Pizza competition heats up in Central Square

LYNN – Pizza makers from across the city will put their culinary skills to the test Thursday at the Great Lynn Pizza Bake-off in Central Square.Part of the city-sponsored Third Thursdays program, which brings cultural events and other activities to the downtown business district on the third Thursday of each month, the pizza competition is expected to attract at least 10 entrants.As of Monday, several restaurants from Greater Lynn had entered the competition, including Billy’s Pizza, The Earl of Sandwich, Extreme Pizza, Fauci’s Pizza, Giovanni’s House of Pizza, Highland Pizza, Kelley Greens restaurant in Nahant, Phil’s Galley Grill in Swampscott, Pizza Lovers, and The Tides restaurant in Nahant, Tatiana’s restaurant, Caruso’s restaurant, Town House Pizza, and Mandee’s restaurant.”If your favorite pizza is not in the game, then encourage them to call us,” said Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kevin Donahue. “We’re figuring to have close to 20 different establishments in the competition.”Registration cards will be sold for $2, entitling the holder to five slices of pizza of any kind from any of the vendors.”Most of the restaurants will cook the pizza at their place of business and deliver it downtown, with various ways of keeping the slices warm,” said Donahue. “People fill out their name and address on the registration card, vote for their favorite cheese pizza and their favorite specialty pizza, and put the card into the drawing. Whoever wins gets one free pizza a month for a year from the Chamber of Commerce.”The LACC and LynnArts, the gallery and arts center located in Central Square, are sponsoring the competition along with the city’s arts community. Businesses interested in entering the competition should call Donahue the LACC at 781-592-2900 or Steve Negron at LynnArts at 781-598-5244.The bake-off is 5:30-6:30 p.m. Visitors can vote for their favorite pie. The Third Thursdays event will also feature live music in Central Square by the 12:01 Blues Band.The Lynn Museum, only steps from Central Square, invites visitors to view the institution’s latest exhibit, “The Art of Lynn Folk: Creations and Connections, as well as the annual Lynn Public School Art Show now in the galleries.The Raw Art Works studio, also in Central Square, will be holding an exhibition of art and film created by its students, as well as a special all-ages art-making activity.The Central Square Collaborative makes third Thursdays possible with support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Lynn Economic Development and Industrial Corp. For more information, go online to www.thirdthursdayslynn.org