The Final Countdown: Vote Now in the Cheesy Pizza Cup Elite Eight!

Vincent R. Vinci, Managing Editor | Jan 31, 2023 1:18 pm | Add a comment | 122 reads

If the Cheesy Pizza Cup were itself a pizza, this would be the moment where the toppings are added in preparation for cooking – a pizza piled high with eight toppings to be exact – as the Cup enters the Elite Eight.

We’re in the final stretch now as the field has been narrowed from 16 to eight. After the Elite Eight we get to the Final Four -- which will be decided at a live in-person Taste-Off (details and tickets will be released later this week)!

Below are the results of the Sweet 16. The number in parentheses indicates their initial ranking, "New" indicates a new venue this year; and an asterisk (*) indicates a participant in Cheesy Pizza Month.

BRACKET A

PYRO PIZZA* (1) over LA PLATEA* (5)
GUNG HO!* (2) over Q Mex Bar & Grill* (3)

BRACKET B

BOTTEGA* (1) over Kro's Nest (4)
Pie Squared (2) over Great Leap Brewing* (3)

BRACKET C

Tube Station (1) over COMMUNE RESERVERESERVE* (4)
Joe's Pizza* (3) (New) over Jing-A Brewing Co.* (2)

BRACKET D

FORNO* (1) over THE PIZZA SHOW (5)
Annie's (2) over La Pizza (3)

Former champions Gung Ho!, Bottega, and Pie Squared have all moved on to the Elite Eight, although our first champion, Kro’s Nest, who won our first Cup way back in 2011, was ousted by Bottega.

The Sweet 16 also saw a great many close matches during voting, with Pyro Pizza beating La Platea, Gung Ho! beating Q Mex, and Annie’s beating La Pizza by less than 20 votes each. Plus, newcomer Joe’s Pizza could be set to be this year’s Cinderella Story, continuing its rise by taking out Jing-A.

Speaking of Jing-A, the brewery is one of two that fell in the previous round, with Great Leap also having been eliminated.

Here are the matchups in the Elite Eight:

BRACKET A

PYRO PIZZA* (1) vs GUNG HO!* (2)

BRACKET B

BOTTEGA* (1) vs Pie Squared (2)

BRACKET C

Tube Station (1) vs Joe’s Pizza* (3) (New)

BRACKET D

FORNO* (1) vs Annie’s (2)

As mentioned above, after the Elite Eight it's just one round to go before the Final:

Elite Eight: Voting open today through Feb 6
Final Four Taste-Off: TBA

Meanwhile. we asked you in the previous round to work out your best pizza memes, and below are some highlights:

As is our custom, we asked you to rank the contestants that did not make the Sweet 16. Here's what you had to say, and these are now these venues' final ranking in the 2023 Pizza Cup:

17. COMMUNE•XCOMMUNE•X北京太古里设计店
18. Pizza Saporita意块披萨
19. Domino's Pizza达美乐比萨
20. Pizza Marzano比萨玛尚诺
21. The Local
22. Turkish Feast西庭•秀色
23. Georgia's Feast格鲁•秀色
24. Home Plate BBQ本垒美式烤肉
25. EATALIA意塔利意式餐厅
26. Yummy Box美盒比萨
27. The Cheesecake Factory芝乐坊
28. Peter PanPan意大利餐厅
29. Plan B
30. Hulu琥禄
31. The Rug
32. IL Fuoco意燔

They join the previous rankings to round out the 99 best pizzas in Beijing:

33. Canotto by The Pizza Show卡诺托•披萨秀（国贸商城店）
34. PAPA JOHN'S PIZZA棒约翰比萨
35. Paddy O'Shea's爱尔兰餐厅
36. TIAGO
37. Pizza Hut必胜客
38. Tavola Italian Dining
39. Frasca
40. Scott's Family Ristorante Italiano意大利家庭料理
41. Citywalk Red Oven Pizza Bakery城市大道红炉披萨烘焙坊
42. Saizeriya萨莉亚意式餐厅
43. Nine Road Pizzeria速度披萨
44. BUONA BOCCA意大利小馆儿
45. MIO, Four Seasons Hotel北京四季酒店•MIO
46. Mr Pizza米斯特披萨
47. TIGERS老虎西餐
48. Brotzeit German Bier Restaurant博璨德国啤酒餐厅
49. Wobbit Bistro窝边草意大利小酒馆
50. PontePonte意大利餐厅
51. NBeer Pub牛啤堂
52. Laker's湖人餐吧
53. Assaggi尝试意大利餐厅
54. Big Pizza比格比萨
55. Mao Mao Chong毛毛虫酒吧
56. Xian Bar
57. Kitty & Daniel大牛好莱坞餐吧（蓝色港湾）
58. La Mezzaluna伴月意大利餐厅
59. Champion Pizza尊宝披萨
60. TOWNSQUARE CAFE • ARTYZEN HABITAT BEIJING思方汇咖啡厅•雅辰悦居酒店
61. MOJAR么哈
62. Lilys
63. 闲Barblu
64. EATAEATA西班牙餐厅（国展店）
65. La Cucina 后厨意餐
66. Via Roma•Kempinski Hotel 花样罗马意大利餐厅
67. Fufú 福fú
68. LMPLUS
69. SIGMORE 自由地露营餐吧
70. Grandma's Kitchen 祖母的厨房
71. Groovy Schillers 大明餐厅
72. Yum Yummy
73. Tomcado 花厨
74. Eudora Station 亿多瑞站
75. MOBIUS 莫比餐厅（五道口店）
76. FELICHITA
77. FLYPIZZA & HOODADAK CHICKEN
78. Jazz-Ya 爵士屋
79. Tribe Tribe有机餐厅
80. Bene 班妮意大利餐厅
81. Pizza Now 披萨到
82. Atta BJ
83. Steam Pizza 蒸汽披萨
84. Festin Table 佩斯汀西餐
85. Agrilandia 意大利农场餐厅
86. Legend 老牌餐吧
87. QS 奎妮妙选
88. Casalingo 卡萨琳戈
89. The Veggie Table 吃素的西餐
90. Get Pizza 披萨工廠
91. German Restaurant 甲丁坊.新德餐吧
92. Long Table Restaurant Bar (Qianmen)
93. Wine Bistro by Bacchus 玖十肆
94. CUP ONE
95. Sesto Senso Se•食巳意大利餐厅
96. Nasca Cafe
97. CHAPTER, CONRAD BEIJING CHAPTER
98. Byone 百万庄园
99. Olive Restaurant & Bar 橄榄意大利餐吧