Pizza

"It's not a crust; it's a canvas." In 1986, the day before the first Z Pizza was to open, the charming and very chatty Sid Fanaroff said that he and his then partner Suzie Megroz still hadn't figured out how to make dough in quantity. She had told him that she knew how to make pizza, but it was really pastry dough for a French onion tart -- which looks like a little pizza. When the giant dough mixer and oven were finally in place, Sid experimented with the recipe that came with the mixer.

For those of you who don?t keep track of these important milestones, January was National Pizza Month and Feb. 9 is International Pizza Day. So, put these on your calendar for next year before you forget again. Americans eat an average of 18 acres of pizza every day and spend about $32 billion a year indulging this pleasure. The average American consumes 23 pounds of pizza per year. Pepperoni and cheese is the most popular combination and pizza?s second only to the hamburger as this continent?

A new pizza joint opened in town, and the chef says it's serving up something locals don't get enough of. NEApolitan Pizzeria and Birreria opened Nov. 3 at the former Cafe Vienna spot, 31542 S. Coast Hwy. Chef Frank DeLoach, previously sous chef of The Playground in downtown Santa Ana, said the eatery is offering true artisanal pizza - which he said doesn't abound in Laguna - cooked in a state-of-the-art Stefano Ferrara oven. DeLoach, who traveled Italy, says the restaurant offers rustic Southern Italian fare.

The El Morro Elementary School Boo Blast may have been rescheduled for 2:30 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9 — two weeks later than its original date — but it will still have all the trimmings of a harvest-time bash. Air quality concerns due to the recent wildfires led organizers to postpone the annual festival. The El Morro “Boo Blast At Last!” Fall Carnival, originally slated for Oct. 26, will feature a cake walk, carnival rides, an array of booths featuring games and prizes, popcorn, churros, a bake sale, a raffle and a silent auction of class baskets.

The popular Wine Gallery in Corona Del Mar has opened a beautiful second location in Laguna Beach. The large room is centered around a spacious, U-shaped, marble-topped bar that faces the white-tiled, open kitchen featuring a wood-burning oven. The atmosphere is both sophisticated and cozy. The décor is contemporary and warm, with soft lighting emanating from a fascinating ceiling composed of long wooden slats separated by fire-resistant crushed black paper. Facing the street are floor-to-ceiling windows, with pulled-back curtains made of wine corks.

While bars and restaurants abound in Laguna Beach, Chris Olsen and Jeff Schroeder contend that locals deserve a watering hole for their favorite glass of Pinot Noir as well. The two co-founders of Wine Gallery, which opened its first location in Corona del Mar in 1999, plan to open a second location in Laguna Beach in mid-July. Olsen, a Laguna Beach resident and owner of Mile 216 wines, said his town seemed like the perfect place to expand. "There's not a single wine bar," he said.

Here is Gabriella Sunheart?s basic recipe for flatbread pizza. Get creative! FLAT BREAD/PIZZA DOUGH (Serves 4) 1-1/4 cups water 1 egg 3 cups all-purpose flour 1-1/2 teaspoon sea salt 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine water and egg into a large bowl, beating egg and mixing at same time, with a fork. Add flour and salt and continue to mix by hand. Dust hands with flour to prevent dough from sticking to hands.

ZPizza won an award from peta2 as the “most vegan-friendly restaurant chain.” ZPizza was chosen for a Libby award over P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Johnny Rockets and Moe’s Southwest Grill. The award stands for the liberation of animals. According to Rachel Owens, a peta2 Street Team coordinator, the restaurant was chosen by voters for offering its patrons the option to build their own pizza from a variety of toppings without animal products in them. The restaurant’s menu also includes a specialty pizza known as the Berkeley vegan, served with a variety of toppings, such as vegan cheese, avocados and red onions.

Gina's Pizza gets students' vote Gina's Pizza & Pastaria received the top tribute as this year's DARTS business award honoree for a local business that students patronize and appreciate. DARTS (Dignity, Appreciation, Respect for Treating Students), which is in its second year, is a Laguna Beach High School committee comprised of two student representatives from each class, and Supt. Theresa Daem, executive assistant to Supt. Darrin J. Reed, ASB Vice-President Brent Kling, and faculty advisor Art Smart.

District offers online safety tips The Laguna Beach Unified School District, in partnership with the Laguna Beach Police Department, the Orange County Department of Education, and Educational Technology and Life Corp., has developed an Online Safety Curriculum for students, educators and parents. The 90-minute presentations, with optional one-hour hands-on sessions, are an introduction to technology: benefits, concerns, proactive strategies for keeping students safe online and a focus on the social networking site, MySpace.