This Independence Day, PMQ Magazine and the United States pizza team will serve artisan pizza and demonstrate pizza dough acrobatics at the Powerhouse.
Oxford is home to several Southern landmarks and nationally renowned eateries, but, as some pizza-lovers may already know, Oxford is the 17-year haven of PMQ Pizza Magazine, which specializes in all things pizza.
Two years after the magazine’s formation, The United States Pizza Team was born. This group of pizzeria owners from across the states competes in yearly culinary and acrobatic competitions across the U.S., and finally, the world competition.
“There are pizza teams from almost every country you can think of,” said Melanie Addington, social media director for PMQ Magazine. “Pizza’s kind of a universal food, so it’s really interesting to see when they all come together, the differences in pizzas that are made.”
Team members come from pizzerias in places such as California, Ohio, Michigan and New York. The team has made appearances on the Today Show and Good Morning America, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, and various pizza festivals across the country.
Brian Hernandez, event coordinator for the U.S. Pizza Team and PMQ Magazine said that even though team members come from almost every region, their styles aren’t always the stereotype known in that particular area.
“We don’t restrict ourselves as much as other people do,” Hernandez said. “That’s the greatest thing about our team. They come from different regions but they don’t really conform to that one little place, they branch out.”
Jason Samosky, a member of the team and owner of Samosky Homestyle Pizzeria in Valley City, Ohio, entered his first U.S. competition 10 years ago. After winning first place for best pizza, he travelled to Italy with the team and has been competing since. He said the pizza he sees while traveling and competing constantly inspires him. However, he does specialize in “Ohio style” pizza, which he says is trademarked by a “not too thick and not too thin” crust.
“Traveling around the U.S. and the world, I get to see so many different styles of pizza and how they are made in that part of the state or country,” Samosky said. “I like to incorporate some of the ideas and styles into what I make at the shop.”
Members of the U.S. team compete in such competitions as dough stretching, pizza box folding, freestyle acrobatics and, of course, culinary. They hold four or five national competitions throughout the year and culminate their season at the world competition, which has been held in Italy for the past few years.
Nothing is quite as much a spectacle as the freestyle acrobatics portion of the competitions, as the pizza makers spin and throw dough from one hand to the next and over their shoulders as they exhibit varied, advanced methods of forming perfectly round, pizza shaped dough.
This Saturday’s event will feature acrobatics and pizzas made by members of the U.S. Pizza team, and, Hernandez said, attendants can expect nothing less than gourmet pizza. There will also be children’s activities, including some lessons in dough throwing.
“Pizza’s everywhere. I always say it’s recession proof because everybody’s always going to want pizza,” Hernandez said. “Pizza’s the only thing you can customize endlessly – put whatever you want on it. If there’s a way to make something, there’s got to be somebody to make it, and that’s what the pizza team’s about: finding the guys who are going make these brilliant creations that you never would have thought could exist.”
Visitors and Oxonians alike can celebrate Independence Day at the “Slice of Americana” pizza competition at the Powerhouse. There will only be 200 tickets sold. They are available online at http://sliceofamericana.bpt.me/ and at the door. Seating will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
