ZZ's Pizza

I forgot to bring my camera to dinner last night so I’m hoping my words do justice to the great experience I had at ZZ’s Pizza in Walnut Hills. 

For a little back-story- I drive past ZZ’s on Gilbert Avenue everyday on my way to work.  It wasn't until about the 20th time I drove past that I realized it was a restaurant. I thought to myself “Is that place really open? Is it legit? "  After a bit of research I learned the establishment has been around more than twenty years, closing for a couple years in the mid-2000's before re-opening under new ownership.  The awkward shape of the building gives the impression the space is much smaller than it really is.  It’s shaped quite like a slice of pizza, narrow at the entrance and flares out into a triangular/oblong shape.  A mixture of high-top and regular tables line the walls as well as a long bar that takes up about half of one side of the restaurant. 

My eyes were immediately drawn to the Ikea wine racks and once I perused their selection of bottles I knew this place had something going.  House bottles are $20 and then some higher priced from $26-$44.  It’s not just pizza, after all.  The beer selection is decent, the liquor selection is a small 2 foot long shelf with about one bottle of each of the major liquor groups.  But why go with liquor when there’s plenty to choose from in the wine department?    

With a wine list longer than the actual menu it took me longer to choose a bottle than a pizza.  Not much in the way of starters, some simple salads, a couple soups, a few sandwich choices and then the pizza menu. We ordered a bottle of the Cebastiani chardonnay.  The pizza took a few minutes to make its way out which gave us plenty of time to enjoy our Caesar salads and most of the chardonnay.  I was surprised by the flavor of the Caesar, it wasn’t drenched in dressing which sometimes seems to happen.  The romaine was very green and leafy and served slightly at room temperature; I’m starting to realize how much I prefer lettuce when it’s not quite so chilled.

We ordered the Cajun pizza from the specialty pizza menu.  The toppings really made it a work of art with all the colors and shapes the pie had going on: sour dough crust with light pizza sauce, cheddar cheese, ground sausage, shrimp, green peppers and onions.  Sometimes specialty pizzas worry me because I can get annoyed by the toppings after just one piece but this combination was very balanced.  When I’m eating pizza I want to feel like I'm eating pizza.  Although the Cajun had a variety of toppings, there wasn't so much that the crust and traditional pizza flavors were altered.  It was supposed to have jalapenos but I didn't find any on my two pieces which was fine with me because the spice of the Cajun seasoning was enough to get my face sweating a bit. 

I feel like there are a lot of restaurants I try one time and say I’m going to go back, but time or geography or habit get in my way and I don’t end up returning for a second trip.  I really mean it when I say I will go back to ZZ’s Pizza.  The menu is not extensive, but everything they have to offer is done just right.

The most wonderful time of the year...

Is when our company’s law firm gifts us with a holiday platter of cookies and dessert bars from BonBonerie.  I’ve had cookie platters from Busken's and Graeter’s but those seem like knock-offs compared to this bliss.  

My favorite is the Coney Island cookie. It is normally heart-shaped but they changed it up for Christmas; luckily the change in shape did not compromise the taste of the cookie.  It's a shortbread base topped with raspberry jam and additional shortbread is decoratively piped around the perimeter of the cookie.  The piped cookie dough almost reminds me of a churro, almost.  Slightly crunchy on the outside of the dough and soft and chewy on the inside. The cookie base is very rich and dense which is what makes this gem so satisfying. 

The first runner-up was the Tart Lemon Square.  Lemon squares always seem to have that addictive quality, for me at least.  The sweetness verges on too much until it is off-set by the sour of the lemon and then you just want to keep eating and eating so you can experience the flavor extremes.

This tray of treats started in my boss's office, then traveled to a conference room, then landed on my desk, back to my boss's office and now it sits in our break-room.  The iced sugar cookies were decorated with such detail, almost too pretty to eat, almost.

 

The dessert bars and other pastries were delightful. Surprisingly, I was not impressed by the double fudge brownie. Most of the bars contained coconut so if you're not a fan you probably want to stick with the basic cookies and cakes.  I loved the Petite Blackbottom cupcake with the chocolate snowflake and glitter on top.  The Caramel Walnut Bar reminded me of a larger version of a Christmas cookie my aunt used to make with graham crackers covered in brown sugar, melted butter and pecans. 

I want to open a patisserie.

A Tavola

My first review but third trip to A Tavola...4th if you count the time I tried to go for lunch, 5th if you count the time I was too hungry for the hour and a half wait.  We had a 1/2 hour wait and the space has limited standing room so we walked across the street for a drink at Lackman.  I already knew what I was going to order but I wanted something green before my meal.  I smartly chose the grilled asparagus salad. 

The bed of soft lettuce was served at room temperature and lightly, almost unnoticably (in a good way) coated in a lemon vinaigrette and seemed, dare I say, fluffy?  The salty, crunchy prosciutto paired well with the mild flavor of the dressing, the nuttiness of the pine nuts and the crunch of the asparagus.  It was like everything in this salad was meant to be served together.    

This is where I declare my love for the beef meatballs.  They're made with Wagyu beef (high quality, enhanced flavor, tender, mostly unsaturated fat, etc), served in a bowl of tomato sauce and topped with the salsa verde, goat cheese if you prefer and 3 slices of blue oven bread.  Originally I thought the green sauce was some type of pesto but it's a salsa verde and adds a touch of spice to this dish.  If you order the meatballs and you're not a fan of soggy bread remove the 3 pieces of bread immediately after you receive the dish.  I prefer to let the bread sit and by the time I get to the last piece the bottom edge is completely soaked in sauce and I love the mushy goodness.   If my face was smaller or the bowl was bigger I would have licked up every drop of sauce.

My friend went non-original with a pepperoni pizza.  I stole a corner and the dough was chewy and not over-sauced with nice crispy peices of pepp.  I generally prefer alternative sauces on pizza or a simple olive oil and garlic.  On my first visit I loved the radicchio, house bacon and caramelized onion pizza with fontina and a balsamic reduction. 

The only complaint was that my salad and meatballs came out at the same time and about 15 minutes before my friend's pizza.  By the time I got to the meatballs they had cooled down a bit.  

 Lately, when people ask me to recommend a restaurant A Tavola is the first place I mention, and not just because of the food, it's the contact high you get from the energy running through this place.