There are four categories to win at the Tonawandas’ annual Pizza Fest and Amherst Pizza and Ale House set a new record Tuesday night, winning all of them.

Joyce Santiago, who heads up the chamber of commerce sponsoring the event, prefaced the results by saying many of the categories were a close call but that this year’s tally was “unprecedented” in the nine years Pizza Fest has been held.

Two panels of celebrity judges — including former Buffalo Sabres Darryl Shannon and Derek Smith along with both Twin Cities Mayors — handed the 55 Crosspoint Parkway restaurant top honors in a blind taste test in the pizza and wing categories. Five hundred members of the public who attended followed suit, though they were allowed to consider the names of each of 9 competing kitchens in their decisions.

John Bona, who opened the Amherst restaurant in 2005, said it was the third year he had competed. The char-pit Crown Royal wings that won him the popular decision twice before were the same that swept the wing categories this year.

“We are really confident about the product we put out ... to get confirmation from the judges and over 500 people in attendance is just overwhelming,” he said.

Participants seated themselves at scores of tables jamming the open banquet room, and nowhere was traffic thicker front and center at Bona’s table, a fact that led to more than one emergency pizza run, as employees ferried additional sheets convoy style through a rear door.

Under near constant siege was the pizza that also swept this year’s event — stuffed banana pepper pizza, that is.

Though it would have been helpful to have a knife and fork to tackle the dish, it didn’t stop people young and old from digging in barehanded.

“Generous portions,” Bona said, is also one of his ingredients for success, followed by what he said are fair prices and quality ingredients.

The ninth annual Pizza Fest sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas and other corporate sponsors, was held at Classics V banquet hall, 2425 Niagara Falls Blvd., in Amherst.

For at least the second year in a row and probably longer, all 500 tickets were sold out. Participants, including a who’s who of public life in the Twin Cities, paid $15 apiece to attend. A 50/50 raffle paid out a $500 cash prize along with basket raffles and numerous gift certificates.

Other restaurants that took part this year were: Budwey’s Flora’s Cafe, Buffalo Wild Wings, Ten Pin Pizza and Subs (located inside the Tonawanda Bowling Center), Just Pizza, Mustachio’s Pizza, Pizza Junction, Primo Pizza and Tops Friendly Markets.

Wheatfield’s Pizza Shack and T.C. Wheelers were scheduled to take part but did not attend for reasons laid to “an emergency.”

In the people’s choice categories, Pizza Junction took second place for their specialty barbecue bacon cheeseburger pizza. The North Tonawanda restaurant recently featured on the Food Network’s “Diners Drive-ins and Dives” program also tied with Buffalo Wild Wings in the Wing category, with a raspberry barbecue sauce tied among the public with Wild Wings’ Mango Habanero baste.

Riviera Theatre Director Frank Cannata was the Master of Ceremonies, and cited among other things some interesting pizza-related factoids. Three billion pizzas are sold in the U.S each year. The largest pizzeria chain in the world is Pizza Hut, with restaurants throughout much of the developed world. The biggest week accounting for pizza sales all year is leading up to Super Bowl Sunday — a fact not lost on organizers for the event, who tout it as a way for local business to get exposure heading into their peak market season.

Contact reporter Neale Gulley at 693-1000, ext. 114.