Upset: The Local Ousts Q Mex; Others Prevail in Pizza Cup
This is it, folks, the finish line is in sight and there's still everything to win – or lose – for our Final Four in this year's Pizza Cup.
The biggest result of this round comes once again from The Local (finishing #12 last year). Following their surprise win against pizza mammoths Tube Station last week, the Courtyard 4 favorite has now also knocked out their nearby Mexican neighbor Q Mex (who also put in a strong show, rising from #17 last year).
That now brings The Local up against eco-friendlies Gung Ho! (last year's #5) who, also in a surprise result, have knocked out last year's pizza champs Pie Squared (commiserations to all you Shunyiites, and we continue to hope for a downtown location before next year's battle!).
Meanwhile, top seed and also former champ Bottega has ousted delivery favorites Annie’s (last year's #6) whereas La Pizza, last year's seventh place, has put Eatalia down, last year's third place, in a Neapolitan-Roman grudge match.
That means that every contender but Bottega in this year's Final Four has made it further than they did last year when it was Bottega, Eatalia, Pie Squared, and Tube Station.
It also means that we could have an all-Italian final this year, or that Italy could be completely blocked out of the final. Each has a possibility of occurring, and we’re asking you to make the call.
Vote here – you have until Friday! Scan the QR Code below to vote the best pizza through to this year's Final Four!
Final Four battle recap
Gung Ho! jousts with Bottega, who landed in second place in 2017, in a battle of the former champs.
Underdog The Local – up from last year’s final showing at #12 – goes to battle against the mighty La Pizza, who ended as #7 in last year's cup.
The doughy stats
In the interest of polling public opinion on our favorite foodstuff, we asked you a couple of questions as to your pizza eating habits.
In our annual pizza pricing question, we’ve found the average price our consumers believe fair for a standard 12-inch pizza in Beijing is RMB 78 (that’s USD 11.20), with 42 percent willing to pay RMB 80 or more.
We also asked you what side dish goes best with pizza (the correct answer being of course “nothing”) and really the survey states that less than 1 in 10 want anything aside from a salad (37 percent) or fries (11 percent).
Here are the top nine sides you cited as the most appropriate:
Salad (37 percent)
Fries (11 percent)
Nothing (10 percent)
Beer (8 percent)
Wings (8 percent)
Cheese balls/sticks/puffs (4 percent)
Garlic bread (2 percent)
Sweet potato fries (2 percent)
Breadsticks (1 percent)
The most unintentionally hilarious response was perhaps “a big bowel [sic] of rice.” Hey, to each his own…
Knockout Round Schedule
The Final Four is announced Tue, Oct 30 and closes Fri, Nov 2
The Championship round is announced Fri, Nov 2 and closes Mon, Nov 5
And finally, our winner of Beijing's Best Pizza 2018 will be crowned on Monday, Nov 5!
Final rankings from #9 on as voted by you, with the Delicious Dozen coming into view:
9. Great Leap Brewing #45
10. Pizza Saporita
11. Kro's Nest
12. Tube Station
13. Pyro Pizza
14. Papa John's
15. Ramo
16. Yummy Box
17. Paddy O'Shea's
18. Pizza Marzano
19. Tavola
20. Xian, East Beijing Hotel
21. Mao Mao Chong
22. Domino's
23. La Villa
24. Lievito
25. Tiago
26. The Veggie Table
27. Lily's American Diner
28. Lakers
29. Tribe
30. Pizza Hut
31. Legend Beer
32. NBeer Pub
33. Pizza Factory
34. Stuff'd (closed after voting started)
35. VSports
36. Luga's Villa
37. Eudora Station
38. The Rug
39. Fellas
40. Grandma's Kitchen
41. Le Fromager de Pékin
42. Tim's Texas BBQ
43. Bocca Della Verita
44. Nasca Cafe
45. Mrs Shanen's / Green Cow Cafe
46. LMPlus
47. Mio, Four Seasons Hotel
48. 1st Floor
49. Scott's Family Ristorante Italiano
50. Andy’s
51. Joe’s Bar & Kitchen
52. QS
53. Mr Pizza
54. Assaggi
55. Pizza Buona
56. Flypizza & Hoodakdak Chicken
57. Peter Pan
58. Panda Brew
59. Nine Road Pizzeria
60. Buddy Bar
61. PBD Pizza Bar
62. Fratelli Fresh, Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel
63. Via Roma, Kempinski Hotel
64. 789 (A-Life)
65. Radici
66. Peiping Machine
67. Pizza Now
68. Bene, Sheraton Grand Dongcheng Hotel
69. Uno Bar & Grill
70. Passby Bar
71. Red Rose
72. Charlie's
73. Max Pizza
74. Mix's Italian Grill, Crowne Plaza Zhongguancun
75. Four Ace
76. Botany
77. Leos Pizza
78. Elisa's
79. Jazz-Ya
80. Prego, Westin Financial Street
81. Casalingo
82. Kitchen Igosso
83. Agrilandia
84. Hisewel Brew-pub
85. Pizzagram
86. Loft Eatalicious
87. Yun Brew
88. Blufish
89. Pinvita
90. Whale's Pizza
91. Miss Pizza
92. Byone
93. Jushi Pizza Just in Time!
94. Atta BJ
95. Ebeiguo
96. BK's Tavern
97. Pomona
Images: the Beijinger, Giphy
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