Steve Dolinsky to host Abt Electronics second annual Pizza Cook Off for charity

Four local pizza restaurants will throw down on Sept. 15 for their charity of choice

Following the success of last year’s inaugural Pizza Cook Off, Abt Electronics, 1200 N. Milwaukee Ave., Glenview, is excited to announce that the event will be returning in 2024.

On Sept. 15, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., five chefs from some of the Chicago area’s top pizza restaurants will compete for a chance to win a donation to their charity of choice on behalf of the Abt Family Foundation.

Chef Jesse Harris from Giordano’s, Chef Jeff Smyl from Pizzeria Portofino in Chicago, Chef Tony Dezutter from Paulie Gee’s in Chicago, Chef Giovanni Oriente from Pizza di Farfalla in New Lenox and Chef Anthony John Scardino from Professor Pizza in Chicago will all throw down the gauntlet using Ooni pizza ovens to showcase their signature pizzas for a great cause.

The judging panel, comprised of local food experts and influencers, will crown the winning chef, who will win a $2,000 donation for their charity. In addition, guests are invited to vote on their favorite pizza for the “People’s Choice” award, which will win $1,500, and the runners-up will receive a $500 donation for their chosen cause.

Steve Dolinsky, renowned Chicago food critic and culinary journalist, will be returning to host the cook off for the second time. Dolinsky is a 13-time James Beard Award-winning food reporter, who wrote the book on Chicago pizza, “The Ultimate Chicago Pizza Guide: A History of Squares & Slices in the Windy City.”

Tickets are priced at $10 and can be purchased at eventcreate.com/e/abtpizza.

The competition will be hosted outdoors at Abt’s parking lot and will be open to the public. Guests will enjoy samples of each chef’s pizza and can look forward to lawn games, music and great raffle prizes.

The Grand Prize will be the ultimate pizza package from Ooni, featuring their Koda 2 Max oven with cover, pizza peel and an infrared digital thermometer (total retail value $1,197). Additionally, Abt will be offering exclusive savings on their extensive selection of pizza ovens and accessories that guests can purchase and take home that day.

For information and to buy a ticket, visit abt.com/events.