From Courtrooms to Crust

Chef Elmore’s journey to Oakwood Pizza

Oakwood’s Executive Chef and pizzaiolo Clint Elmore

When you walk into Oakwood’s pizza kitchen, you’re not just stepping into a restaurant — you’re stepping into a story about flour and fire, purpose and passion.

We’re talking about Oakwood’s executive chef, Clint Elmore — a former attorney turned pizzaiolo who’s traded courtrooms for crust and never looked back.

A fork in the road (and a slice on the side)

Once a practicing lawyer in transactional law and commercial litigation, Clint realized early on that law just wasn’t his calling.

“It paid well. But I was miserable almost immediately,” he admits. “I didn’t like the paperwork of being a lawyer.”

While exploring next steps — maybe a master’s degree or a career in public policy — he kept thinking back to a summer in law school that had unexpectedly sparked joy.

“In my second year, a friend wanted to open a BBQ restaurant in Mississippi. That summer I clerked for a judge, and on the side, I helped open that restaurant,” Clint recalls. “It was very fun and quite successful.”

Pizza calls, Clint answers

That memory simmered until Clint finally made the leap — and the leap led to pizza.

It began in New York City, where the buzz of the farm-to-table movement and the city’s reverence for pizza culture lit a creative fire.

“When I first moved to NYC, I realized how inventive pizza could be,” he says. “I wanted to be creative and work with my hands more.”

So he packed his bags for Naples, Italy, and studied under the legendary Enzo Coccia, a pizzaiolo known for passion, precision and strict local sourcing.

“He’s very intense and loving of the craft,” Clint says. “Sourcing everything locally, using tomatoes from Mount Vesuvius, cheese made by guys who live down the road.”

From Naples to Brooklyn — and then Austin

After his time in Italy, Clint returned to Brooklyn and joined the cult-favorite Paulie Gee’s — landing the gig the same day he emailed.

“I started working for him right away,” he says with a grin.

Eventually, it was time to bring the vision home.

“Pizza in NYC is like BBQ here — they eat it several times a week,” he says.

So in 2011, when Austin had yet to catch the Neapolitan-style pizza wave, Clint co-founded 40 North, a food truck that quickly became a sensation — thanks to his obsessive, unconventional dough recipe.

The dough obsession continues at Oakwood

At Oakwood, Clint is doubling down on dough.

“We pre-ferment the dough for at least one day, then ferment it two or three more,” he explains. “That longer process adds more flavor and makes it lighter, more digestible. If the pizza has a shorter rise period, it feels dense and chewy. We want it to be airy, light and crispy.”

The result? What Clint calls an “elevated slice-style NYC pizza” — the best of a classic New York slice, with rustic Neapolitan charm and a slow-fermented soul.

What’s on the menu?

Oakwood’s pies feature:

• Organically grown California tomatoes

• House-made mozzarella

• Classics and creative combos (yes, even pickles — a throwback to 40 North)

“When I worked at Paulie Gee’s, we did crazy topping combos … which was liberating in a way,” he says.

Family roots, Southern soul

But beneath the technique, Clint’s story is really about family.

Raised in Mississippi, where his mom cooked every meal and his great-grandmother fried chicken in a cast-iron skillet, food was always about love and connection.

“I have sweet memories of going to my grandmother’s house and we’d cook huge Thanksgiving dinners,” he says.

That deep love for homemade food and shared meals still drives everything he does.

“With pizza, you get into a rhythm and lose yourself in it,” Clint says. “There’s a certain instant gratification. Even when you’re busy, you can just shut your mind off.”

Come for the crust, stay for the story

At Oakwood, Clint Elmore has found his rhythm — and he’s bringing it to every bubbling, charred, lovingly crafted pie.

Whether you come for the crust or the story, you’ll leave with more than a full belly. You’ll leave feeling like you just met someone worth cheering for.