2012-02-23T02:12:34-07:00 Zend_Feed_Writer http://www.ynotpizza.com/ Ynot Pizza & Italian Cuisine tony@ynotpizza.com http://www.ynotpizza.com/ 2012-02-18T06:42:16-07:00 2012-02-18T06:42:16-07:00 http://www.ynotpizza.com/ynot-pizza-jim-white-fitness-healthy-solutions/ Ynot Pizza & Italian Cuisine tony@ynotpizza.com http://www.ynotpizza.com/ By Lorraine Eaton The Virginian-Pilot February 15, 2012 Here's an idea: To honor your New Year's resolution, eat your workout. Make that: Eat The Workout. That's the name of a bulging breakfast sandwich at Citrus in Virginia Beach, just one of several guiltless items on a mini page permanently inserted into the restaurant's regular menu. If scrambled egg whites, Swiss cheese, avocado, hummus, cucumber and tomato on toasted rye sounds like deprivation, how about pizza instead? Over at Papa Murphy's, also in Virginia Beach, they're proffering a trio of pies that tip the scale at 170 calories and 3.3 grams of saturated fat per slice. Or less. So far, eight local eateries have debuted resolution-worthy menus by teaming up with Jim White, perhaps the area's most evangelical fitness guru. White, a registered dietitian and nutrition editor at Men's Fitness and Oxygen magazines, also trains scores of clients at his Jim White Fitness & Nutrition Studios in Virginia Beach. It was there - between sets of squats and lunges and bicep curls - that he realized his clients' progress slipped into the danger zone every time they opened a restaurant menu. "I have clients who eat out 10 times a week," White said. "It was wreaking havoc on their diet." Last year, a provision in the health care reform bill began requiring restaurant chains with more than 20 locations to provide customers with nutritional information. But South Hampton Roads is home to scores of popular, locally owned eateries. Even the most committed of White's clients were having trouble finding healthy alternatives with a moderate calorie count. "It's intimidating, even for me," White said. So last fall, White began making locally owned restaurants in Virginia Beach an offer: let me give your menu a free workout, and then we'll put together a list of healthy fare - dishes that are big on flavor and nutrition, low in fat and sugar and sensibly sized so that a single serving doesn't equal a whole day's worth of calories. For some of the restaurants, like Stoley's, healthy options such as Tuscany Chicken Breast and Bronzed Tuna Tacos are highlighted on the menu, neon yellow beacons to the beautiful-to-be. For YNot Pizza & Italian Cuisine, the Jim White-approved options include the popular "chop" salad, where patrons order by checking off toppings they want. That's available at all four YNot locations in Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Chesapeake. On Fridays at the Great Neck Road shop, there's also the "JWF Fit Friday" special of fresh fish, vegetable side, a starch and a side salad. Over at Yotini's Frozen Yogurt Bar, White's recipe for success is displayed above a treacherous spread of toppings: 4 ounces of nonfat, sugar-free yogurt, two spoonfuls of any combination of fresh fruit, a sprinkle of coconut and a shot of whipped cream. The key, White said, is that the dishes can be instantly identified so that diners' eyes don't have to stray into the land of fat and carbs. And the dishes must not forego flavor for virtue. Take the placard menu of healthy options at Fuji Yama, next door to White's studio on Great Neck Road. Topping the list of nine healthy sushi rolls is the new Jim White Fit Roll made with spicy shrimp, cucumber, salmon and avocado. Sushi seems so healthy, White said, but cream cheese, sauces and fried "crunchies" pack in the calories. The rolls on the healthy menu are packed with flavor and, thankfully, the guru doesn't insist on brown rice. The trade-off of a few less calories and a little more fiber for a big departure in taste from traditional sushi didn't seem worth it, White said. So far, no restaurant has declined White's offer, but he's anticipating that some cuisines - Chinese and Mexican - will present challenges. Still, he's pressing on and plans to soon expand into the Norfolk restaurant scene. "It's limitless," he said. Meanwhile, diners are eating it up. At Citrus, where the special menu hit the tables Jan. 1, Cheri Shores, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Lance, said they're already considering expanding the health-conscious offerings. "It's been a hit," she said. "It really has." Lorraine Eaton, 757-446-2697, lorraine.eaton@pilotonline.com Check out her blog at hamptonroads.com/blogs/lorraine-eaton 2012-02-03T07:35:12-07:00 2012-02-03T07:35:12-07:00 http://www.ynotpizza.com/ynot-pizza-guys-put-a-spin-on-the-art-of-twirling-dough/ Ynot Pizza & Italian Cuisine tony@ynotpizza.com http://www.ynotpizza.com/ For the grand opening of our latest Ynot Pizza location in the Ghent section of Norfolk, we invited the Virginian-Pilot food writer Lorraine Eaton to give her hand a try at spinning a perfect pie. By Brian Clark Lorraine Eaton The Virginian-Pilot April 28, 2010 Back in 1993, Tony DiSilvestro stood proud among the fastest pizza guys on the planet. Be they from New York, Sicily or Rome, few were faster than he. That year, at the Pizza Olympics in Las Vegas, Tony posted a time of 24 seconds flat from dough ball to oven, fast enough to win him the bronze at the international competition. Around the same time, Tony and his wife opened the first YNot Pizza in Virginia Beach. Soon after, Tony's brother Harry joined the team with the second location. Now with the new location in Norfolk's Ghent, they are happy, three-eatery-owning "pizza guys" who are handing down the art of creating and spinning pizzas to their cooking crews. On a recent weekday, we met in the kitchen of their Virginia Beach shop, where they attempted to teach me the spinning part. I possess a modicum of coordination; I did not fear the dough. Harry noted that pizza spinning probably got going in Italy when pizzeria owners stationed jugglers out front to attract customers. Not to be outdone, the proud pizza guys within devised their own theatrics. An art form was born. "It's like juggling," Harry said, just a shred of Jersey Shore in his accent. "If you can juggle, you can do this." Which I cannot. Then Tony, my instructor, noted that YNot newbies don't start spinning pies right away, because to do it "the dough has to become one with your hands." "A young pizza guy will not feel that," he said. "You have to be a great pizza guy first." Which I am not. The DiSilvestros' dad was a cop, and his best friend had a pizza joint, the kind where the cooks spun discs of dough high into the air, twirled them lightly with their hands and sent them spinning toward heaven again and again. "It's the best thing," Tony said. "Pizza tossing is what makes this job great." At 11 on a recent weekday morning, the phone at the Virginia Beach YNot location jangled in the background with to-go orders. (YNot, incidentally, is Tony spelled backward , a tidbit of trivia revealed to the world last month on Rachael Ray's talk show.) Tony plopped a round of risen dough onto his counter. He floured it, punched it down and began to "open" the dough, shaping it into a disc by moving both hands in opposite circular motions. "Like a pinwheel," he said. The bubbles stretched and the dough glistened. The goal was a uniform thickness all the way across and a defined lip of crust. "What you don't want is a weak spot," he said. "The pizza will fall apart when you pick it up if you have a weak spot." In about a minute, Tony started flopping the circle of dough from arm to arm to open it further. He seemed nonchalant about it, never stopped talking and never once looked at the dough. Then, in one fluid, hard-to-fathom moment, he turned his left hand palm down, flopped the dough onto it and then met his upward facing right hand. With a twist of his wrist, he sent it spinning in the air. He tossed it over to Ryan Kurz, stationed next to him at the pizza-making counter, who spun it right back to his boss. Kurz has been spinning pizzas for about 14 years. Tony noted that spinning a pizza "is not a necessary thing." It doesn't make the pie rounder or better. It's just fun, and every pizza person at YNot learns how to do it and every pizza that goes out of a YNot shop has been flung in the air. With Tony instructing every step of the way, I flopped a piece of dough from forearm to forearm and then launched a disc of dough into the air. I caught it, got back to flopping and then twirled it up again. All the while, I could feel my inelegance. I sensed that, like double-flipping pancakes (which I'm pretty adept at), this will take practice. But I didn't drop it, and it didn't land on my head. And Tony even said once, "That was good!" Later, Michael "Nova" Reyes, another longtime YNot pizza guy, walked into the kitchen carrying a blue backpack with two rubber pizza crusts, perfect for practice, folded inside of it. He unfolded one and started spinning it. Soon it was rolling down his back. He started spinning it on his finger like an NBA player toying with a basketball. When my lesson was done, Tony had some flour on his right eyebrow and there was a bit on the floor. Face it: Learning to spin a pizza is likely to yield a mess, and you might sacrifice a crust or two. But the bottom line? Absolutely try this at home. Lorraine Eaton, (757) 446-2697, lorraine.eaton@pilotonline.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Hampton Roads.com 2012-02-03T07:34:34-07:00 2012-02-03T07:34:34-07:00 http://www.ynotpizza.com/at-ynot-pizza-were-happy-to-support-the-neighborhoods-where-our-customers-live-and-work/ Ynot Pizza & Italian Cuisine tony@ynotpizza.com http://www.ynotpizza.com/ From Great Neck, to Kempsville, to Ghent, Ynot remains active throughout the year in numerous community events and charitable causes. And when you visit one of our restaurants, you are helping too. So thanks to our customers for helping us help our neighborhoods The Chalking of Ghent: Updates Words Hannah Serrano Tuesday, May 25th, 2010 at 11:22 am The planning of our big, arty, chalky event on Saturday, June 5 is coming along nicely, we're excited to report. It'll take place from 10 am to 2 pm. Here are more details about what to expect: First of all, participation in the Chalking of Ghent is completely free. This is a charity event that benefits the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Norfolk, so tins for donations will be available at a few central locations, where chalk will also be freely distributed. Those four central locations are: Color Me Mine, NARO Cinema, East Coast Bicycles and Harbor Gallery. At each of those spots, we will have a talented local artist starting up the "canvas." So far, those artists include Chelsey Barnes, Tim Skirven and Nichole Ashikis. Though they're very different artists, each of their styles is vibrant, youthful, technically adept, and fun;so expect to see some cool, beautiful artwork on the ground. The event takes place primarily on Colley Avenue between Princess Anne and 21st Street. You can certainly pick up a piece of chalk and doodle on the sidewalk for fun;or you can enter your chalk artwork into a contest to win some exciting prizes. Volunteers at each of the stations can fill you in on the details and direct you to the special contest sidewalk. The winners of the different awards will be chosen by our guest artists, Chelsey, Tim and Nichole. Prizes so far include a gift certificate for an art class at the Hermitage, tickets to Virginia Stage Company, a gift basket and $100 gift certificate from Salon Fringe, a $25 gift certificate from Applebee's, books, CDs and much, much more. The contest awards and other prizes and giveaways will be handed out at the official Chalking of Ghent Pizza Party, which starts at 2 pm at YNot Pizza. Enjoy free pizza slices for $1 suggested donations (while supplies last), plus other food and beverage specials benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities. Throughout the event, you'll also encounter musicians, street performers, face painting, balloon animals and more! So bring the whole family and all your friends. A few disclaimers: Since this is a family-friendly community event, there can be no offensive drawings, or drawings of a religious or political nature. You can bring your own chalk if you like, but you can only use materials that can be easily washed away with water;no paint or spray paint. And lastly, drawing is only permitted on the sidewalks;not on private property. Should it rain, the event will take place on June 19. We are looking for even more musicians and street performers, so if you are interested, please contact me at hannah@altdaily.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Also, if you are a business and would like to donate a prize, please email me at that address. Here is the link to our Facebook event page, where we also will be posting updates leading up to the event: CLICK HERE. Please RSVP there and invite all your Facebook friends! This event is a collaboration of AltDaily and the Ghent Business Association. Our goal is simply to have fun and make this neighborhood even more beautiful. So stop by and have a great time with us! Can't wait to see you all at the Chalking!!! Alt Daily 2012-02-03T07:33:51-07:00 2012-02-03T07:33:51-07:00 http://www.ynotpizza.com/conventional-wisdom-wouldnt-expect-that-a-pizza-restaurant-could-be-known-for-salads-too/ Ynot Pizza & Italian Cuisine tony@ynotpizza.com http://www.ynotpizza.com/ Well, Ynot Pizza is happy to prove CW wrong again. Come on in and enjoy a locally famous Chop Salad at any Ynot location. Chop-chop! The Virginian-Pilot June 22, 2010 By Jennifer Mason The Virginian-Pilot NORFOLK Something about a chopped salad just makes eating salad more enjoyable. No knives required, no hassle getting odd-shaped lettuce in your mouth, and the flavors just meld together better. A newcomer to Colley Avenue, YNot Pizza & Italian Cuisine offers custom-made "chop" salads starting at $5.95. The restaurant, which also has two locations in Virginia Beach, started offering them a few months ago and the response has been "unbelievable," says one of the owners, Tony DiSilvestro. "It's something we saw in Manhattan," DiSilvestro said. "We basically mirrored their concept." Customers fill out an order sheet similar to a sushi form. They pick a choice of greens - romaine, spinach or mesclun. Diners also choose up to four veggie toppings, and can add meat, cheese, fruit and nuts. Dressing on the side? No problem. About 36 toppings are available. Artichoke hearts, kalamata olives and feta cheese can provide a Mediterranean flare. Walnuts, dried cranberries and bleu cheese can add zip to a spinach salad. Want some spice? Try Cajun shrimp or chicken. Four veggie toppings are included in the base price. Other items run extra. Grilled shrimp costs $2.99 and pecans are 75 cents. The average salad ends up costing about $8.75, according to DiSilvestro. After a salad, perhaps diners won't feel guilty about indulging in YNot's gelato, which is Italian-style ice cream. The restaurant has about 12 flavors on hand every day, tempting customers from behind a glass case. On one recent visit some of the flavors included mocha, cookie dough and the exotic-sounding stracciatello. Other items on YNot's menu include pizza just about any way you could want it, including Buffalo chicken, white florentine, meat lovers, vegetarian, bacon delight, breakfast (with eggs and mozzarella), and even peanut butter and jelly for the kids. They also offer dishes such as eggplant rollatini and mussels marinara, wraps, Philly cheese steaks and subs. Hungry yet? Diners can enjoy sidewalk patio, or sit inside the restaurant, flanked by modern decor and televisions. There's a bonus for parents: Kids can play with pizza dough while waiting for their suppers. Jennifer Mason, jennifer.mason@pilotonline.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Hampton Roads.com 2012-02-03T07:32:53-07:00 2012-02-03T07:32:53-07:00 http://www.ynotpizza.com/naturally-we-think-our-take-out-gelato-is-the-bomb-but-battle-is-such-a-harsh-word/ Ynot Pizza & Italian Cuisine tony@ynotpizza.com http://www.ynotpizza.com/ At Ynot Pizza in Ghent, we prefer to think of it as having a wide variety of choices. So if youre wondering where to feed your troops tonight, or conduct a covert strategic treat maneuver, set your coordinates to one of our three Ynot Pizza locations and do some gelato reconnaissance. Your family will be certain to promote you to the rank of 4-Stars! Hampton Roads.com 2012-02-03T07:31:13-07:00 2012-02-03T07:31:13-07:00 http://www.ynotpizza.com/what-a-way-to-kick-off-the-first-ever-pizza-games-at-festa-italiana/ Ynot Pizza & Italian Cuisine tony@ynotpizza.com http://www.ynotpizza.com/ The event had a wonderful turn-out and everybody seemed to have a great time whether they were competitors or spectators. Dozens of participants of all ages, shapes and sizes helped make this first-ever "Ynot Pizza Games" a success. Thanks to all our competitors who entered our tryouts at Great Neck, Kempsville, and Ghent, and for the finalists who competed at the 17th Street Park on September 18. (You'll know who they are by their Pizza Games T-shirts and medals) We're already planning a bigger and better event for 2011. The Virginian-Pilot September 16, 2010 By Joy Vann Correspondent If ever you've wanted to indulge your inner Lucy, this may be your weekend. Festa Italiana, a celebration of Italian cuisine and culture, takes place Friday and Saturday at Virginia Beach's 17th Street park. The fest features a variety of food, musical groups - including a strolling accordion player - and a grape stomp. That's right, a grape stomp, just like the one you may have seen on "I Love Lucy." A local couple, actors portraying characters named Pinot and Grigio, will invite people of all ages to step into a 70-gallon, wooden vat of grapes and start squishing. The fest is produced by Beachevents, the city's entertainment program that presents about 25 events throughout the year. It was conceived as a way to attract locals and visitors to the Oceanfront after Labor Day, said marketing director Mike Hilton. "What we had in mind was an event like the Greek festival in Norfolk, with a huge tent, communal tables, a buffet line and entertainment," he said. La Bella Italia restaurant will cater the food for the third year. Vittoria Caruso, daughter of the restaurant's founder, and her mother created the menu of hot and cold items. Prices will range from a $3 scoop of gelato to a $10 main course. In the way of sandwiches, choices will include La Caprese with mozzarella, tomatoes and basil and La Vittoria with artichokes and roasted vegetables. Main courses will include chicken Marsala, baked ziti and stuffed shells with red sauce, and sausage and peppers. Caruso and crew are excited to set out their Italian flags and banners and roll up their sleeves. Ten La Bella Italia staffers will serve the crowd under an enormous tent. After a couple of years of experience, they've set the proportions to a T. Last year, of the 140 pounds of baked ziti prepared, only half a tray was left at closing time. The Pizza Olympics, new this year, will be hosted by YNot Pizza. Brothers Harry and Tony DiSilvestro, co-owners of YNot, presided over the first Pizza Games preliminary at the restaurant's Great Neck location Tuesday night. Both wore black pants and shirts that seemed to breathe flour as the pair handed out disk after disk of dough to the mostly young competitors. About 60 competitors using 300 pounds of dough made their way through the four stations: best spin, largest pizza, highest toss and pairs pizza toss. Tiffany Doudera of Virginia Beach took her two daughters, Skyler and Trinity Scheel, ages 7 and 5. Tiffany and Skyler did the pizza toss together. "Throw it like a Frisbee. It's got to spin," Doudera instructed, just before the dough took a dive. "That's all right," Tony DiSilvestro said. "Take another try. It takes time to learn how to spin." Finalists in youth, teen and adult categories will take the festival stage Saturday to compete for trophies, medals and bragging rights. DiSilvestro said the purpose of the event is to have fun and show off the art of pizza-making. DiSilvestro knows a thing or two about competitive pizza games. In the early 1990s he placed third - out of 600 competitors from around the world - in a national "fastest pizza maker" challenge. At these Pizza Olympics, he said, spectators can expect to see impressive skills and results - such as a 50-inch-wide pie. "Competitors will be given the same size dough, and they will stretch and stretch and lay it on the floor and stretch some more, and then we measure," he said. As for the best spin, that's a challenge to keep the pizza in the air for the longest time. "The best pizza guys will spin it over their heads and down and around their backs and arms. But you have to be working the dough a long time to do that," he said. In addition to hosting the Pizza Olympics, YNot will sell pizza and zeppole - sweet, deep-fried dough balls based on DiSilvestro's grandmother's recipe. Music lovers will be entertained throughout Festa Italiana by a variety of performers. Cour d'Italia, a dance troupe from Connecticut featuring teenagers and young adults, will perform authentic Italian dances. Ray Massa's EuroRhythms will perform Italian classics and American standards such as "Fly Me to the Moon" and "That's Amore." Another group, Tre Bella, is a trio of women with a repertoire that includes Italian standards, Abba hits and '80s songs. The final musical act is The Rat Pack Reprise, a trio of impersonators from Chicago who - backed by a live band - re-create the tuxedo-wearing, Martini-swilling heyday of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. Joy Vann, joyvann@cox.net This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Hampton Roads.com 2012-02-02T15:03:38-07:00 2012-02-02T15:03:38-07:00 http://www.ynotpizza.com/the-results-of-this-years-first-pizza-games-are-in/ Ynot Pizza & Italian Cuisine tony@ynotpizza.com http://www.ynotpizza.com/ Congratulations to all who participated. Ynot Pizza looks forward to bringing you this event again next year, so ; keep practicing! By Stacy Parker Virginian-Pilot correspondent September 23, 2010 VIRGINIA BEACH -- Pizza dough was everywhere. Flying up in to the air, across the sidewalk, on a child's head and even wrapped around a girl like a dress. With the highest pizza toss, 12-year-old Kearny Garlow won first place in the 11-to-14 age division preliminaries during the first round of the Pizza Games at the Great Neck YNot Pizza on Sept. 14.. "At first I just tossed it up," she said, "but the last one I kind of pushed myself up to make it go higher." More than 60 people finessed the dough in four divisions: highest pizza toss, longest pizza toss, largest pizza and best spin. Rachel Stephenson, 6, blushed when her turn came to toss. "Twist it," said Harry DiSilvestro, who along with his brother, Tony, own YNot Pizza and organized the event. "It will fly up like a Frisbee." Tony DiSilvestro competed in the 1995 World Pizza Games in Las Vegas and won third place for making the fastest pizza. He decided to bring the fun to Virginia Beach at the Italian Festival held Sept. 17 and 18 at 17th Street Park. YNot Pizza hosted three preliminary rounds at its Hampton Roads' locations leading up to the festival. The top three winners in each age bracket for each division were invited to compete in the finals. Hampton Roads.com 2012-02-02T15:00:22-07:00 2012-02-02T15:00:22-07:00 http://www.ynotpizza.com/ynot-pizza-opens-fourth-location-in-chesapeake/ Ynot Pizza & Italian Cuisine tony@ynotpizza.com http://www.ynotpizza.com/ Ynot Pizza's Newest Location in Chesapeake becomes an instant neighborhood favorite. Find out why more and more families near the Greenbrier corridor are saying "Ynot!" try the newest place for some of their old favorite Italian dishes. (Chesapeake, VA) - Ynot Pizza and Italian Cuisine announces its fourth restaurant location is now open in the Greenbrier section of Chesapeake. Located within the Greenbrier Shoppes at 1036 Volvo Parkway ; between Greenbrier Parkway and Eden Way ; Ynot Pizza is destined to be the new locals' favorite pizza restaurant. Visitors to Ynot Chesapeake are welcomed by a warm and inviting dcor and treated to the appetizing aroma of Italian cooking as soon as they walk through the front door. This spacious 4,000 sq. ft. neighborhood destination can accommodate up to 140 people, has a fully stocked bar for ABC "On" and offers ample seating selections for families, groups, couples and singles. Ynot Chesapeake offers convenient take-out and delivery options, not to mention corporate and special event catering. "We're very excited about our expansion into Greenbrier and look forward to serving our Chesapeake guests with a great dining experience," said Tony DiSilvestro, co-owner of Ynot Pizza. "We want our customers to experience true Italian hospitality in a casual, friendly and lively atmosphere." Ynot focuses on making a superior pizza with the best-quality ingredients and time honored hand-tossed baking methods. The dough used at Ynot is rolled-fresh daily and the premium cheeses are the best availableGrande cheese. Only the finest meats and vegetables are used in each pizza and pasta dish that is prepared. Specialty choices include Ynot's trademarked pizzas, calzone and stromboli, subs and wraps, traditional Italian pastas, breads, pastries, salads, soups, desserts and other surprises, such as the wildly popular YChop salad. John Foster is the proprietor of Ynot Chesapeake and is the fourth Ynot location serving Hampton Roads. Brothers Tony and Harry DiSilvestro opened the first Ynot Pizza restaurant in Great Neck section of Virginia Beach over 18 years ago. A second Ynot followed in the Providence Square Shopping Center in Kempsville and most recently, the Colley Avenue Ynot opened in Norfolk's Ghent. Ynot Pizza and Italian Cuisine in Chesapeake is located at 1036 Volvo Parkway, between Greenbrier Parkway and Eden Way. Restaurant hours are Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight. It offers dine-in, carry-out, delivery and catering to the local area. For more information about Ynot Pizza or to place an order, please call 757-382-9111 or click here.