Photo Credit: Jeremy Borkat
Earlier this week a handful of select season ticket holders and uber Giants fans were invited to a very special event at the SOMA location of Slice House by Tony Gemignani. The fast-casual pizzeria, which is a short two-block walk from AT&T Park, is a bi-level loft that serves up grab-and-go slices of pizza, whole pies, pasta, antipasti, and salad. Gemignani is a 12-time world champion pizza maker, mastermind behind 13 restaurants, and philanthropist who does his part to give back to the community. He opened his an outpost of Slice House at the ballpark in 2014 and after building a positive relationship with the Giants organization, he decided to see if any of the players would join him in supporting the George Mark Children’s House (GMCH).
Photo Credit: Jeremy Borkat
First baseman Brandon Belt and second baseman Joe Panik were eager to sign up for the job. The players worked with Gemignani to come up with two signature pies with partial sales benefitting the GMCH. To debut the pizzas, Gemignani gave Belt and Panik a pizza-making lesson in front of the crowd. Belt learned how to make his pizza, a red pie topped with pepperoni, sausage, bacon, red and green onion, bell paper, and shaved Parmigiano cheese. “Brandon wanted both pancetta and bacon on his pizza,” Gemignani said, “but I told him we should pick one or the other.” Belt who prefers his pizza hot serves it pie with a side of spicy chile oil.
Photo Credit: Jeremy Borkat
Panik, a New York native, choose to make a chicken Parmesan pie—a pizza that Gemignani describes as being “very East Coast. You don’t see it a lot in California.” It involves layers of sliced mozzarella—that Gemignani imports from New York, crispy chunks of chicken, tomato sauce, and lots of grated Parmigiano cheese. During the next four months a portion of the proceeds ($1 of each slice and $6 of each whole pizza) of Belt’s Monster Meat Pizza and the Panik Parm Pie will be donated to the GMCH. “I am a big supporter of the George Mark Children’s House and know the San Francisco Giants are as well. I knew there was huge opportunity to work together to raise additional funds and get our fans involved,” Gemignani said. ”We’re excited to serve pizzas inspired by some of the best players in the league to support a great organization.”
Photo Credit: Jeremy Borkat
Located in San Leandro, the GMCH provides care for kids with incurable illnesses and chronic medical conditions, yet it’s more home than hospital. In the past ten years, Gemingnani has visited the sanctuary to teach patients how to make pizza. Now he and the Giants are taking it one step further by doing their part to donate to the charity. Participate by indulging one of the delicious pizzas from now until September 28.
