So you think pizza is Italian? Surrey says think again

Savouring Surrey is a weeklong series looking at the history and the future of Surrey through its many restaurants and the people who make up the diverse community.

The diverse culinary adventure that is Surrey can rival even the best food court.

It is also home to many versions of everyone's favourite late-night meal: pizza.

It's safe to say there are hundreds of places to call or pick up a full pie or a slice, but if you want a dollop of pizza history along with that slice, Tomato Shack on Whalley Boulevardis the place to go.

The legend ofSyskakis

John Syskakis has been in the pizza business for most of his life.

Syskakis left the Greek island of Crete to move his family to Edmonton wherehe learned to make pies from one of Canada's originalMontrealpizza makers.

He was eventually lured to the West Coast and broughthis original pizza-making skillstoVancouver, and then to Delta and then to Surrey.

So, what's the secret?

Syskakis is tight-lipped about his recipe although he did say he makes the dough a day earlier, and much of the deliciousness comes from the sauce he makes, but that sauce is very much a secret.

He's largely retired but heads into the Tomato Shack everymorning to make the dough and sauce. His son takes over later in the day to put the final touches to the prized pies.

Pizza is....Greek?

The pizza-master told me another secret you might not know: Pizza is actually Greek, not Italian.

The way Syskakis tells it, a high ranking Roman who was visiting Greecetried one of the earliest pizzas and took it back to Rome.

So if you want to know whatauthentic Greek pizza made the Canadian way tastes like,check out Tomato Shack on Whalley Boulevard.