Sometimes you just know something is going to be awesome when you hear about it. Pizza at HomeGrown proved to be just that for me this week.
Article and photos by Fitz
(Lead photo of Chef Nic Hagen smoking meats at HomeGrown)
About a month ago I started seeing posts from Chef Nic Hagen at HomeGrown on his facebook stating that he was going to be venturing into the pie game. Still buzzing about just how good the pizza at The Bakehouse in Chelsea is (being closer to where I reside than HomeGrown), I have been a bit pie obsessed as of late. However, it wasn’t only my recently reinvigorated pizza fixation that had my interest piqued. When reading Hagen’s posts, it immediately struck me that his approach to cooking — specifically his fervor for sourcing his veggies and proteins from local farmers and friends — lent strongly to the chance that his take on pizza could be something special.
In today’s world, “from farm to table” is an idiom with such commonality (and, subsequently, meaninglessness) that it is often claimed by entities that in actuality don’t substantially operate in such a fashion. Shit, as many of you know the phrase has gone seriously mainstream. In November of last year, before the most recent Chipotle recall in 6 states, I ironically remember seeing their “From the farm to your face” billboard as I returned from Olde Towne. Apparently this wasn’t the best choice for the billboard phrase. The more accurate from us to the toilet to the hospital to the grave, however, probably would’ve been a bit too long to fit.
At this point of colloquial saturation, it’s not just the mainstream that is trying to capitalize on the term. There are also some chefs, restaurants and cooks around here who like to cash in on the perception that they subscribe to it. Some of which have even been given awards for their mild flirtation but lack of true commitment to the credo. For Hagen, however, he exudes it.
On the regular, he is rinsing soil from the roots of his Brothers Farm’s vegetables down the drain. On the regular, you will find him both buying and setting up at local farmers markets. On the regular, you see him cracking and beating Miss Peggy’s eggs out of Suffolk. When Hagen talks sourcing local, it isn’t lip service to trendy diners. It is his life. And I could taste it by the house made sausage, smoked tasso, shaved green turnip and Brothers’ broccoli in the pie he served me last week.
Topping the pizza with in-house made sausage
As I ate, I found myself thinking how great it was that (for passionate eaters around these parts, like myself ) pizza isn’t a choice between, say, Cogan’s in Norfolk or Humbolt not far from HomeGrown in Olde Town — both of which are basically bar food for passionate drinkers. The Tusso was smoked by Hagen himself which really made the difference. The broccoli, which I’ve also seen on Nouvelle Restaurant’s menu, was as expected: flavorful and crisp. And specifically, the in-house made sausage lent strongly to making this pizza the second best I’ve had in Hampton Roads in recent memory, next to the Summer Solstice at The Bakehouse in Chelsea.
Hagen ensuring air gets under the pizza before putting it into the oven for a better ash layer
Both Hagen and his new wife and HomeGrown co-owner, Hope Renay Hagen, know that memorable food begins with fresh ingredients. Bold and with a presence as large as her towering chef husband, Hope will most likely be serving you when you visit HomeGrown. When not running the business side of the restaurant she runs the front of the house and, “[…] keeps the machine lubricated,” as Hagen likes to refer to his wife’s efforts to keep him collected and cooking well.
From my estimation, her efforts are working. There’s some serious cooking going on right now from her husband at HomeGrown. Pay the toll. Have some top notch pizza. Thank me later.
For more on HomeGrown visit them online HERE
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