Pleasure Pizza - East Side Eatery Celebrates Grand Opening June 11

SANTA CRUZ, Calif., June 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Pleasure Pizza, the Santa Cruz pizzeria of choice for locals and beach going travelers since 1987, will celebrate the grand opening of its new restaurant, Pleasure Pizza East Side Eatery, on June 11, featuring two-for-one pints of beer all day long.  The grand opening coincides with local events celebrating the life and memory of Jay Moriarity, the legendary big wave surfer and adventurer who remains an icon to the close-knit Pleasure Point community where he grew up.

Open daily between 8am and 10pm, Pleasure Pizza East Side Eatery—located at 800 41st Ave. in the former Hank's at the Hook location—represents a fusion between California cuisine and the classic Pleasure Pizza favorites, with an emphasis on fresh, organic and locally grown ingredients. The new location, which features large-screen TVs, a fantastic variety of locally crafted beers and wine, and a spacious, dog-friendly outdoor patio, also offers a superb lineup of traditional and culturally diverse breakfast dishes available every day until noon. The Original Pleasure Pizza, located across the street at 4000 Portola Drive, continues to provide pizza for takeout, delivery and by-the-slice.

Pleasure Pizza owner Derek Rupp, who took over the Pleasure Point landmark from founder Steve Irving last year, said his goal for the new location is twofold:  "We're preserving the classic, unparalleled Pleasure Pizza pies that customers have craved for so many years, while celebrating the spirit, diversity and history of our unique neighborhood with exciting tastes from around the world.  We really want to do the community proud, and so far, the feedback has been tremendous – we couldn't be happier."

During the grand opening event, Pleasure Pizza East Side Eatery will be also be celebrating the life of Pleasure Point surfing legend Jay Moriarity. Photos of Jay's memorial, graciously donated by Howard "Boots" McGhee with the consent of Jay's family and wife, Kim, will be on display throughout the restaurant.  Jay was a Pleasure Pizza employee when he burst onto the international surfing scene at age 16 by tackling the infamous Maverick's break north of Santa Cruz. The 10th Annual Jay Moriarity Paddle Race will be held in Santa Cruz on June 25.  

Rupp, a longtime Santa Cruz and Pleasure Point resident and former Executive Chef at Google, brings a rich knowledge of locally-grown food sources to the new venture. He notes that Pleasure Pizza East Side Eatery places a premium on local, organic, and naturally-raised food sources.  "Roughly 70 percent of all our produce is organic and almost everything is produced locally," says Rupp. "All of our tomatoes used in our pizza sauce, for example, are organic and locally grown, and we use only naturally raised chicken, non-rBGH milk, and locally sourced, cage free eggs.  We want to show that great pizza doesn't have to be unhealthy. It can be good for you, good for the local economy, good for the environment – and taste fantastic!"

For breakfast, Pleasure Point East Side Eatery features the traditional favorites along with a few cultural twists, such as the Chilaquiles (eggs or tofu scrambled with tortilla chips and a spicy chili sauce), the Loco Moco (brown rice, red eye gravy, beef patty and eggs), and Nasi Goreng (Indonesian fried rice).  Lunch and dinner include a delicious selection of fresh sandwiches and subs, including Philly cheesesteak, the Pleasure Burger and a Cuban sandwich; bold, local sourced organic salads; specialty pastas, such as the Santa Barbara, featuring artichoke hearts, baby spinach, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, green onions, parmesan and pepper jack cheese; the complete lineup of Pleasure Pizza's award-winning pies including the crowd favorite Abyss, with sautéed prawns, mozzarella, pesto and lemon slices; and mouth-watering deserts, including Deep Fried Candy Bars (served with ice cream), a Raspberry Sundae and S'mores. The East Side Eatery also carries wide selection of beer and wine to complement any meal and a special kids menu.

About Pleasure Pizza

Locally owned and operated since 1987, Pleasure Pizza provides a unique blend of traditional and savory breakfast dishes, California cuisine, ethnic favorites and great tasting pizza, with a focus on fresh, organic and locally sourced ingredients. Both Pleasure Pizza locations – the Original Pleasure Pizza (4000 Portola Drive) and Pleasure Pizza East Side Eatery (800 41st Avenue), featuring breakfast, lunch and dinner – are located in the historic Pleasure Point neighborhood of Santa Cruz and are open daily. For menus and more information, visit www.pleasurepizzasc.com.

SOURCE Pleasure Pizza