Lately, some of the most exciting local social media belongs to Hard Knox Pizzeria (4437 Kingston Pike, 865-602-2114, hardknoxpizza.com). The restaurant changed hands last year, and new owners Paul and Alexa Sponcia have been reimagining the business ever since. That includes a new monthly effort to raid the minds of local chefs to create special pizzas, such as April’s Crown & Goose Pizza by chef Jeff DeAlajandro.
This month’s collaboration is with Knoxville’s most flamboyant chef, Holly Hambright, resulting in a pizza that is as extravagant and unique as Hambright herself. The Holly has a base of cauliflower hummus mixed with a tahini vinaigrette and topped with lamb meatballs, diced tomatoes, onion, and Bulgarian feta. But wait, there’s more—right after the pizza comes out of the oven, it’s covered with arugula dressed with more tahini vinaigrette and a handful of Cruz Farm ricotta cheese crumbles. The 12-inch Holly pie is available through May. You’ll want to keep an eye on the Hard Knox Facebook page or Twitter feed for what’s next.
The Sponcias have introduced another tasty new element: the Sunday Pizza Brunch runs from 9 a.m. until they run out of ingredients for the day. It’s $12 and includes wood-fired cinnamon rolls and a choice of three gourmet breakfast pizzas: the carbonara, chorizo con huevos, and the egg white, with chunks of mozzarella and bacon, spinach, and feta.
Brunch also includes coffee and orange juice, and you’re welcome to bring your own bubbles to make mimosas.
Dennis Perkins' Home Palate is a tasty exploration of local options for eating out and eating well by way of restaurant reviews, features on fun or unusual foodstuffs, and interviews with local food purveyors and tastemakers. It’s a candid and personal look at what’s right (and sometimes what’s wrong) with eating in Knoxville and its environs. He is also the artistic director of the Knoxville Children’s Theatre, has directed and performed at the Actor’s Co-op and Black Box Theatre, and is a foodie par excellence.
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