Ozona Pizza: Tasty Grub at this Neighborhood Hub

I'm still trying to figure out which impressed me most at ; the delicious thin crust pizza served at the cute eatery, or the fact that the owner knew the names of every one of the six kid customers who stopped by during my visit.

Yeah, I did drop in the week of Thanksgiving, when kids in Palm Harbor were on break from school. But, I still get the feeling that the charming Mayberry R.F.D. ambiance at Ozona Pizza is evident year round, which is probably what keeps the kids and adults coming round.

I ordered one of the specialty pizzas, the 12" Gourmet Milano which costs $14 (18" costs $18, 16" costs $16). The pizza featured an extra thin crust and was topped with a nice, light portion of flavorful tomato sauce, fresh basil, mozzarella, italian cheeses, spices and olive oil. The ingredients in the pizza tasted very fresh. The crust was nice and crisp and thin, which is my personal preference.

I could have easily finished the whole pizza by myself, it was that good. But, I packed up a few slices to take home to see how they tasted when re-cooked (isn't that the true test of a good pizza?) The leftovers tasted great warmed up.

My pizza was made by Michael Perkins and served to me by his wife, Amanda. The couple started out at the location in 2001 when they opened Chocolate Studios, a candy and ice cream shop. In 2008, they expanded into the space next door and opened Ozona Pizza. 

Since then, they've torn down the wall that used to separate the two businesses, so now it's one big place to eat. This change also gave them more space to devote to selling wine and craft beers.

My next visit, I'm going to try the Trifecta, which is the same pizza I had, with the addition of meatballs, sausage and pepperoni. The menu is pretty extensive, it is also vegan friendly and gluten-free crust is available.

The three kids I met during my visit, Palm Harbor Middle students; Jacob Huber, 13, Tyler Kelly, 13, and Jesse Zivkovic, 13, all love to eat the Garlic Knots. "They're just amazing," said Huber. 

The boys said they just dropped by to say "hi" to owners Amanda and Michael Perkins. Tyler Kelly says he's a longtime customer who first started visiting Chocolate Studios/Ozona Pizza ten years ago. 

Amanda Perkins is very friendly and chats with many of the customers when they stop by, including the kids. She says many of the people who dine at the restaurant were recommended by family or friends. I met one woman during my visit who had stopped by for a gluten-free pizza. She said that someone recommended the restaurant to her.

Perkins says that after all the years they've owned Chocolate Studios/Ozona Pizza, the one thing that has surprised her most is how loyal her customers are, "They're like family to us," she says.

Ozona Pizza is located at 404 Orange St. (727) 786-9662. We've provided a link to the menu in the Places Directory listing on Palm Harbor Patch.

P.S.- Keep an eye on Palm Harbor Patch. We'll compare other pizza joints together in an upcoming review.

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