We’ve been astonished by our city’s nonstop growth and spate of newcomers to our dining scene. Moreover, we’ve been blown away by the irrepressible spirit of our long-standing chefs and restaurateurs who have dug in, gotten creative, and adapted so they can continue to serve delicious food and drink to us hungry diners. For this year’s Restaurant Issue, there are no bests. For anyone still in the business and doing the work, that’s a best, in and of itself. Salud!
We’ve looked back over the past year or two and assembled some favorites, including these unique pizzas (no round pies here!)
SLIM & HUSKY’S PIZZA BEERIA
P.R.E.A.M.
P.R.E.A.M. stands for Pizza Rules Everything Around Me. It’s not just the name of one of Slim & Husky’s fabulous artisanal pies—in this case a thin, oblong disc plied with The White Sauce is Slammin, S+H house cheese blend, spinach, pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, and red onion—and it’s more than a tribute to the Wu-Tang Clan’s 1994 classic. For founders Clint Gray, Derrick Moore, and Emmanuel Reed, it’s a way of life: Great pizza, enjoyed with hip-hop and R&B, is a vehicle for building community. (911 Buchanan St.; 615-561-1787; slimandhuskys.com)
EMMY SQUARED
The Emmy
Detroit-style pizza, served up in Nashville via Brooklyn. Emmy Squared is flippin’ the script—cheese before sauce—and serving up a recipe that has pleased the persnickety pizza lovers for years. Supple dough goes into a rectangular pan, layered with copious amounts of cheese (so much that it creates toothsome frico at the edges.) Toppings and sauce come last, at times, post-bake. The namesake pie is a mainstay: white pizza baked with cheese, red onion, and banana peppers, striped with herbed ranch right before service. (404 12th Ave. S., 615-248-2662; emmysquaredpizza.com)
PENNEPAZZA
Pinsa Maiala
Created in Rome, pinsas are pizzas made with a special combination of flours that yields a “cloudlike” crust and are lighter to eat. PennePazza in L&L Marketplace makes these authentic hand-pressed pies using luscious ingredients, each finished with basil and olive oil. The signature Pinsa Maiala has a base of red sauce, topped with mozzarella, salami, sausage, and porchetta. Mangia! (3826 Charlotte Ave., 615-730-3088; pennepazza.net)