese production and more from masters in Italy. The pair will compete in the “Pizza for Two” division where they will work together to create different elements of the pizza without speaking. Von Hansen will also participate in the “Pizza Triathlon e Gare per Nazione,” competing to be named the Best Foreign Nation Pizzaiolo.  

What is the difference between the Pizza World Championship and International Pizza Expo?

Held annually in Las Vegas, International Pizza Expo is the largest pizza show in the US with hundreds of exhibitors, over 1,300 booths and tens of thousands of attendees. During the Expo, there are two competitive events: the International Pizza Challenge and the World Pizza Games. These events are lauded as the second most competitive pizza events in the world by pizza pros, behind only the Pizza World Championship in Parma, Italy.

Caliente took home a World Championship title in the “Pan” division with their “Quack Attack” duck pizza on their first attempt at the International Pizza Challenge in 2016. In 2017, they placed first in the “Non-Traditional” and “Traditional North East divisions” and Won a World Championship in the Largest Pizza Stretch Division. They came back to win another World Championship in the Non-Traditional division last year with Von Hansen’s “Wagyu Beef Truffle Fromage” pie. Bogacz and Von Hansen plan to compete again in this year’s International Pizza Expo taking place March 3-6.

To learn more about the Pizza World Championship in Italy and Tony Gemignani’s all-star team, please visit www.worldpizzachampions.com.

ABOUT CALIENTE PIZZA & DRAFT HOUSE 

Caliente Pizza & Draft House, founded in 2012, is an award-winning locally owned and operated pizza restaurant known for their roster of craft beers and gourmet pizzas. With just four locations in the Pittsburgh area, Caliente is known internationally as three-time World Pizza Champions and represents Pittsburgh on the World Pizza Champions Team. For locations and more information, visit www.pizzadrafthouse.com

Caliente Pizza & Draft House’s Poses and Pints

by | Jun 4, 2018 | Uncategorized

Poses and Pints Signup Link

DATE AND TIME Sat, June 16, 2018 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT

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LOCATION Caliente Pizza & Drafthouse 225 Commercial Avenue 2nd Floor Aspinwall, PA 15215

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REFUND POLICY No Refunds

Tap into a great start to the weekend with Caliente Pizza & Draft House’s Poses and Pints. Everyone is welcome to join in this hourlong vinyasa flow yoga class in the private space located on the second floor of the drafhouse. After yoga you will be treated to a beer of your choice. Caliente Pizza & Draft House specializes in hard to source beers from around the country and around the world now you can enjoy a refreshing yoga class AND have a tasty beverage!

Each $25 ticket includes yoga and a beer after class. If space is available, walk-in tickets are $30 (cash only). Space is limited to 16 yogis. No yoga experience necessary. BYO mat, water and a positive attitude. Dress in athletic attire. Yoga & mindfulness taught by Teri Ferguson, RYT

*Ages 21 and over. Please arrive 15 minutes early to get settled in for class.

Purchase of a ticket to this event implies acceptance and and aknowledgement of the activity disclaimer below:

I hereby consent, as a participant in yoga classes, and agree to assume all of the risks involved. I understand that Teri Ferguson and Caliente Pizza and Drafthouse do not provide medical insurance relative to accidents, injuries, and/or death as a result of program related activities. I agree to absolve and hold harmless Teri Ferguson, Caliente Pizza and Drafthouse and their representatives for damage, loss or injuries.

I realize that any form of physical activity holds the possibility of unforeseen hazards and involves a risk of possible injury or even death. I hereby affirm that I am voluntarily participating in these activities with the knowledge of the risk involved. I agree to expressly assume and accept any and all risks of injury and/or death.

I hereby affirm myself to be physically sound and suffering from no condition, ailment, impairment, disease, or other illness that would prevent my participation in yoga activities. I declare that I have disclosed any and all medical history to the yoga instructor relevant to participation.

I hereby authorize Teri Ferguson, Caliente Pizza and Drafthouse and their representatives to use, reproduce, and/or publish photographs and/or video that may pertain to me—including my image, likeness and/or voice without compensation. I understand that this material may be used in various publications, public affairs releases, recruitment materials, or for other related endeavors, including website and Facebook page for the promotion of yoga events.

*No refunds available once tickets have been purchased.

Share this event on Facebook and Twitter. We hope you can make it!Cheers,Teri Ferguson

Pair of Caliente Pizza pies voted best in world

by | Mar 27, 2018 | International Pizza Expo, Uncategorized

 

CALIENTE PIZZA & DRAFT HOUSE

PRESS RELEASE

Pair of Caliente Pizza pies voted best in world

Caliente Pizza chef Von Hansen wins ‘best non-traditional’ pie; general manager Oz Turcan runner-up for ‘best traditional’ at International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas

Las Vegas, NV, March 22, 2018: Caliente Pizza and Draft House, with four Pittsburgh area locations at 4624 Liberty Ave in Bloomfield, and 4706 William Flynn Hwy in Allison Park, 329 Castle Shannon Blvd in Mount Lebanon, and 225 Commercial Ave. in Aspinwall, had two of its chefs win top honors at the 2018 International Pizza Expo.

Chef Eric Von Hansen’s pizza “Wagyu Beef Truffle Fromage” won first place in the Best Non-Traditional division. His fine-dining inspired pie featured black truffles, roasted shallots, fingerling potato hash, white cheddar, a simple syrup made with bing cherries marinated in vanilla beans and bourbon, and $88 per pound brown Wagyu beef. Von Hansen previously won first place in the Pan division at the 2016 expo with “Quack Attack,” but finished in second last year in the Non-Traditional.

“I wanted a little redemption,” Von Hansen said. “Deep down inside I knew I could win it. That hunger just grew and I wanted to prove it to myself that I could do it.”

There are no limitations on ingredients in the Non Traditional division. He said his inspiration for the pie stemmed from his experiences working in fine dining. Those higher-end dishes, he said, exemplified everything you could want in a food dish and he tried to bring that same style, presentation and flavor to life with a pizza.

Von Hansen was proud of his pizza but more excited by the recognition it brought to Pittsburgh, a city unfortunately an afterthought when lists of great pizza towns are compiled.

“People should take notice of what Pittsburgh is doing,” he said. “[The city] doesn’t really get a lot of respect when it comes to making pizza. You hear New York, New Jersey, Chicago but Pittsburgh doesn’t fall on the spectrum for pizza. So when I go up there I’m representing the city not just myself.”

FOR RELEASE 9 A.M. EST, MARCH 27, 2018 MORE

CALIENTE PIZZA CHEF WINS TOP PRIZE FOR PAN PIZZA CREATION PAGE 2

Caliente Pizza and Draft House owner Nick Bogacz agrees. He and his wife recently opened their fourth store in Aspinwall, and says the honors are proof that locally sourced ingredients and daily made-from- scratch dough put them on the map.

“I am so proud of our team for winning a world championship three years in a row,” Bogacz said. His chef Matt Hickey bested 30 international competitors to claim the World Pizza Games Gold Medal for “largest dough stretch” in 2017. “It feels great bringing it back to the City of Champions.”

The competition side of the International Pizza Expo, now in its 33rd year, is the largest pizza-making competition in the U.S. and includes bake-offs before judges in five divisions. The winners of each division qualify for Pizza Maker of the Year, essentially the “best in show” award. The five divisions include Traditional, Non-Traditional, Pan, Pizza Napoletana and Gluten-Free. Pizza taste is judged on crust, toppings, overall taste, and creativity; Presentation is marked by bake and visual appearance.

Also representing Caliente was general manager Oz Turcan who placed second among 65 competitors in the Traditional division. Originally from Turkey, “Ozzie” baked a pizza as homage to his country and featured ricotta cheese made from a 76 year-old Turkish family recipe.

“It was a great experience for me,” Turcan said. “It was very tough competition and felt great to finish so high.”

Finishing strong for Caliente was chef Nick Fink who finished fourth in the Pan Division; Hickey finished in the top 10 for longest dough stretch.

About Caliente

Caliente Pizza and Draft House is Pittsburgh’s premier spot for award winning pizza and wings. Caliente is proud to support the craft beer revolution in Pittsburgh and features local and hard to find beer from around the world. Caliente prides itself on using fresh and locally sourced ingredients “Fresh From Pittsburgh’s Little Italy.” Caliente’s pizza dough and sauce is prepared daily from scratch. All meats and vegetables are hand-sliced. More information about Caliente Pizza and Draft House can be found by visiting PizzaDraftHouse.com.

About the 2018 International Pizza Expo

The expo started in 1985 and has grown to welcome more than 7,400 attendees representing nearly 520 companies from around the world. Features business-to-business trade show that puts buyers who are owners and managers of independent and chain pizza restaurants in touch with manufacturers and service providers to the industry. Annual competitions at Pizza Expo include: International Pizza Challenge (bake-offs before judges in five divisions, with Pizza Maker of the Year finals); World Pizza Games (skills competition in five divisions).

Approximately 90 keynote addresses, seminars, panel discussions and pizzeria menu demonstrations take place during the event. More information: PizzaExpo.com. ###

FOR RELEASE 9 A.M. EST, MARCH 27, 2018

Caliente Brand to Aspinwall and Fox Chapel Communities

by | Feb 5, 2018 | beer references, events, specials, Uncategorized

It’s been a wild ride over the past couple of months, but it’s all been worth it. We are happy to report our 4th location in Aspinwall is officially up and running! We couldn’t have done it without you. Your support and loyalty to Caliente has allowed us to bring our award-winning pizza and stellar tap lineup to four exceptional corners of Pittsburgh. We are truly excited to bring the Caliente brand to the Aspinwall and Fox Chapel communities and share our love of great food, great beer, and great times with everyone.

Now that our 4th spot is officially open, the question looms: Where do we open #5? Stay tuned…

As is our M.O., we are kicking things off in Aspinwall this month with a special craft beer tapping. We’ve teamed up with our friends at Sly Fox to bring the first of their new Lemonade Wheat offering to Pittsburgh. Our Aspinwall store is getting the only barrel of this beer in the city until May and we are tapping it on Thursday, February 22nd at 7:00pm for your enjoyment. Representatives from Sly Fox will be in the house as well with swag and giveaways. Join us and be the first in town to taste this beauty.

We’ve also partnered up with three other great breweries to bring you some Friday night fun throughout the month. Kick off your weekends in style by enjoying a smattering of options from New Belgium, Founders, and our Brewery of the Month: Evil Twin!

Here’s this month’s event schedule:

Friday, February 9th at all four Caliente locations – A Night with New Belgium Brewing
6:00pm start time in Hampton Township
7:00pm start times in Bloomfield, Mount Lebanon, and Aspinwall

Friday, February 16th at all four Caliente locations – A Night with Founders Brewing
6:00pm start time in Hampton Township
7:00pm start times in Bloomfield, Mount Lebanon, and Aspinwall

Thursday, February 22nd – Sly Fox Lemonade Wheat Tapping
7:00pm start time in Aspinwall

Friday, February 23rd at all four Caliente locations – A Night with Evil Twin Brewing
6:00pm start time in Hampton Township
7:00pm start times in Bloomfield, Mount Lebanon, and Aspinwall

We look forward to your visit!

Caliente Pizza takes trio of prizes at worldwide pizza event

Caliente Pizza takes trio of prizes at worldwide pizza event

by | Apr 3, 2017 | beer references, Uncategorized

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Nick Bogacz

Caliente Pizza & Draft House

4624 Liberty Ave.

Pittsburgh, Pa 15224

Pizzadrafthouse.com

Phone: (412) 818-3402

3rd April 2017 

Caliente Pizza takes trio of prizes at worldwide pizza event

Three chefs win big at 2017 International Pizza Expo; chef Matt Hickey wins skills competition, now the 2017 World Champion for largest dough stretch

Las Vegas, April 1, 2017:

Caliente Pizza and Draft House, with three Pittsburgh area locations at 4624 Liberty Ave in Bloomfield, and 4706 William Flynn Hwy in Allison Park, and 329 Castle Shannon Blvd in Mount Lebanon, had three pizza chefs win prizes at the 2017 International Pizza Expo.

Chefs Eric Von Hansen and Nick Fink earned first place in the Northeast division for pizza making, while chef Matt Hickey bested 30 international competitors to claim the World Pizza Games Gold Medal for “largest dough stretch.”

“I knew I had it in the prelim,” Hickey, 29, said after he watched 28 of 30 competitors stretch dough before his preliminary round attempt. “In the final, [my stretch] was not quite as long so it was a little bit more tense because I saw the competitor, and I thought he had it. It was a nail-biter.”

The best five advanced to the finals where they had five minutes to stretch an 18 ounce dough ball on stage before it was measured. Hickey’s winning stretch measured approximately 103 centimeters.

“He uses his arms, shoulders, anything he can to stretch it,” said Caliente Pizza owner, Nick Bogacz. “It looks like a big blanket when he’s done.”

Bogacz said Hickey practiced everyday for the six months on a competition dough ball he made himself, dough that uses honey instead of sugar for elasticity. Along with the gold medal, Hickey won $1,000.

“Matt worked hard all year long. He made the dough from scratch each time, and he put his heart and soul into that competition,” said Caliente regional chef Von Hansen, who’s no stranger to taking top prizes from the expo. Von Hansen’s “Quack Attack” pizza won 2016’s Best Pan Pizza in the world.

Von Hansen didn’t enter “Quack Attack” into this year’s competition even though he could have, saying his motivations are more about building Caliente’s menu range. He did win the Northeast division for Best Non-traditional with his “Hanger 18” featuring hanger steak roasted in garlic and honey chive butter, caramelized onion broccolini and topped with Boursin and parmesan cheese.

Von Hansen’s protege, Fink, won first place in the Northeast division for Best Traditional category for his “Classico” creation. The traditional category allows use of only two ingredients. Fink used 10 different kind of peppers that he charcoal roasted and three kinds of sausage.

Fink’s pie was voted best of 60 entries in the Northeast division and each entry is graded on taste and visual appearance. For Fink, 21 and an Army reservist, the win capped a 3-year ascension at Caliente and working under Von Hansen.

“It was a huge deal for us. I know [Bogacz] was really excited and he was really excited for what we did.” Fink said he only learned of the win the day after the competition when it was posted at the expo’s main hall.

The other divisions include Southeast, Southwest, Northwest, Midwest and international.

About Caliente

Caliente Pizza and Draft House is Pittsburgh’s premier spot for award winning pizza, drafts and wings. Caliente is proud to support the craft beer revolution in Pittsburgh and features local and hard to find beer from around the world. Caliente prides itself on using fresh and locally sourced ingredients “Fresh From Pittsburgh’s Little Italy.” Caliente’s pizza dough and sauce is prepared daily from scratch. All meats and vegetables are hand-sliced. More information about Caliente Pizza and Draft House can be found by visiting PizzaDraftHouse.com.

About the 2017 International Pizza Expo

The expo started in 1985 and has grown to welcome more nearly 7,400 attendees representing nearly 500 companies from around the world. 2017 was the largest validated attendance to date. Features business-to-business trade show that puts buyers who are owners and managers of independent and chain pizza restaurants in touch with manufacturers and service providers to the industry. Annual competitions at Pizza Expo include: International Pizza Challenge (bake-offs before judges in five divisions, with Pizza Maker of the Year finals); World Pizza Games (skills competition in five divisions). Approximately 90 keynote addresses, seminars, panel discussions and pizzeria menu demonstrations take place during the event. More information: PizzaExpo.com.

For Immediate Release