After two months of pizza eating the pool has cut down from 16 to 8 shops in town vying for the title of East Hartford’s best pizza.

Each week several faithful groups have done the double order and weighed in through facebook, posting pictures of their pies for an official vote. Some voters like former mayor and repeat judge Tim Larson, have remained objective, while others like State Rep Jeff Currey have not kept their cards so close to the chest. Guest judges have included 3D Barbershop, Empower Leadership, Glastonbury Staples, and the CT RIver Academy Spanish department as well as voters visiting from North Carolina, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Vermont.

Most battles in round one featured a clear cut winner, but there were some contestants that have been eliminated that we wish had a different draw. People’s Choice lost to Charlie’s by a single vote, almost pulling off the upset predicted by Stockton Farmer, a local food expert whose past pizza debate posts inspired this contest. Mama’s earned the respect of many by almost taking down C&E while popular favorite Queen needed overtime to beat Villa Milano’s.

Upon reviewing all options, contest co-creator Jonathan Foran has declared Gino’s as the doughiest crust in town, the only characteristic he cares about when it comes to pizza. Brother Joey was disappointed to learn that all 7 shops featuring the triangle cut have been eliminated, something he considers a superior slice. We’ll see if any of our contestants change their strategy with this critical information.

Anyone interested in participating as a judge can follow the format laid out on the contest facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ehpizza/.

The upcoming competition weeks are:

Quarter Finals

July 5 – July 11 (3/6)

July 12 – July 18 (2/5)

July 19 – July 25 – (8/1)

Semi Finals

July 26 – August 1 (2/3)

August 2-August 8 (1/4)

Championship

August 9 – August 15