Restaurant

Good pizza comes to those who wait. That's the motto of sorts for the folks at Rance's Chicago Pizza, whose pies are made in authentic Chi-Town style, right down to the Wisconsin cheese. But how long a wait is it for such iconic Midwestern flavor? "Being that it's a deep dish — and there's so much food and so many ingredients that need to be cooked — whether you're in Chicago or here, it takes 40 to 45 minutes," said co-owner Rance Ruiz, who opened the Costa Mesa pizza business last month with childhood friend Aaron Tofani.

They're calling it a different spin on a tried-and-true concept. Burrissimo Fresh Italian is a newly opened fast-casual restaurant in Costa Mesa with assembly-line service reminiscent of Chipotle Mexican Grill. But don't expect south-of-the-border-inspired offerings from the 2,650-square-foot restaurant at 1534 Adams Ave. Patrons first choose one of three entrées: a "burrissimo," pasta bowl or chopped salad bowl. Next comes the choice to add a various assortment of grilled items, sauces, dressings, vegetables and cheeses, to name a few. "It's a word that we created," said Burrissimo owner John Parlet.

Stan Frazier can't cook in silence. Depending on his mood, tunes ranging from David Bowie to Slayer and Madonna to Bill Evans can be heard pouring out of his two-story home in Newport Beach. "I need to have music playing when I'm involved in the craft of cooking because it puts me in such a good mindspace," said Frazier, one of the investors in A Restaurant & Market in Newport. "To me, they go so hand-in-hand that the music player needs to be switched on before I even tie my apron.

Want the tryptophan-induced coma without all the work? Here are a few alternatives to preparing your own Thanksgiving meal. * Lobster or turkey Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., offers a three-course menu with items like Maine lobster chowder, slow-basted organic turkey, pumpkin tart and more for $75 for adults and $35 for children younger than 12, plus tax and gratuity. Soup's on from 1 to 6 p.m. Thursday. For more information, call (714)

Everyone will have a chance this weekend to get a sneak peek and taste of the new Habit Burger Grill restaurant, which is set to open at 1510 Adams Ave. in Costa Mesa. As part of its grand-opening celebration, the Habit has teamed up with three local organizations - Girls Inc. of Orange County, Share Our Selves, and the Estancia High School football program - for a trio of fundraisers spread out between Sunday and Monday. The chain, which is based in Irvine, will officially open its Costa Mesa location for business at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

When he was the drummer of Sugar Ray, precision and multi-tasking played a big role in Stan Frazier's life. Now, he has transferred those skills to his new career as a chef. Frazier, a Newport Beach resident and co-investor of A Restaurant, traded his drumsticks for knives when he competed on the reality television series "Chef Race: UK vs. US. " He said that his wife found out about the show through a Craigslist ad and urged him to compete because he enjoyed cooking and was transitioning out of his days with Sugar Ray. (The band is still together, albeit without Frazier, who is on hiatus.)

The Coco's Bakery and Restaurant in Corona del Mar was evacuated Wednesday after a small fire broke out in the kitchen. The fire was reported at 11:51 a.m. at the restaurant at 3446 E. Coast Hwy., said Newport Beach Fire Department Division Chief Ralph Restadius. A firefighter used an extinguisher to put out the fire, Restadius said. The sprinkler system did not engage, and no one was injured, Restadius said. Firefighters evacuated the restaurant as a precautionary measure, he said.

Grocery shopping is usually thought of as a chore, certainly not something that is combined with dinner and drinks. Whole Foods Market, known for natural and organic products, aims to change this stodgy attitude with the Sept. 19 opening of its Fashion Island location. The 32,000-square-foot store features a full-service restaurant, complete bar and teahouse. To take it a step further, Whole Foods Fashion Island also has an outdoor lounge area with fire pits, valet and car-side drop-off service.

Jenna Dupuy, 9, took on the role of hostess at Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill in Costa Mesa, greeting guests as they walked through the door Wednesday night. Jenna, along with about 10 children ranging in age from 8 to 14, shadowed servers, food runners, busboys and hosts at Z'Tejas in support of Team Kids, an Irvine-based nonprofit that gets children involved in the community, learn essential life skills and help the less fortunate. "The whole purpose is to give kids, at a young age when they care so much about making a difference, a chance to truly have an opportunity to affect change and contribute to serve in a valuable way," said Julie Hudah, founder of Team Kids.

The family of a Newport Harbor High School student who is struggling to recover from a brain tumor is looking for community support. Shelby Benjamin should be getting excited to start her senior year, but instead she is fighting to recover from her second surgery to remove the tumor. The 17-year-old was released from the hospital Wednesday and isn't out of the woods yet, her family said. "I would appreciate any support from the community - any support or prayers would be huge at a time like this to get her back to the awesome, fun-loving girl she is," said Chadd Benjamin, Shelby's 22-year-old brother.