Dining Spotlight: Overton Park Pizze Stone hard to beat
I predict a new trend in my family to show appreciation for good food: A single, resounding clap following the last bite. This is how 7-year-old Lily concluded her meal at Overton Park Pizze Stone this week. Her clap was meant particularly for the tiramisu; I give a hearty clap all 'round.
Photo by Brad Luttrell
At ease at Pizze Stone, Steven Skeen toasts his Italian beer, Peroni, on Tuesday. Skeen, who had dinner with Barbara Ball, ordered the Red Led, which has tomato sauce, roasted garlic, fresh oregano and mozzarella, while Ball ordered the Pesto, which has goat cheese and pine nuts.
Photo by Brad Luttrell
Duncan Aiken is not a behind-the-desk owner for his restaurant, Pizze Stone. Aiken checks on an order in his 80-year-old oven, prepares pizzas, sandwiches and mingles with customers.
Photo by Brad Luttrell
Aiken prepares a Lucca Brazzi, a pizza also called ''Sleep with the Fishes,'' which features handmade smoked mozzarella, arugula, marinated anchovies and truffle oil. Prices for thin-crust pizzas range from $10 to $15.
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Pizze Stone opened in June in the space that housed Marena's and more recently, Roustica. It's an excellent location for a neighborhood restaurant; offering pizza and sandwiches instead of more expensive fare is a perfect way to put out the welcome mat.
There are 14 named pizzas on the menu, or you can build your own. Over two days we tried the Diavolo, Lucca Brazzi, Fat Skunk and The Memphis. Prices for the thin-crust pizzas range from $10 to $15. They're all 12 inches, though plans are in the works for a personal pizza during lunch.
The Lucca Brazzi might be the prettiest little pizza you'll ever see. A generous tangle of arugula is piled atop the garlicky cheese pizza, with white anchovies and tomatoes in the mix, tossed with truffle oil. Sounds simple enough, but there is a lot going on when you combine the bitter pepperiness of the arugula, the earthiness of the truffle oil and the pungency of the anchovies. These aren't your typical canned, over-salted anchovies. They're gentler on the palate, but they're very rich and generously applied. I ended up pulling a few off, but the human anchovy-eating machine that is my husband polished them off quickly.
The Fat Skunk is the big ol' meat-lover's pizza, and I guess I was in a carnivorous mood, because it was my favorite. Sausage, pepperoni, onions, mushrooms -- the crust was groaning under it all (yet it soldiered on, properly crisp but with enough body for chewiness). I threw caution to the wind, topped it off with red pepper flakes and dug right in. Delicious.
The Memphis. Now why would I order a barbecue pizza when I don't like barbecue pizza? Peer pressure was applied, and I caved. It wasn't bad, either. I don't like barbecue with cheese, but this version was lighter on the meat than many I've tried, and the caramelized onions, goat cheese and jalapeno peppers were really a nice match for the smoky pork.
My least favorite of the pizzas was the Diavolo, though I didn't actually dislike it. A spicy sauce, spicy shrimp and jalapeno peppers, with a couple of cheeses and hot sauce on top sounds good, but it doesn't come together as a whole as well as the other pizzas. The shrimp were not spicy at all; perhaps more seasoning would elevate the pizza. I believe removing them altogether and adding more peppers might be a better option.
The atmosphere is convivial and relaxed. Customers talk between tables and the wait staff is efficient and friendly. The bubble lights under the outside awning bathe the restaurant in a warm and soothing glow when the sun goes down; it's simply an inviting place that makes you want to linger.
We tried three desserts. The fried chocolate truffles with mint gelato didn't do it for me. I found the chocolate too bitter, and I generally prefer dark chocolate (the gelato was nice). The espresso creme brulee was fine, but it was the tiramisu that won raves. Chef/owner Duncan Aiken uses sponge cake and mixes a bit of cream cheese with the mascarpone cheese and whipping cream. I've always enjoyed the slight tang of cream cheese in a tiramisu (and it makes the filling creamier, less mousse-y), but you don't usually find it at a restaurant. Aiken also dusts the top with a bit of cinnamon.
Aiken has been in the Memphis restaurant scene for years, starting out at the now-closed La Patisserie when he was 15 years old and stretching through Jarrett's, Stella and Cafe Society. But this restaurant is his dream.
"I've wanted to do this for 20 years," he said. "I've had the pizza oven over at my parents' house for the past 15 years."
--Jennifer Biggs: 529-5223
Overton Park Pizze Stone
Food:
Service: 
Atmosphere:
Address: 1545 Overton Park
Telephone: (901) 725-7806
Hours: Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Closed Sunday.
Reviewers' choice: Fat Skunk pizza, Lucca Brazzi pizza, tiramisu
Beverages: PBR, Fat Tire and Peroni on draft. Bring your own wine; the glass fee is $3.
Comments » 3
TiredofTaxes writes:
I went there. Thought the pizza was better than Memphis Pizza Cafe but not as good as Little Italy on Union. The service was slooooowwwww. Welcome any new business to midtown but not sure about this one...
ProudIndependent writes:
Glad to see something else in this restaurant. I proposed marriage to my wife there when it was still Marena's.
drew84g writes:
Great place -- I eat there all the time.
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