Beijing has had its say over the past three weeks and the final is here, and boy, have we got a heavyweight matchup for you? It's America versus New Zealand as long-term favorite Kro’s Nest is going to head-to-head with delivery upstart Gung Ho! Pizza in a match to decide who lifts The Beijinger Pizza Cup.

Kro's fought off a late surge from stalwart The Tree in the Final Four to earn its spot in the final, whereas Gung Ho handily dispatched Hutong Pizza to earn their berth.

Neither establishment had an easy path to those penultimate matches. Kro’s path included victories over Pizza Buona, Paddy O’Shea’s, La Pizza and finally The Tree. Gung Ho’s path meant fending off Vineyard Café, Annie’s, Sureno and Hutong Pizza.

No less exciting will be the third-place playoff match, which pits two great pizza spots with long traditions different styles, and different turfs – Sanlitun’s The Tree and Houhai’s Hutong Pizza.

A furious round of balloting over the past four days has resulted in the Final Four of The Beijinger’s Pizza Cup – a hearty crew of the new, the old and the reborn who go on to the next round. The most dominant victory of the Round of 8 was rung up by The Tree, which slapped its bar brethren The Den to the curb by winning 74% of the vote. The narrowest victory was achieved by Gung Ho! Pizza, who eked out a win over surprising challenger Sureno by a mere nine ballots. In a clash of pizza empires, the American-style Kro’s Nest whacked the Italian-style La Pizza, 59% to 41%. Meanwhile, Haidian’s last challenger, Eatalia, was knocked out by an ascendant Hutong Pizza, 54% to 46%

Combine a menu of Let’s Burger proportions with northeast Beijing’s widest selection of beer and this is what you get. Located just outside the Maquanying station on Line 15, this well-designed hideaway is tastefully decorated in all-American style, heavy on New York City iconography.

Tonight (June 15) it's once again time for you to put on your thinking caps to help a worthy local charity, have a great time and possibly walk home with stupendous goodies. Turn up at the Sanlitun location of Schindler’s for what is quickly evolving into an annual tradition: the Magic Hospital Charity Quiz Night.

Teams of up to 8 are welcome to join (reservations suggested – team slots are filling quickly as of this writing).

For more information on signing up, what you can win, and the charity you can support, check out beijing-kids.

Bands from six Beijing High Schools – The Western Academy of Beijing, Beijing World Youth Academy, International School of Beijing, Tsinghua, No. 55, and Harrow – are set to rock Vics in Sanlitun tonight in a fundraiser for Japan.

 Does this sound a little bit like you? You go out to bars and clubs twice a week, visiting 2 bars per evening and have about 5 drinks. You're there to hang out with friends, celebrate a special occasion, or to just get your buzz on, and each place you visit, you’re dropping about RMB 160 on drinks.

Mark your calendars: join the beijingkids Club Saturday (March 26) for a special workshop for Third Culture Kids & their families!

To celebrate the release of the new book "Slurping Soup and other Confusions: True Stories & Activities to Help Third Culture Kids During Transition" beijingkids is holding a special activity session for beijingkids club members with three of the Beijing-based expatriate authors of this new book at new Italian eatery Alio Olio.

For more information on this event check out the blog at beijing-kids.com.

Run by Trevor Metz, with the capable aid of one of Beijing's most instantly recognizable bar personalities, Chad Lager (Metz' brother-in-law), new Shuangjing venue Grinders has now launched its food menu. The full selection is not yet available, but there are several sandwiches, salads and pastas to give you a taste of what's to come. The roast beef (RMB 55) was big enough for two, featured very tender (and not overcooked) thinly sliced roast beef garnished with peppers, onions and cheese, and was accompanied by a small side salad. Not all the kinks have been  worked out of the service, so don't expect your order lickety-split. However, Wednesday night demonstrated the pull of the place, with several tables filled on a frigid evening when neighboring venues The Brick and Lily's were both empty.

Wednesday night (May 26) you can both help a worthy local charity and possibly stick it to the reigning champs of the charity quiz circuit, True Run Media, by turning up at the Sanlitun location of Schindler’s for the Magic Hospital Charity Quiz Night … in the process you’ll be in the running for a veritable booty of wonderful prizes.