Next week, Anchorage will get another wood-fired pizza restaurant with the opening of Hearth.
But owner Jon Campabello wants it to be more than that. With an interior that pairs rustic with modern, he hopes to create a "village" space between Hearth and his other restaurant, Middle Way Cafe.
The new space, which is set to open next week in Spenard's Northern Lights Center, is making the most of what it has. There's "flex space" that can seat people on either the cafe side or within Hearth. A new kitchen means more capacity for baking at Middle Way. There's a small section that includes a "baby" La Bodega specialty beer and wine shop. In May, Campabello hopes to expand outside with a covered patio.
It's big update for the mall, which Middle Way has occupied since 1992 (it had a sizable expansion in 2008). Hearth chef Jacob Davis said the menu will be in the same spirit as Middle Way in that it will focus on healthy, fresh, organic ingredients.
"As healthy as a pizza can be," Davis added.
But where Middle Way serves breakfast and lunch, Hearth's emphasis will be on dinner (for now), with beer and wine, appetizers and salads. Middle Way employs a more casual model of counter service, while Hearth will have a full wait staff. And Hearth's focus will be wood-fired pizzas -- Neapolitan-style with thin, crispy crust that's charred on the outside but soft on the inside.
While the menu includes traditional wood-fired options like margherita (tomato sauce, cheese and basil) and marinara, there are are few twists, like the "beet pizza" with beet root pesto, kale and goat cheese or "the Vito" -- a pie topped with fresh mozzarella, house-made ricotta, fennel sausage, squash and Calabrian chilies.
Pizza isn't new to Davis. From 1996 to 2002 he worked at the popular Moose's Tooth Pub and Pizzeria, where he gained much of his pizza experience. But Davis said Hearth's pizza is a "totally different kind." The dough -- composed of only water, flour, yeast and salt -- takes about 24 hours to develop. The pizza itself takes only about three and half minutes to cook in an oven that bakes about 200 degrees higher than a traditional pizza oven.
Davis said the oven, which can fit three 12-inch pizzas at a time, means that sharing is encouraged for large parties, since not everyone will get their pies at exactly the same time. That will make a difference in how people will be served, Davis said, adding that it encourages customers to take advantage of the appetizers, which include locally sourced roasted vegetables with garlic aioli or smoke-infused mussels fired in the oven with leeks, shallots, herbs, white wine and chilies.
Wood-fired pizzas are on the rise in Anchorage. Fat Ptarmigan and Rustic Goat opened in 2013 and 2014, respectively, both serving similar pizza styles.
Campabello said he first had the idea for a pizza establishment to complement Middle Way in 2010, with plans to open in 2012. But delays involving planning, construction and financing kept the project in the works for the last three years.
But he's pleased with how it's finally come together. He worked hard to pay attention to small details, like using refurbished wood recycled from Kenai's Wards Cove cannery to create a warm, inviting feel. The chairs are upcycled from a seminary school in the Midwest. A few tables are made with scrap metal from the Alaska Railroad. There are even several light fixtures salvaged from the old Knik Arm power plant.
Campabello said it's always risky to open a restaurant, especially with Alaska's economy facing an uncertain future. But he's optimistic the things that made Middle Way succeed -- a homegrown, authentic and inviting atmosphere coupled with good food and service -- will keep Hearth going.
"If you take care of people and are transparent, people will support you," he said. "We're confident we can weather whatever storms arise."