312 Pizza Company set to open Sunday

Sunday's the day to grab Chicago-style deep-dish and thing-crust pizza from the new restaurant 312 Pizza Company.

The Germantown restaurant is expected to open at 1 p.m. Sunday, to serve its pizza, Chicago-style dogs, sandwiches and more.

"The Chicago food came from us," said Staci Bockman, who owns the family-operated eatery with five other Chicagoans. "They're our recipes, our pizza crust, our sauce — what we believe is the best representation of Chicago pizza."

The family is bringing such dishes as the Capone deep-dish pizza with sausage chunk, pepperoni, Italian beef and bacon, and they've brought in chef Aaron Smith to create sandwiches such as the Man vs. Chicago, which features five meats.

The family and chef collaborated to create appetizers including homemade mozzarella sticks, arancini (fried risotto balls), homemade soft pretzel sticks, wings and breaded fried mushrooms.

The restaurant also will serve wallet-friendly craft cocktails, Chicago brews from Goose Island and Finch's and a variety of Nashville beers.

"We have such great beer here, we wanted to showcase that in our bar," Bockman said.

Diners can choose between bar or dining room seating, with eight TVs spread out to catch the big games.

"We want to be the neighborhood hangout," Bockman said. "That neighborhood bar where we know all of our regulars, and even if you're not a regular, you can come in and feel like a regular and feel at home and comfortable."

The first week will offer dinner service from 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. and lunch hours are expected to begin the next week. 312 Pizza Company is at 371 Monroe St. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/312pizzaco or call 615-730-7888.