I’ve always got a running list of places that I want to try, and Wood Stone Craft Pizza & Bar in Fayetteville has been on it since I first heard of its opening last year. Opened by the folks behind the farm-to-table favorite Greenhouse Grille, I’d heard good things, so when I found myself in Fayetteville recently, I made a point to stop in for some lunch. There were some really good things going on at Wood Stone, even if not everything was perfect.
First up, a kale and artichoke dip, a play on the classic spinach and artichoke version. The wood-oven toasted bread was fantastic, and the creamy Asiago base of the dip was quite nice. Unfortunately, kale doesn’t get quite as soft as spinach does, leaving the texture of the dip a little less than desirable. The flavors were there, though, so if you like creamy dips like this, I recommend it, especially with that grilled bread.
Our pizza, the Blanco, was a cheese lover’s dream: mozzarella, feta, Parmesan and Gorgonzola all combined with a creamy bechamel to make for a gooey, flavorful delight. The Gorgonzola was particularly nice—not overpowering, but nice and pungent, making me wish more pizza places would look into putting cheese like this in the mix more often. The crust was less impressive, though—despite the thin layer of toppings, there was some serious droop factor going on with every slice, and a nice, crisp crust would have been just the thing to turn this pie from decent to delicious.
Still, even with a couple of issues, I was still happy with my meal at Wood Stone. It’s obvious that a lot of care has gone into the recipes and ingredient selection, and I’ll definitely be back for another round next time I’m in town.