There won’t be many times where a contest has raised my ire. Jack FM 103.1 has one that’s calling upon their listeners to rate the city’s best pizza as selected by them.

The slices that are in the running are Domino’s Philly Cheese Steak, Pizza Zone’s 420, Oregano’s Pizza & Bistro’s JJ’s Special, Pizza Hut’s The Stuffed Crust, and Palagio’s Pesto Chicken.

I see a huge problem here: why is this radio station including two major corporate players in the list for listeners to choose from? And in what I have to say, I’m most likely opening up a can of worms.

With names like Pizza Hut (to which I’ve had terrible experiences with, including home delivery) or Domino’s (which I never found flavorable), I’d rather eat gummies instead. At least the other places have their own following for the western style kind of pizza.

Personally, I find that the really good ones are to be found at specialty places like Pizzeria Prima Strada. They at least acknowledge pizza’s traditional roots with simplicity and a wood stone oven taste.

My first exposure with that taste was with Pizza Pieman from long ago. Fortunately, I can find it nearby without having to head far. For a very reasonable price small or large, Thrifty’s serves up some very delectable pizzas from their wood stone ovens. Located at Tuscany Village, near the intersection of Shelbourne and McKenzie. I have to say that what Thrifty’s offers is one of Victoria’s hidden gems.

But if I had to go chain gang, a place I’d check out is Papa Murphy’s. The company was voted “Best Pizza Chain in America” for four consecutive years by consumers in the Restaurants and Institutions “Consumers’ Choice in Chains” survey. Interestingly enough, while their corporate headquarters is located in Vancouver, Washington, their Canadian expansion plans started in Vancouver, BC back in 2007.

I’m glad to see that they’re opening up stores in Victoria this year—they’re promoting this grand opening event with coupons.

Between this place and another well-known US chain, Godfather’s, I’m sure a shootout in the style of the old gangster films will be fun to watch. That’d be a better option to find out who’s on top.

Mind you, the Ontario based Godfathers look like they can take on the industry giants too.

If Jack FM really wants to get the connoisseur’s attention, why not go after the healthiest place (corporate image or not) to get their slice. I’d be all over that.