[Blackburn News – Adelle Loiselle] Isn’t it about time we knew who in Windsor makes the best pizza?

Windsorites pride themselves on the quality of their pies, and while everyone agrees the city has the best, the debate over who makes the best has never been resolved, until maybe now.

Co-owner and founder of Higher Limits Jon Liedtke is launching the Windsor-Essex Pizza Festival.

“Maybe it’s because we’re all friendly, and no one wanted to throw down the gauntlet?” says Liedtke commenting on how, after all this time, the question continues to persist. “We were talking to different pizza companies, and everyone said, ‘Yeah! This seems like a really smart thing to do. Let’s do it!’”

Liedtke was inspired by news stories about a former Windsorite living outside of the province ordering pizza from Arcata Pizza in Windsor for her husband’s Super Bowl party as well as Windsor Pizza Company opening its doors in Calgary.

Four pizzerias have signed on so far, Arcata, Cheese Wheels, Gino’s and Riviera and Liedtke says he’d like to sign up more.

They’ll compete for the crown in six rounds. The first is Thursday.

“Each place is going to bring three separate pizzas,” says Liedtke. “A meat pizza, a veggie pizza and then an anything-goes pizza.”

The winner will advance to the finale, planned for December 1.

“Participants get to vote on a website that we’ve had created, via their cell phone,” says Liedtke. “You actually have to be at Higher Limits to vote so it’s not just going to be open to just anybody.”

For $15 at the door, participants will also get two slices of each place. The festival starts at 7pm.

Liedtke hopes to make the festival an annual event.