A Mugnaini stone deck oven fired exclusively with split oak logs, an onsite garden producing arugula to zucchini depending on the season, blueberry bushes in back and a Satsuma tree laden with winter crop in the front. This is a lot to expect from any restaurant, let alone a repurposed Popeyes in Harahan. But that’s what Adam Superneau and his partners have accomplished with Oak Oven, and for that we voted it the Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year.
At Oak Oven, Superneau strikes a balance between the authentic regional Italian fare he learned to cook while attending culinary school in Italy and the comforting New Orleans Creole-style Italian cuisine that he grew up with here. Add to that his Sicilian ancestry, a start-up backed by two childhood friends and formative time spent in some of the best kitchens around town (including Domenica), and you get a recipe for success.
The wood-fired pizzas are light on the char, with an especially thin crust and an array of toppings that will satisfy kids and adults alike. The real winners however are his handmade pastas, like the spaghetti with Two Run Farm lamb meatballs, and the seafood specials like smoked drum that slide out of his wood-burning oven. Patio seating and a kid-friendly ambiance are a plus.
Oak Oven, 6625 Jefferson Highway, Harahan, 305-4039, OakOvenRestaurant.com
