Cathy Dobson
Are you hip enough to know about Zzas?
If you’re not, you are about to be.
Zzas is the name of a new downtown pizza bistro opened this week by Silvia Cavaco and her business partner Neil McCahill.
“I’ve had a lot of people ask me what the name means,” says Cavaco. “It’s short for pizza and it’s been around for a long time.”
In September, she and McCahill took over the lease at 170 Christina St. where the Blackwater Coffee & Tea Co. was previously located. They spent a month making significant cosmetic changes, adding walls, enclosing the kitchen and building a bar.
The new Zzas has seating for 77, either at candlelit tables draped in black tablecloths or in the bar area. It’s expected the bistro will obtain a liquor licence within the month.
“We thought it would be an adventure,” said Cavaco who has several years’ experience in the local pizza industry. “We also want to introduce a different type of cuisine to Sarnia.
“I think the timing is perfect with all the (ethnic) restaurants opening here.”
Executive chef Glenn Sheridan is in Zzas kitchen and has compiled a full menu of pizzas, tapas and entrees that reflect Cavaco’s family history in both Argentina and the Mediterranean.
Sheridan, originally from Alvinston, is a Red Seal chef who cooked for several years overseas.
“The menu has a Mediterranean flavour but we are trying to cater to everyone,” he said. “For instance, we have tapas, but we also have Caesar salad.”
The bistro’s stone oven pizzas are prepared by pizza chef Ken Druiett for dine-in, takeout or delivery. Most are artisan pizzas, such as an eggplant pizza with garlic, goat cheese and parmesan pesto. Others feature figs, steak, Cajun chicken and more. Prices range from $14.95 for a small to $29.95 for an extra-large.
Zzas will initially open daily from 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Cavaco said she hopes to add a breakfast menu in future, as well as a garage door opening onto the bistro’s patio.
Call 519-491-2560.
AND MORE ABOUT BLACKWATER
Dave Duguay, owner of the Blackwater Coffee & Tea Co., let his lease go at 170 Christina but he intends to relocate soon.
“We’re planning to reopen the café with my coffee roaster once renovations are done at the new place,” he said. “It’s going to have a really funky, urban feel.” And it’s not going to be far from his former location. Stay tuned.
TWO WOMEN-ONLY EVENTS
The annual Ladies Fall Expo and Lifestyle Show hosted by My Secret Garden is planned for Wednesday, Oct. 15 from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Admission is $5 at the Dante Club on London Road. Entertainment, a fashion show, door prizes and wine tasting are on tap.
The new Sarnia-Lambton Mompreneurs group is holding its first Trade Show on Saturday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. It’s billed as a women’s lifestyle showcase featuring seminars, shopping, food and wine at DeGroot’s Nurseries on London Line. Admission is free.
Got an interesting business story? Contact Cathy Dobson at [email protected] or 226-932-0985.