Speck Pizza cuts a wider swath than the name implies

It was that quiet time between storms, that magical couple of hours between lunch and supper when most restaurant workers can catch their breath and people like me can eat without braving a crowd. Speck Pizza + Street Food at 430 Broadway in Cape Girardeau, having just opened for business on Sept. 1, still had a decent crowd but it was by no means full. Perfect.

After perusing the menu thoroughly, I took a moment to appreciate the lovely tiles behind the bar, and the immense wood-fired oven prominently displayed up front. Tiled white and green and brought over from Italy, the oven was beautiful. The pipes venting the smoke outside gleamed like the chrome on a muscle car.

I ordered two pizzas and a sandwich, to get some variety and anticipate leftovers. I had the pleasure of speaking with the owner, Gabriele Ruggieri, while he watched my pizzas cook to perfection. He is passionate about his food, from the flour and speck (an Alpine air-dried and smoked Italian meat, and the namesake of his restaurant) sourced from Italy, to the gelato imported directly from a famous pastry shop in Milan. There is a small but vibrant selection of Italian groceries, delicacies that are hard to find anywhere else in town. There are simply too many food wonders to try in one trip, but luckily I can revisit. I shall.

As for the food, the first pizza I tried was the Portofino. With a fresh crushed tomato sauce base, it was topped with mozzarella, spinach, artichokes, roasted cherry tomatoes and Kalamata olives and drizzled with pesto. The pesto smelled heavenly, that enticing basil smell punching through and making my mouth water. The crust of a Speck-made pizza is in between thick and thin. The bottom is definitely thin and crispy, "not floppy," as Mr. Ruggieri intended. He wants his crust to hold up the toppings on its own, and it did the job. The outside edge of the crust has that wood-fired look, gently toasted and crispy on the outside, with just a hint of soft dough inside. Light and airy, this crust was designed not to fill up a stomach but leave plenty of room for more pieces and rich toppings. And the toppings are rich. I love artichoke hearts, and there were plenty on this pizza. All of the herb and vegetable flavors, while in individual chunks, combined on my tongue for the most amazing burst of freshness.

The second pizza I tried was the Speck Signature, a no-brainer. With the same crust, this pizza had a whipped ricotta cheese base instead of anything tomato based. First, the pizza was topped just with mozzarella and put into the oven. After it was cooked perfectly, it was topped with shaved provolone, speck, arugula and drizzled with a balsamic vinegar reduction. Speck, Mr. Ruggieri informed me, should never be heated. It picks up the ambient heat from the pizza crust and mozzarella and warms up just a little. When placed in front of me, I watched the provolone shavings slowly melt down against the pizza, while the arugula remained crisp and beautifully green on the top. The speck was tender, shaved so thin you could see through it. Just a little salty, it was easy to bite through and tasted wonderful with the provolone shavings. The balsamic drizzle added a little tang of tart, needed to cut through the richness of the other ingredients. Once again, authentic, fresh and delicious.

Speck's Portofino Pizza, so full of fresh flavor you won't even miss the meat.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

The sandwich I picked was the Godfather. Two enormous slices of toasted and buttery bread held oven roasted turkey, smoked provolone, spicy salame (salami) and spicy mayo. The sandwich was indeed spicy, but not enough to kill the taste. This spice was interesting, a definite vegetable pepper flavor with a hint of burn. I don't like spicy food generally, but the spice was necessary to the sandwich, and delicious.

There were so many other things I wanted to try. Pastas, expressos (both boozy and normal), gelato, pastries. There is so much packed in this space, it was a little overwhelming, but exciting. I did buy some smoked artichokes, and a jar of Fig Nectar Preserves, which I have big plans for that I'll share later.

Visiting Speck was a delight, and I can't wait to take my family back again and again. This will be added to my normal rotation of late lunch places, and I'll be singing Speck's praises to anyone who will listen.