zaza fine salad + wood-oven pizza co.

not even a top 10 for pizza -. this place has great salads and they should have just stopped atzazafine salad; the pizzas are no reason to make a special trip. if you are in the mood for a salad, drive to zaza. if you are in the mood for pizza, drive to another restaurant.

i've worked atzazafor two years and i can't express how necessary it is to experience the place with an open mind. our pizza seems to be the biggest complaint. i must say that it is authentic italian-style pizza. it is not /supposed/ to have a thick, fluffy crust. it is not for pizza hut lovers. so stop your whining. seriously. and our salads are out -of-this-world delicious and use the freshest produce, local when available. one employee complaint though: no vegetarian soups. which is lame.

the kind of restaurant that is less restaurant and more 'second kitchen.' we've been eating atzazafor 5 years at least 3 times a week. the portions are huge, the ingredients are quality and the food is always consistent.

margherita pizza andzazahouse salad can't be beat! wow...perfect way to end a 7+ hour drive from houston!

fine foods to be sure...zazahas great food. if you're looking for more of that california style pizza with some more interesting ingredients, this is the place for you. we had a pizza with arugula, and while i like arugula the sheer amount on top made the pizza a bit too peppery. it was delicious though.

the one problem i have with this restaurant is the seating. the chairs feel flimsy and no where in the restaurant seems very secluded. i know it's a problem with the space, they're too popular for such a small space. my recommendation is not to come here on a first date...

1am heartburn. triedzazafor 1st and last time. pizza was not good and still up at 1am with heartburn...plastic furniture, bad food, noisy atmosphere and arrogant staff didn't help much either. my mistake but don't make it yours.

great place for casual lunch. i go tozazaevery week with my mother. she loves the cobb salad we usually share one with either a soup or pizza. sometimes, the pizza can be a bit on the soggy side especially if you get one with the artichoke, which is literally half an artichoke and the placement of toppings can be very haphazard with all one kind on one side and vice versa. yet, still it is satsifying, i prefer the soups.

zaza is fantastic!. if you're reading this review, wondering if you should go to zaza, ask yourself the following questions...if you answer "yes" to these, don't go- save room for the rest of us!

1. do you want boring, mass-produced chain-style pizza?
2. do you prefer bland or flavorless ingredients?
3. do you want your salad's ingredients to come from a can?
4. do you want your servers to look like wally cleaver?

if you answered "no," you must try zaza! why?
* the salads are full of fresh and locally-grown (when available) ingredients - thezazasalad is amazing!
* the pizzas are unique and full of flavor - my favorite is the "green + white" - those carmelized onions rock!
* the house-made soups are delicious - mmm...mulligatawny
* the sandwiches are tasty and satisfying - love the grinder
* my kids love the kids menu - little cheeser with pepperoni, please!
*the gelato, in an ever-changing array of fabulous flavors, is divine - arkansas blackberry, chocolate, hazlenut
* the house wine is actually good

the staff are fantastic - it's clear thatzazaencourages each person to be him/herself while providing wonderful customer service. i truly love everything i've eaten at zaza. unless you're looking for a dull restaurant experience that is just like any chain out there, you will love the wonderful experience that is zaza.

surprisingly good. i had never heard ofzazaand did not expect to enjoy it because my girlfriend described it as a "great salad place." she was right, though. the salads are wonderful and the pizzas are absolutely amazing. i love coming here for lunch.

consistently fresh, local organic ingredients. this is the best place for lunch in the city. it gets very busy very quickly and it is very small and cramped so get there early to bea the crowd and get a seat. the staff is friendly, helpful and fast. the salads are amazing, try thezazasalad with roasted chicken. the gelato is to die for....always amazing, surprising flavors. try thezazasalad and margarita pizza...delish! please expand zazas!

i think i'll have to move to zaza's neighborhood!. my first visit to zaza's was by invitation from a friend who asked some of my co-workers to join her for lunch, as well. it was during the christmas holiday this year and only two of us were not working that day so we couldn't really sit and enjoy the atmosphere and each other as we had liked. we ordered the cobb salad which our friend suggested since it was her favorite; and the marghirita pizza. if you like bleu cheese, you'll really like the cobb. oh, the pizza was very, very tasty with an incredible crust.! needless to say, i returned about two days after with my mother and since i was still on vacation, we chose a time when it wasn't as busy. this time we chose seating upstairs. there are a few steps to climb but once there, you really don't have to descend until leaving because extra plasticware, napkins and straws are readily accessible. this time i tried the asian salad and friends, i haven't looked back. i cannot tell you how wonderful this (i'm eating one now) salad experience is. i don't think i could ever get bored with it but just to be sure, i think i'll take a break and try another one next time ...maybe not...you gotta try it!! oh, and they play some of the best old school music. there!zazafine salad & wood-oven pizza co. is so worth the long drive.

zazas salads!!. thezazasalad (minus blueberries plus cranberries) is awesome! the pizza's are ok but i continually show up for the salad.

zaza is zozo.. after reading the rave reviews written by the throngs of adoringzazafans/disciples, i decided to finally try it. my curiosity was definitely piqued. i called in an order to go, and when i arrived, i realized that this had been a prudent decision. i would rather not have been subjected to the large contingent of adolescents who were there to socialize while dining on gelato. it was a chaotic environment, and definitely not the atmosphere that i seek when dining out.

i had ordered a pepperoni pizza, and was also intent on grabbing some gelato. the gelato server that waited on me was very personable and friendly. i paid for the pizza, and a tub of cookies and cream flavored gelato, left the establishment, and promptly returned home, eager to see if this place actually lives up to the accolades.

i did some research on napoli-style pizza before dining at zaza, and can appreciate their attempt to make it authentic in the choice of ingredients and the preparation, although i felt that execution was off on the pizza i received. the crust didn't bother me, although i prefer a thicker crust for pizza. taste was reminiscent of burnt toast. the pepperoni was great, there was just not enough of it. however, as of 3-27-11, i have been informed that the staff has rectified this issue, and has begun adding more pepperoni to the pizzas. i appreciatezazafor listening. i liked the san marzano sauce. i had sizable pieces of unmelted cheese on my pizza. the pizza was okay, but not the best pizza i have ever eaten. napoli-style was where pizza had its true genesis, and i can appreciate the style for its massive contribution to gastronomy, but it just is not a favorite of mine.zazais ok, but i like other pizza styles/places better, like damgoode, for example.

zaza seems to be a bit trendy, and i wonder if its overwhelming popularity is based on the superior quality of the food, or the fact that it is the flavor of the month. will it retain this level of adulation twenty years from now? only time will tell.

gelato was top notch. however,zazadoes not provide the best pizza in little rock, in my opinion.zazais a little too expensive for what you get. i personally don't feel that this is the number one restaurant in lr, or on kavanaugh, and it simply will not ever be, as far as i am concerned. i don't think that being the top restaurant in a large metropolitan area should be a realistic expectation for a pizza place (yeah, they serve salads and gelato, too). i think that this is a designation that should be reserved for fine dining establishments. i guess it isn't the fault ofzazathat it is so immensely popular, and that it has the number one ranking on urbanspoon. good for them. furthermore, after learning that zaza's staff corrected the toppings issue, i am prepared to give it another shot. i would like to thank the owner for his urbanspoon response as well.

zaza!. for a foodie, walking up to zaza's salad bar was like walking into an adult candy store. don't get me wrong; i am a candy fan. i am not embarrassed to admit that i have used it as a meal replacement before. but not this day. it was time for something more substantial and my date was pleased not to feast on a dinner of jellybeans.
whatzazahad to offer us was infinitely better. before us lay a plethora of tiny bins, each one crammed with some of the most delicious ingredients known to man. dark green spinach, pearl-like boiled eggs, gleaming kalamata olives, half moon mandarin oranges, and then the cheese, oh the cheese! at least six different kinds, beckoning invitingly in their bins, next to their favorite cousins, the nuts and crunch section, which included candied pecans.
and that was just the salad.
to prevent too much spinning of the head,zazaallows their customers to also choose from among their excellent combinations. i was gunning for the spinach mimosa ($8.25) as soon as i entered the door. my date opted out, knowing that he would be sharing bites of the generous portion.
we grabbed beers from the cooler station (pranqster and acme, respectively $4.00) and stepped up to the enormous floor-to-ceiling wood cylinder that comprises the wood oven, firing up zaza's napoli-style pizzas. i chose the prosciutto- arugula ($12.00) and my date had to have the house-made italian sausage ($11.50). i also snagged a small bowl of the freshly made jambalaya ($3.50). we grabbed our silverwear and headed upstairs to the loft seating area.


from where we sat, we watched espn on the telly, customers picking up their call-in orders, and two little guys rocking out on the guitar hero station in the corner.zazais frequented by their neighbors in the heights and everyone dining in was having a lovely and relaxed evening.
up came my salad and jambalaya and we were glad to see them both. the spinach mimosa was scrumptious. my date's comment was that it was all his favorite things in one bowl. i was especially drawn to the way the creamy dressing combined with the egg and avocado. the jambalaya was good and well flavored, although my taste buds were lonely in the absence of the rice.
pizza came quickly after. zaza's chef did not scrimp on my arugula portion; i had a whole row of the garden on my pizza. the san marzano tomato sauce was sweetly perfect, blending with the zillions of halved cherry tomatoes tumbling off each slice. i would have preferred my prosciutto warmer to give it a more pleasing texture, but again, there was no stinginess with the amount, so i can't complain too much. i managed to get a bite of my date's sausage pizza without getting my fingers nibbled off; yummy oregano and red pepper flavoring!
since i was splurging in a major way, i went appropriately "whole hog" and went downstairs to get a cup of gelato. i admit to some apprehension at what i would taste next. after visiting italy, most icy things that dare to call themselves 'gelato' in america generally taste like slush to me. butzazawas on a roll, so i went with it. to my happiness, it wasn't bad at all. according to the nice dude with big black glasses behind the gelato bar, the man who makes the gelato is the only one certified to do it in arkansas. what??! there is a special school for making gelato? sign me up!
he let me taste pumpkin (spicy and exciting), cookies and cream (pitch perfect), and scooped me up a cup full of strawberry merlot ($3.50 smooth, rich, perfect end of summer taste). he peaked my interest for the coming offerings: candy cane for christmas and champagne raspberry for new year. what a way to celebrate!
fun, fabulous, and as addictive as candy………. zaza, i'll be back for more.


zaza fine salad + wood-oven pizza co.
in the old heights theater 5600 kavanaugh
www.zazapizzaandsalad.com
mon- fri: 10:30am-9:30pm
fri-sat only: italian bar open until 10:30pm: gelato, espresso, beer and wine.

best service in town. i enjoyzazaonce to twice a week as my office is a stones throw from the old heights theater. it wasnt until the other night that i went in for dinner with my wife. we were a bit put off at first as there was a line to the door, however, we made it through the entire line in underneath 10 minutes. we then had to sit at the pizza station as there were no seats in the restaurant. we had a blast! we watched a very gregarious and exceedingly friendly young man make pizza after pizza while talking to us about his new young son. he was indicative of the overall service that i have come to love art zazas. he was clean, friendly, fast and fun to watch. everyone should give this restaurant a chance, and sit at the pizza station when you do. you'll have fun, i promise.