Burning Questions

This might be one of the smokiest years in local restaurant history, with wood-fired ovens a fixture for everyone from pizza places to trendy new spots like the open-fire kitchen at TBD. But what happens to restaurants when Spare the Air days go into effect, as they have today for the fifth day in a row and the 20th day this season? As it turns out, the wood-burning ban doesn't apply to restaurants because they generate income and have to pay employees and bills."Wood burning ovens represent a very small fraction of the overall wood burning devices in the Bay Area," said Tom Flannigan of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, so enjoy that wood-fired pizza with a clear conscience. [ABC]