Zaza Fine Salad + Wood Oven Pizza Co.
5600 Kavanaugh Blvd. (in the old Heights Theater)
1050 Ellis Ave., Ste. 110 (Conway)
(501) 661-ZAZA (9292) in Little Rock and (501) 336-ZAZA (9292) in Conway.
ZazaPizzaAndSalad.com
The name Zaza rolls off the tongue untethered, like an utterance of complete euphoria and jubilation. It’s all at once elite and refreshingly free-spirited.
Its diners reflect that eclectic personality. We stopped in for lunch on a busy Wednesday and dined among a mix of retirees, moms and their children, suit-clad professionals meeting with clients and artsy-looking 20- and 30-somethings huddled over their work and lunch.
We took a table in the loft-like upstairs that afforded us a great view of the salad line and lunchtime hustle and bustle. The Zaza staff milled about, making quick, calculated movements as if participants in a secret synchronized dance. Dough was thrown, cheese was sprinkled and greens were tossed. Mesmerized, we ordered two salads, two full-size pizzas and a child entree for our miniature reviewer.
Our salads arrived right on time, and we dove in. First up was The Asian, a blend of field greens, romaine, chicken tenders, shaved carrots, snow peas, mandarin oranges, red cabbage, cilantro, green onion, wonton crisps and almonds. It’s tossed with a creamy Asian ginger dressing.
Typically when we think of ginger dressing, images of Japanese hibachi grill salads drenched in a thick ginger goo dance in our heads. You can smell the dressing before the salad arrives, and the intensity of the ginger singes the palate. Not so with the Zaza dressing. We ordered our salad medium dressed, and while plenty gingery, it had a mild and pleasantly spicy flavor, enhanced by chunks of breaded chicken breast, carrot and snap peas and crunchy, lightly salted wonton crisps. Here and there, we happened upon a cold and juicy bite of mandarin orange, and it sealed the deal. We were in love with this salad.
Next, we tried The Steakhouse. Radically different from the previous salad, this mix featured romaine and spinach topped with wood-oven roasted ribeye, caramelized onion, roasted mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, croutons and green onions and was tossed with “steakhouse blue cheese” dressing. We loaded our forks with each of the ingredients and took one hefty bite. Our immediate thought was, “Wow, this is just like a steak dinner, except in a salad.”
The meat was exceptionally tender and juicy, with a definitive savory, oven-roasted flavor, and the sweet, caramelized onions were the perfect complement. We loved the contrast of the warm toppings on the cool bed of greens and how the Zaza croutons just crumbled in our mouths. The dressing was subtly tangy and delicious. We couldn’t imagine a dressing more fitting for this salad.
Our first pizza was the Petit Jean Ham & Pineapple, which consisted of Zaza’s signature thin crust (made of imported Italian flour) topped with house-made San Marzano sauce, local Petit Jean ham, mozzarella, jalapenos and pineapple. We think it’s important to note that neither the pineapple nor the jalapeno came from a can or jar. They were both chopped fresh at Zaza, and you can certainly taste the difference.
Simple in execution, the flavor profile of this pizza was anything but. The savory ham and sweet pineapple contrasted beautifully on our palates, and the jalapeno added a nice kick at the finish. We liked that the pizza wasn’t overloaded with ingredients. The ham took center stage, but it wasn’t overpowering or briny; the cheese was ample but not stringy; the jalapenos were spicy but sprinkled sparingly.
The second pizza we tried was the Quattro Stagioni, which means “four seasons” in Italian. Quartered to represent the four seasons in Italy, one section was sprinkled with roasted mushrooms, one with Kalamata olives, one with artichoke hearts and one with prosciutto. It was like having four different pizzas in one, each complementary to the other. The prosciutto was thin and slightly crispy, just like we like it, and the other ingredients were fresh and robust in their own right.
Other details we loved during our experience were the complimentary Barbero breadsticks and the fact that Zaza places a bottle of simple syrup near the drinks. Small touches like these really win our hearts. That’s amoré!
P.S.: Our young food critic gobbled up the “Little Cheeser,” an 8-inch mozzarella cheese pizza with a slightly thicker crust. The big kids thought it was pretty delicious, too!