Whether you are in the mood for pizza, salads or gelato, ZaZa will satisfy your taste buds. Chefs John Beachboard and Scott McGehee wanted to open a restaurant that served Napoli-style, wood-fired pizzas, fresh salads and homemade gelato at an affordable cost in a casual atmosphere.
They are committed to serving only the freshest ingredients and, whenever possible, buying their ingredients from local farmers who practice sustainable agriculture. According to their website, the chefs at ZaZa are convinced the best-tasting food is grown and harvested in ways that are ecologically sound by locals who care for the land.
With 14 pizzas and 12 salads to choose from, deciding what to order may take some time. A great way to sample a variety of the menu is to go with a large group, order several pizzas and try a slice from each. If you are planning on ordering gelato for dessert, then a pizza will feed two.
Try the prosciutto-arugula pizza with cherry tomatoes, arugula, prosciutto, parmesan and San Marzano tomato sauce. If you are feeling adventurous, order a fried egg on top. Adding a fried egg to your pizza may seem like a foreign idea, but the added flavor makes all the difference.
Another pizza worth tasting is the Italian sausage topped with house-made Italian sausage, garlic, caramelized onion, bell pepper, arugula, fontina, parmesan and San Marzano tomato sauce. The Italian sausage pizza more closely resembles what you may find on an American pizza; however, the fresh ingredients and wood-fired texture of the crust sets ZaZa’s pizza apart from the competition.
If you want a healthier option, try one of ZaZa’s fresh salads or create your own. The Petit Jean Ranch, with romaine, spinach, ham, bacon, green bell pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and mozzarella, is always a crowd favorite. Feeling creative? Choose from a wide variety of vegetables, fruit, cheese, protein and salad dressings to create your favorite salad.
Save room for dessert. Gelato is prepared in house daily. The flavors vary from day to day and may include pistachio, raspberry, peanut butter cup, cookies and cream, lemon and vanilla. If you cannot decide on just one flavor, you can order a mixture. Raspberry and lemon is always a refreshing combination.
The Little Rock location opened in 2008 and is located at 5600 Kavanaugh Blvd. Because of the success of the Little Rock restaurant, Beachboard and McGehee decided to open another in The Village at Hendrix in Conway in Oct. 2010.
Menus are available online, but pizzas generally cost around $12, salads around $8 and gelato around $4.
The next time you are in Little Rock to go shopping, see a movie or attend a concert, check out ZaZa for fresh salads, authentic wood-fired pizza and homemade gelato.
