Whitworths Host Pizza Fusion S.M. Party

Call this another feather in Pinocchio’s cap! David and Theresa Whitworth, owners of Pinocchio’s in Cucina on Monument near Sunset, threw an official grand opening party on September 12 for their latest restaurant, Pizza Fusion Santa Monica. About six years ago, the Whitworths, who have lived in Pacfic Palisades for 19 years, teamed up with longtime chef Giuseppe Barravecchia to open Pinocchio’s, an Italian restaurant and delicatessen at 970 Monument. Barravecchia had worked as a chef for the Whitworths’ previous restaurants (two years at La Luna Ristorante in Larchmont Village, and five years at La Luna Mare in Santa Monica), both of which closed in 2007. Pizza Fusion, located in an Ocean Park Boulevard strip mall complex, is the Whitworths’ first foray into running a franchise restaurant, after operating their independently owned eateries for more than a decade. ‘It’s very different, and a little frustrating,’ Theresa told the Palisadian-Post. ‘There are a lot of [Pizza Fusion franchise] guidelines you need to follow. However, the product is wonderful.’ Indeed, the 50 or so adults and children lining up for platters of pizza last Saturday sure thought so. At record speed, they devoured Pizza Fusion’s gluten-free, organic style of thin-crust pizzas, which were served up in plain, barbecue chicken, farmer’s market (laden with artichokes) and vegan varieties. Also served were chicken panini sandwiches and the house salad. New Belgian beer and Parducci wine rounded out the beverages. Among the attendees were, of course, friends from the Palisades. Sue Quinn and Jennifer Bracco brought about 10 hungry kids to the event, while Jim Stein came down to enjoy some pizza and beer at the bar, where he watched the USC-Ohio State football game. ‘The pizza is great,’ said Etsuko Yumite. ‘It’s organic but better than general pizza.’ Also on hand were bloggers John Berardi (losangeles-pizza.blogspot.com) and Whitney Lauritsen (EcoVeganGal.com), who were covering the event for their respective blog angles: L.A.’s best slice pizza and L.A.’s best vegan spots. Berardi, who has tasted more than 250 pizza joints citywide, had some nitpicks with the pies at the event, but he still ranked Pizza Fusion high on his list (3-1/2 out of 5 slices), considering its alternate ingredients. ‘The crust was thin and crispy,’ Berardi said. ‘The sauce was the strongest part. It was seasoned well and tasted fresh. The cheese was pretty good. The best part about it was that it is organic. It’s great when someone tries to defend pizza as being healthy. I like that they have a vegan pizza and multi-grain crust. It’s clear to see why this chain is growing fast.’ Santa Monica’s Pizza Fusion is the latest in a chain of restaurants in 11 states, including Arizona, Texas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida. Lauritsen, with pal Aimee LeMaire, told the Post that the grand opening was her fifth visit: ‘I come here a lot. This is the best vegan pizza.’ She appreciated that David Whitworth recently upgraded to a new vegan cheese that hit the market. LeMaire, who is not vegan, also enjoyed her piece of the pie: ‘The texture is so much better and less greasy than at other pizza places.’ Claire Heron, who owns the mall where Pizza Fusion is located, was elated to have the Whitworths aboard as tenants, especially with their health-minded, environmentally correct restaurant. ‘I’d like to see everyone be LEED-worthy, doing it right,’ she said. ‘That should be the thrust, the impetus.’ Though Pizza Fusion actually opened in late June, the Whitworths waited until mid-September to celebrate their new endeavor. ‘We wanted to wait until the end of summer for everyone to be here,’ said David, while Theresa was excited that proceeds from the evening were going toward charity-of-choice Autism Speaks. ‘I’m glad so many people showed up,’ said Theresa, smiling. Pizza Fusion is located at 2901 Ocean Park Blvd. Contact: (310) 581-2901; www.pizzafusion.com