For the past few years, Alex Grisanti, former owner of Elfo’s and fourth-generation restaurateur, and his wife Kim have been making pizzas in the back of a food truck. 9 Dough 1, his punny reference on both his love for Italian cuisine and Memphis, might just take the award for the most ambitious food truck. 

“We just fell in love with it,” Grisanti said. The switch from a restaurant to a food truck came in 2016, when Grisanti felt like he needed to spend more time at home and with his family. “I wanted more flexible hours, instead of the 24/7 schedule required by a restaurant,” he said. Grisanti sees this as a much-needed adventure, embracing the two things he loves most: cooking and feeding the people of Memphis. 

However, outfitting the truck with two slate ovens was no joke. They’re big, heavy pieces of equipment that can reach up to 750 degrees when in use. “They’re well-insulated, and we have fans and vents to get the heat out. In the summer, it can be trying, but in the winter, it’s great,” Grisanti joked. 

The truck primarily serves flatbread pizzas. Grisanti hand makes the dough, the sauces and only uses the freshest, seasonal ingredients to make the pizzas, which means the menu changes throughout the year. However, the cheese, pepperoni, and meat lover’s pizzas are always available.

The most popular dish, according to Grisanti, is a lobster pizza, that features lobster meat, roasted onions, tomatoes and is topped with a chipotle aioli. His favorite though is the buffalo chicken pizza, which has a buffalo sauce base. “I slow-roast my own chicken, and that’s what I use for the pizza,” Grisanti said. It’s still gourmet food, just as Memphians have come to expect from the Grisanti family’s many restaurant ventures. 

Grisanti has no interest in expanding the food truck’s menu either. “There are constraints with a food truck, such as time and the length of the line. We can put together a fresh personal pizza, start to finish, in about five minutes,” Grisanti said. 

The truck itself has been spray-painted by Memphis College of Art graduate, Quantavious Worship, better known on Instagram as Toonky Berry, who has painted murals around the city. The design gives the food truck an edge, which is good because 9 Dough 1 visits the coolest places in and around Memphis. 

“We love going to concert series –– Levitt Shell and Memphis Botanic Gardens –– as well as festivals such as Mempho and King Biscuit [a blues festival in Helena, Arkansas],” Grisanti said. However, the truck also appears at breweries, churches, markets, weddings and high schools –– so they’re bound to be somewhere near you soon. Follow 9 Dough 1 on Facebook, Instagram or contact them at 901-267-6946.

Story by | Regan Hewitt