And Finally ...

What could I possibly add to what Colton and Brian have already said about our California adventure? Here are a few memorable moments from my point of view.

Tue the 18th:

While hurriedly putting all the suitcases into the trunk of the awesome Protege, I for some crazy reason decided to put the car keys in the trunk and close it -- brilliant! Luckily, Colton calmly informed me that you could pop the trunk from inside. Whew! What a relief. I thought I had ended the trip before it even started. I'm sure Colton and Brian will get a lot of mileage out of this for years to come.

The amusement that Colton and I had at watching the, "trying to look so sweet and innocent", Brian as he sat in the airport security getting the whole security check. I guess he looked a little suspicious.

Trying to explain to Colton and Brian "how great Southern California really was" as we crept along the 405 toward L.A. in an area that even I had to admit was not the most scenic; and having them keep saying to me with their little smirks that "I'm sure it really was a great place to grow up."

The taste and feeling while eating the most sublime carrot soup at Lucques.

Entering the La Brea Bakery. Nancy Silverton has been someone I have greatly admired and respected for over a decade. I have made dozens of her recipes and followed her rise as she has become one of America's greatest pastry chefs. To finally visit her bakery where it all started was truly amazing.

Eating at Mozza's where the music really is loud just like Mario, and the pizza dough is really great, and having my 5 year old daughter Sophie call during dinner and hearing her demand as loud as she could over the music "Why is that music so loud? Come home right now!"

Wed 19th:

Off the plane straight to Berkeley (Colton driving like Colton - seat belts recommended) for lunch at Chez Panisse. For me the desserts are always so amazing. I am surprised and delighted by the perfect peach and raspberry crisp. The unsweetened vanilla panna cotta was perfectly balanced with a huckleberry sauce. The chocolate mint ice cream (made from steeped mint leaves) -- a taste so pure and satisfying. Brian's remark after the meal was simply, "I am so happy now." Isn't that what it is all about? Bringing a little bit of joy to people in this crazy, messy world.

After an afternoon of hunting down a few of our old chefs, eating some pastries, watching Colton and Brian inhale burgers at In 'n Out (I don't know how Colton can eat so much), we had a few minutes before dinner so I persuaded the boys to take a quick trip to the beach. It was windy, and cold, but it was beautiful and magical. Just taking a few minutes to watch the waves, smell the ocean and daydream is something that fills me with hope and happiness and peace for the future.

The look on Colton's face as he watched the most perfect pizza being made and baked in the wood fired oven at A 16. Nothing is more fun than to listen to Colton when he starts talking about food and what it means to him. His passion just pours out; it is truly inspiring.

Thurs 20th:

Eating breakfast at the Grove, pastries at the Boulangerie and then straight to Pizzetta 211 where we had the most amazing heirloom and cucumber salad. Crammed in the corner of this tiny 16-seat restaurant (which was packed) -- it was unbelievably good.

Following Colton and Brian around downtown exactly 15 paces behind them. I for some reason could never keep up with the Olympic speed walkers.

Being truly blown away by the Ferry Plaza Building. So much great food.

Hearing Brian state how much he appreciated our waiter at Zuni, who had disappeared on us, when he returned, honestly told us that his friends had come in and he was talking to them. That is the kind of servers we want no excuses, just integrity.

I look forward to seeing you all - old friends and new - at the pizzeria.

Let's share a meal.

an eating trip: from my perspective

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to hang out with the guys from PIZZERIA712 on an exclusive eating trip to California then pay attention. C-Train has previously released the trip's itinerary but I'd like to explain the more esoteric aspects of our adventure. In the age of the curly fry it is comforting to know that there is a renewed and growing trend towards holistic dining. This is the kind of eating done on the most basic level: from farm, to belly. The grand state of California offers an abundance of this kind of eating. One of our stops took us to Berkeley, specifically Chez Panisse, where the proprietors and staff have made a commitment to supporting sustainable cycles of raising and harvesting fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy and all other edibles. When you are able to eat food that has been loved from it's inception to its preparation you feel a sense of belonging, a sense of meaning and community...not to mention you feel really good too. The consumption of food for nourishment is one of our most basic instincts. Whether we know it or not we all hold deep feelings and addictions to food. We must not submit to the enticings of the corporate farm or the fast food chain or the government subsidized crop. We all must make a commitment, a commitment to ourselves and each other to not taking the path of least resistance. Our very survival depends on it. It is this commitment that we at the pizzeria have made to ourselves and to you, our friends.

Pizza, Pizza And Other Things Too

The boys and I have just returned from an epic journey. To prepare for the upcoming onslaught of pizza throwing we journeyed out into the great unknown in order to bring back ancient pizza wisdom. Our bellies took us to Los Angeles, Berkley and San Francisco. 3 days, 10 meals, 3 "snacks". Judge for yourself but I think we rose to the occasion.

First a outline of our itinerary:
Day 1- Fly into L.A. Straight to lunch at Lucques. Drive by Pizzeria Mozza(the nights dinner). Track down La Brea Bakery, lovely bread. Nancy Silverton, the owner, is also part owner of Pizzeria Mozza-with Mario Batali. A little dilly-dallying(code for getting the belly ready for dinner ie. A movie). Dinner at Pizzeria Mozza

Day 2- Fly into S.F.(oakland) Straight lunch at Chez Panisse. Got the full tour from our waitress. Beautiful kitchen. Drive into San Francisco, grab a snack at In-n-Out. Off to Union Square, on foot to Wesfeild Mall-a host of new upscale "fast food"- to grab a snack from Out The Door. Back to the car and off to A-16 for dinner.

Day 3- Breakfast at the Grove, croissants at The Boulangerie. Straight away to Pizzetta 211 for a light lunch. A little drive through Golden Gate Park and then off to Pizzeria Delfina. We make our way-after a few u turns- to the Ferry Plaza Building for some gelato and a taco at Mijita. A little more dilly-dallying and we are off to dinner at Zuni Cafe for our final meal.

Day 4- Fly home and recuperate with some fish tacos.



A Photo Montage

Lucques-Our first morsels

Lucques

La Brea

Pizzeria Mozza Aglow




Day 1- Looking Good

Do We Know What's Coming

En Route To S.F.

Head In The Clouds

Todays Menu

Our View

The Entrance

The Entrance#2

A Short Respite

Salt House-Just Looking

A Side Job

A Scenic Break

A Perfect Pizza Margherita At A-16

View From The Street

Breakfast

La Boulangerie-Perfect Croissants

Pizzetta 211

One Of Many At The Dahlia Garden

Pizzeria Delfina

Zuni Cafe

Dreaming Of Pizza...



There is so much more from our trip. Many beautiful pictures and words of wisdom will follow from our other two resident gentlemen.

Looking Good...

It's been over a week since the blog has been up and running, so I thought it was about time for you to hear from the other owner. In case you haven't driven by the Midtown Village on State Street recently, here are some great shots of the progress being made. We just passed our 4-point inspection, so it looks like the drywall will be going up this week.

Our Lights-Some Of Them.

A prominent feature in our dining room.

The Boys At The Game

A good looking bunch.

Door Hardware

Everyone can rest easy, we have found our door hardware. The pictures don't show them in their proper color but... you get the idea. Feel free to stop by anytime and push-pull them. We will only charge you the price of a meal.

Some History

Pizzeria Seven Twelve grew out of the desire for sustainability. In every sense of the word. Without getting to high up on the soap box we want to change the way restaurants run. We are fortunate to stand on the backs of giants, as you can see by perusing out some of the links we have. Many years of kitchen labor have left us with some questions that need answering. Why must we be stuck in the "back", why all work and no play, why are we serving asparagus and strawberries in December, tomatoes that barely dent if you drop them. Why are we using our dollars to support those who could care less about what goes into the "foods" they sell then about what comes out of the bottom line. The funny thing is, is that we don't need to spend anymore money then we already are. We don't need to be hip foodies or cool cats to eat well.

It can be hard at times for us to put into words what will be readily visible the moment you walk in the door, we want to take care of people. From our employees, to our farmers, to our guests, to us. This is at the foundation of what we do. Our space is inviting, the food simple, local and changes often. Who wants to eat the same thing every night? We certainly don't.

We hope that what we are doing will sound the tuning fork in our communities belly and that we can begin a dialogue than can be easily digested over a nightly pizza.

To The Future... And Beyond

The moment we have all been waiting for. Is almost here. As you can see(with your own eyes) our construction is well underway. We have had the electricians and plumbers hard at work and now are getting closer to a 4-way inspection and some sheetrock. Every mans dream. Sheetrock. From there we are off to the races. We have a nice cozy nook for our oven to reside, a place to go to the bathroom, even an office where we can lounge around in our hammock. Make your own pizzas anyone? In a few short days we will have some new pictures that will show off all the new duds. Until then, C-train, J-Money and BT say peace out.