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Z Pizza, a closer look
Aloha!
6/20/09 - Hope you're all having a great day! Me, I'm still moping and in dreaded fear of how foolish I'm gonna look on TV this-coming Thursday. I'll do my best to function properly with this huge shadow blanking-out the entire sky over my head, one that'll no doubt be there until it airs. And after that, I also have no doubt I'll be looking for the nearest intergalactic wormhole to transport myself to somewhere else in the space/time continuum, and forever curse the day I even decided to do it at all. Of course, if I found myself emerging into the past, I'd have no recollection of the occasion, which never actually happened in the first place. Hmmm... 50/50 chance... I'll take it!
But there's nothing, no, absolutely nothing, that's gonna keep me from trying new places and using the pen and still's as my preferred means of communication, especially when it includes spots like that the new pizza joint over at the Ward Center in Kakaako. They're located right there at ground level, fronting Auahi St., along with stores like Crazy Shirts and Kua Aina Burger, and not in the inner sections that include Ryan's, Successories, etc. You'll probably need to find parking inside, though, unless you're carrying a rabbit's foot, a four-leaf clover, a ti leaf blessed from Kaumakapili Church, and the freshly victorious side of a wishbone battle, in which case, there'll be a space right there, only steps from the entrance, big enough for you and Snoop Dog's entire entourage.
Oh, and that giant green border? It's in support of the people of Iran, who just want some basic human rights, is all. Green is the color symbolizing the guy who really won the election, Mir Hussein Moussavi. Personally, I don't know if he can bring as much change as we hope, as Khamenei and the Mullah's actually have more power than that crazy President of their's, but at the very least, its people will taste and become more accustomed to freedom, and hopefully, in time, be strong enough to lead a gradual revolution into democratic rule. I tell you, I was moved to tears the other day watching a brave Iranian woman getting knocked to the ground by masked Police dressed in black with heavy batons, who then courageously got back up to shout them down again. I couldn't find the clip on the internet, but here's another you can check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zktmKVjItA.
When I was in Beijing studying bone manipulation and massage, I'd pal around with an Iranian doctor, who actually told me that 85-90% of the people in Iran do not support their own Governement, and the other 10-15%? Members of the government, themselves! Here's a shot of the Iranian soccer team, also showing their true side's.
Do we really understand how badly people around the world actually do want democracy and freedom? Or are we fooled into believing we shouldn't get involved because it would be meddling in the affairs of another country, forcing your opinions on others, being the great big Bully around the world? Sorry, but if I'm that woman in Iran standing up for freedom at the risk of death, or a member of the Falun Gong in China, or an ethnic Sudanese trapped in the hell of his own country, or anyone else in any other part of the world without freedom and democracy, I'd want some support from the one country more responsible for freedom and democracy than any other. This balancing-act-position we are taking right now of "it's a matter of Iranian internal affairs" is ridiculous. When the leader of freedom in this world stops leading the cause of freedom in this world, those desperate people around the world who need it the most will have that much less of a light to inspire and guide them. I can only assume such a leader (the US, collectively!) is not really confident of the superiority of democracy over authoritarian rule, yes? Woe to this world when we can't see the difference, and think we're all the same, divided only by matters of culture or religion!
But what can I do, right? I always hear that, and I always give people an earful when I hear them say it! Listen here - You don't necessarily have to lead organizations and mobilize an army to make a difference - if you, yourself believe in goodness and lead a decent life according to what is right, you are already making a difference in this world just by the example of how you live your life! And if you at least try to live life as a good man or woman, you will no doubt recognize that freedom is an essential part of that goodness in this world, thus becoming part of the collective energy that supports it, whether you tell anyone or not! Since collective energy is what rules the masses (leadership and influential power players only steer the masses!), then each and every person's personal outlook and opinion is very much important, indeed - yes?!!!
And so, in my own small way, I choose to not give up on believing that I can make a difference, even if it's just by my small contribution to this collective energy throughout the world. In actuality, though, I am standing up for these ideals in lively exchanges at work just about every day, oftentimes being triple and quadruple-teamed (helps even the odds for them a bit more - ha-ha!), and yes, even by placing green borders around every pic in support of the brave citizens of Iran. Freedom to people's everywhere!!!
Cool place, huh? If I may so abruptly change the subject... Z Pizza does carry all the modern appeal of a Starbucks, and I see why, as they are part of a large franchise based in Laguna Beach, CA, with locations popping up all over the country. Like everything Cali, there's a healthy, fresh, almost designer angle to this place, with pizza baked on hot bricks that make for crispy crusts, all from scratch in choices that can be either 100% organic, wheat, or gluten-free, along with lots of other in-vogue ingredients, like organic tomato sauce, additive-free Italian sausage, fresh veggies, chipotle pesto, feta and gorgonzola cheeses, and even truffle and pili pili oil! Various sandwiches are also made with house-baked breads, and there's an array of fine salads, such as a Ceasar, Greek, pear/gorgonzola, and arugula, like you see here:
Only, if that doesn't look like arugula, it's with good reason. They actually ran out on this particularly spectacular night, and while everything else remained the same, they used a great mix of other healthy greens instead of the main ingredient. Besides the freshly-roasted onions, walnuts were another huge and very intresting aspect of this dish, coming with house-roasted walnuts in caramelized shells. You could tell the sugar caramelization process took place right here at the restaurant, as there were plenty of un-cooked sugar crystals left, for a kind of rustic, stylishly-rough, human touch. I like it. You can't see 'em much in this pic, so how 'bout this:
You have to order and pay yourself at the counter, but they do bring orders out to your table afterwards. While at the counter, check out the multi-floored display case housing several different types of pizza - if you so choose, you can mix and match any two choices, along with a drink, for $7-and-change, depending on the type of pizza. A little more variety, a little more value, and a no-wait situation makes this a good option for a quick lunch or dinner. The only downsides, of course, are that you don't know how long they've been hanging out under hot lights, there are less slices to choose from, and you can never beat fresh-from-the-oven.
Wifey and I went with a single order taking advantage of this set-up, grabbing two different slices but also going with a full-sized, fresh-from-the-oven pizza as well. One slice in particular, the Provence, was especially fabulous, coming with organic tomato sauce, house-made roasted garlic sauce, mozzarella cheese, artichoke hearts, capers, tomatoes, and fresh basil. If I were a soft-core vegetarian (you know, the kind where dairy's still allowed and, once in a while, a small piece of fish or chicken, even!), this would be my pizza dream!
One thing you have to love when ordering this slice, however, are capers, as the sharp taste of these tiny beads of power-packed-flavor are probably the most dominant taste on this particular cut. The artichoke hearts were pickled, but not quite as strong and vinegar-tangy as you might expect. Why does the bomb keep popping up in this lil' ol' mind of mine at this current time? I feel silly using it in real life and never do, but still, it does describe how I feel about it, you know...?
The other slice was a Santa Fe, coming with chipotle pesto, mozzarella cheese, chicken sausage, red onions, corn, serrano chilies, tomatoes, and cilantro. A nice combination, a healthy mix of veggies, and just a drop of protein - not bad at all, but still, paling in comparison to the Provence above.
Our other choice for the evening was from a list called Rustica Pizza, so named for its irregular, rectangular shape, instead of the familiar rounded versions. I guess the toppings can also be a little more exotic, too, with ingredients like pear and gorgonzola, chicken curry and yam with mango chutney, and our particular choice, the Moroccan, which came with basil pesto, mozzarella cheese, roasted eggplant, feta cheese, caramelized onions, and pine nuts, all displayed on a raised stand for dramatic effect.
This one took a little while to arrive, and we had already finished the other two in the meantime, but a small wait is well worth it for fresh-baked pizza straight from the oven:
The Moroccan was an interesting and delicious choice, as you can see here, zoomed-in a bit:
I loved the crispy-edged crust, the wide slices of eggplant, the splashes of basil pesto, and crumbles of feta cheese, but the one thing we both didn't care for too much was the caramelized onions, which we found a bit too sweet. Tone down the sugar, or perhaps even rely solely upon the natural sugars in the onion, and this lovely creation would've tallied a few more points on our score-card.
Just a note on the crust - the outsides are perfect, coming with a crunchy outer coating and a light inside, but the areas under all the toppings has a tendency to soften dramatically under the sauces and other ingredients. It's only natural, actually, as they are so thin, and there are no special additives used to create a Superman flour that can withstand the intrusion of wet sauces. These days, you never know what they put in to create some of these effects, especially in grocery store stuff. This is the type of place that chooses the more natural route, thank God!
Take a look at how thin the crust is:
And another note, this time to large appetite's out there - with crusts being so thin, and toppings favoring a more healthy approach, you may not get as much of your fill as, say, a Pizza Hut or Plate Lunch place. Great for some; scandalous for others. We could have easily chose to finish everything off, but instead, there was just that little something missing here at Z Pizza that would have made the evening dang-near perfect...
Hey, what's pizza without... BEER!!! Gosh, I think that's the first time I've actually shouted on a closer look page! It is BYOB (that doesn't count as a shout), and you can only drink while seated on the tables outside, which sounds like a fabulous idea to me!
We decided to save half of our Moroccan pizza, order more of that delicious Provence pizza, and enjoy the second half of our meal with a few glasses of ice-cold tap from the beer machine sitting in our living room. Dang, I'm so spoiled, I feel bad. Just not bad enough to get rid of the thing.
I didn't tell wifey, but instead of getting two slices of Provence, I snuck in a slice of pepperoni, as well, because as you know, fancy, stylish, and health-wise pizza can only get you so far! Without pepperoni, you almost gotta question whether you've even had pizza at all! Nothing says pizza like this simple, classic, timeless combination, and no other creation will ever, ever take its place.
I love this hang-out. It's for a certain set, yes, and I do acclimize into that set when called upon. Of course, I can also get into the Pizza Hut pan pizza set, just as well, and even a Totino's frozen set once-in-a-while, but for tonight, those are completely different subjects.
Z Pizza is definitely a place you need to try, and make sure you get at least one pie straight from the oven, just so you can taste them at their best. The manager and servers are all very helpful and friendly, and it's just a casual, pleasant kind of place, is all. There's all kinds of pizza varieties I haven't mentioned here, so do check 'em out for yourselves.
Hope you're having a great and fantastic weekend, and I'll see you again in two or three days! Remember to pray for those around the world desperate for freedom and democracy!
Take care and Aloha till next time!
Aku
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