Fifteen years ago Mark Laska moved from Los Angeles to Whidbey Island, a place that seemed much more appropriate to him for where he wanted to raise his two year old son.
He thought at first that Orcas Island might be the best choice, but a visit to Whidbey and the views of Mount Baker drew him to Whidbey.
He had studied in Naples, Italy, with a man considered one of the greatest pizza makers, Enzo Coccia. He apprenticed with Coccia for several months and learned how to make authentic Neapolitan pizza. He became a certified “Pizzaiola” (conferred by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture). Marks notes there are about 50,000 pizzerias in Naples. The special pizza which he serves at Ciao Restaurant is made from Italian flour (which he purchases from Italy) that is finely ground and has far less gluten than American flour. He also uses Mediterranean sea salt, as well as other authentic ingredients.
After he moved to Coupeville, he learned that the building on Main Street in town was available for rent. He opened Ciao 9 years ago, during a U.S. recession. He made a major investment in the remodeling of the building and opened for business in May 2010. Since that time, Ciao has developed a reputation as “the heartbeat of Ebey’s Preserve,” and Mark says, “Everyone in the community enjoys gathering here.
Besides being known personally in the Coupeville area, Mark’s pizza has developed its own reputation. He has used the education he received in Italy to make pizza that is truly authentic. Using the Italian flour and other special ingredients (he even makes his own mozzarella), he preps the pizza and then cooks it in a special pizza oven for just 70 to 90 seconds.
Due to the pandemic, Ciao was closed from March to May of this year, but in June, it opened for curbside service. On October 20th, Mark opened for inside service with tables spaced safely apart. He has a staff of 20 to 25 employees that share his attitudes toward the customers and the products that are sold in Ciao.
Ciao is located at 701 N. Main Street in Coupeville. Currently, Ciao is offering special Family night dinners on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday that are $40 for two people and $65 for a family of four. Hours are 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
On Friday and Saturday, Ciao is focusing on Italian specialties and is open from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. Reservations are highly reci\ommended Ciao is closed Sunday and Monday.
Visit the website for more details: https://www.ciaocoupeville.com/
