A sandwich with pizazz

THE PLACE

The Pizza Bakery

THE JUDGE

Deirdre Newman, Daily Pilot education reporter

THE MEAL

Turkey Focaccia Sandwich and a bottomless drink

SPEED

If you get there right at noon, you will avoid the lunchtime rush,

which includes those who work nearby and Newport Harbor High School

students. The wait was only 10 minutes, but well worth it considering

the warmth of the home-baked focaccia bread.

SERVICE

The servers behind the counter are courteous and friendly and go

out of their way to meet your requests.

THE VERDICT

The focaccia bread sandwich is huge -- stacked high with meat,

lettuce and tomato. The bread is warm and spicy with shreds of

parmesan melted into it. The restaurant, which bills itself as “New

York Style with California Flair,” also offers a veritable selection

of Italian entrees like lasagna, calzone and pizza. Catering to the

health-conscious, the pizzas can be prepared with soy cheese, half

the regular amount of cheese or entirely without. The sit-down

portion of the restaurant is fairly small and fills up quickly so you

might find yourself sharing a table. The ambience is friendly and the

food is delicious.