The smell of bubbling cheese and hearty sauce will soon fill the air on Randall’s Island as Dave Portnoy’s One Bite Pizza Festival returns for its third and biggest year yet on Sept. 13.
More than 40 of the best pizzerias from across New York and the east coast – from legendary old-school joints to fan favorites and rising stars – will be firing up their ovens for the ultimate pizza party.
Barstool Sports Founder Dave Portnoy’s pizza influence has grown immensely over the years, thanks to the viral success of his hilarious One Bite pizza reviews. What started as casual videos rating local slices has exploded into a massive following, with some reviews drawing millions of views and driving buzz and business for pizzerias across the country.
The festival is a true passion project for Portnoy, who personally handpicks the lineup of pizzerias alongside event production powerhouse Medium Rare. Together, they’ve built One Bite into one of New York’s most anticipated food festivals.
“It’s really his festival. We’re just the lucky company that gets to help him produce it and put it together,” says Co-founder of Medium Rare, Adam Richman.
If you didn’t think last year’s festival was hot enough? This year’s festival will be turning up the heat with several new perks for fans. New this year is the Chef’s Tasting VIP Table, offering a nonstop buffet from 10 of the festival’s best pizzerias served right to your seat. Ceres Pizza being one of them. Known for earning a 9.3 from Portnoy – the highest score since 2019, according to Richman – Ceres only makes $50 whole pies and typically sells out daily. VIP guests will get the rare chance to enjoy a Ceres slice without the usual lines or sellout risk.
“Ever since he gave them their review, they’ve been selling out of pizza every day around 1:30/2 p.m. in the afternoon, which is crazy, and shows the power of a good review from Dave and what it could do for a business,” says Richman.
Festival-goers can expect more to enjoy, thanks to expanded sponsor activations. For the first time, Pepsi will be offering free soft drinks with every ticket, giving fans unlimited Pepsi to wash down their slices. Additional sponsor partnerships are also bringing in even more pizza, with Bilt adding three pizzerias and Saputo contributing two, giving attendees five extra spots they would not have had otherwise.
“We really feel like it’s enhancing the entire experience,” Richman remarked.
Coordinating dozens of pizzerias and ovens onto Randall’s Island is no walk in the park. Richman said when he and Portnoy first came up with the idea, many in the pizza industry told them it couldn’t be done.
“With burgers or barbecue, it’s easy to bring in grills or fryers…but with pizza, every pizzeria uses a different oven – coal, wood, gas – and those ovens aren’t made for rentals or outdoor catering.
To make the festival work, the Medium Rare team purchases or sources the exact ovens each pizzeria uses in their home shop – then sets them up in the middle of the field.
“It’s a little crazy, but it’s the only way to ensure that places like Frank Pepe or Di Fara will put their name on the event and know the pizza tastes just like it does in their restaurant,” Richman said.
Richman’s company, Medium Rare, is known for producing large-scale live events that blend food, sports, and entertainment. The team has worked with some of the biggest names in pop culture – from Shaquille O’Neal’s Fun House to Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Tailgate – and brings that same energy and attention to detail to One Bite Pizza Festival.
For Richman, the key to creating a great event is simple: Collaboration.
“It’s about sitting down with the celebrity and saying, ‘Hey, what do you want to do?’” he said.
In the case of One Bite Pizza Festival, that formula has paid off.
“The love for pizza and Dave Portnoy is real,” Richman added — and it’s helped turn the festival into one of the city’s must-attend food events.
Now, with the ovens fired up and the final pizza lineup in place, all that’s left is for fans to grab their tickets. Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 20 at 10 a.m. EST. General admission starts at $179.99, with VIP experiences – including early access and the Chef’s Tasting Table — available for $649.99. Tickets are available at onebitepizzafest.com, with two sessions to choose from on September 13: an afternoon or evening pizza-filled experience on Randall’s Island.
