Two Springfield pizza shops competing against each other – Frankie & Johnnie's, now reopened, and Red Rose, reopening Wednesday – were affected by the tornado.
View full sizeThese are your 2011 Valley Food Championship Pizza Playoffs judges from The Republican newsroom: left to right, arts and entertainment editor Ray Kelly, sports reporter Pam McCray and photographer Don Treeger.It's been quite a journey, but the end of the road to the Elite 8 for your eight favorite Valley pizza shops is less than 24 hours away.
Round 3 voting in the 2011 Valley Food Championship Pizza Playoffs ends at 4 p.m. on Wednesday. In Round 3, readers of The Republican, MassLive.com and El Pueblo Latino are voting in eight head-to-head matchups, two in each of our four regions – North, South, East of the River and West of the River.
After Round 3 ends, our readers will have voted their original field of 117 nominees down to eight quarterfinalists. From there, our judges will take over.
One Round 3 matchup features two pizza shops that were in the direct path of the Springfield tornado – Red Rose Pizzeria on Main Street in the South End and Frankie & Johnnie's Pizza on Island Pond Road in East Forest Park.
Frankie & Johnnie's fortunately suffered no damage and reopened late Saturday afternoon after regaining power and gas. Red Rose will reopen on Wednesday, one week after the tornado hit. The restaurant has replaced glass and heating and air conditioning units damaged by the tornado.
Show your support for these two venerable fixtures of the city's dining scene by casting votes before the deadline.
Meanwhile, our judges – arts and entertainment editor Ray Kelly, sports reporter Pam McCray and photographer Don Treeger – anxiously await your Elite 8 verdicts. Where will you send them to taste-test pies over the next seven weeks?
Ray, Pam and Don and our entire MassLive.com community will learn the results not long after the voting ends at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
Cast your ballot before it's too late!
Links to Round 3 polls: