Art and food: The story behind Cocozza American Italian's new Memphis-made artwork

Cocozza American Italian marked its “official” opening Wednesday with the unveiling of artwork by two Memphis artists — Stacy Kiehl and Emily LaForce.

Deni Reilly, who owns Cocozza with her husband, Patrick, said the commissioned art features “bold colors, inspiration from a ‘found’ recipe book, and an imagining of ‘the dinner we wish happened.’”

While Cocozza had a soft opening Dec. 8, the restaurant held back its official debut due to delays in fixture and finishing installations. Now complete, the Reillys wanted to celebrate their red sauce joint’s launch as a true neighborhood restaurant by showcasing two talented Memphis women artists, both of whom have ties to the city's culinary scene.

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'That's Amore'

Kiehl spends her time creating art in her Memphis studio and working on set production for productions like "Bluff City Law" and "Young Rock." When she first came to Memphis from Los Angeles 11 years ago, she joined the ranks of Memphis’ hospitality scene and supplemented her artistic pursuits rolling sushi at Do and bartending at Bar DKDC.

For her Cocozza work, Kiehl pulled inspiration from a 1960s recipe book she found in her collection of vintage food memorabilia. Characteristic of her work, the bold, whimsical painting complements the nostalgic vibe of Cocozza’s dining room. Kiehl titled it "That's Amore."

"I feel that cooking and sharing food is love and it's what we all come together for and celebrate with," she said.

“Our inspiration for the Cocozza interiors was the age old, family-owned red sauce restaurants found in Deni’s home state of New Jersey,” said Natalie Liberman, principal of Collect & Curate, the design firm responsible for Cocozza’s design aesthetic. “We want to evoke memories of eating in your favorite grandmother’s kitchen and Stacy Kiehl's fresh take on vintage imagery with a pop art feel pairs perfectly with this.”

'O Sole Meatball'

LaForce has feet firmly planted in both the art and culinary worlds.

Landing back in Memphis in 2013 after a cross-country journey painting murals for a living, LaForce returned to the kitchen and worked with Patrick Reilly at The Majestic Grille as a line cook. Today LaForce is the Chef de Cuisine at River Oaks. In her spare time, LaForce has found success creating murals for local businesses and paintings for private customers.

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The Reillys wanted to commission a showcase piece with a nod to Deni’s Cocozza family and their ties to her famous cousin, singer and movie star Mario Lanza, also known as Alfred Cocozza. They also wanted to highlight the connection with Lanza’s No. 1 fan, Elvis Presley. They immediately thought of LaForce.

LaForce and Deni brainstormed together on ideas and what has culminated into a multimedia piece — a first for LaForce — cheekily titled “O Sole Meatball” that portrays Mario and Elvis sharing "the dinner we wished happened" between the two. The title references “O Sole Mio,” the traditional Italian ballad covered famously by Mario, which Elvis had rewritten into his hit “It’s Now or Never.”

“I knew there was really no one else to ask other than Emily to realize our vision for this painting” Patrick Reilly said. “Cocozza is all about family. Mario and Elvis were all about family. So who better to work with to bring it to life than someone so talented and who is still very much a part of the Majestic and Cocozza family?”

The artwork is now permanently on display at Cocozza.

Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer. 

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Cocozza American Italian

Where: 106 Harbor Town Square

Hours: 4-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday

Phone: (901) 609-1111

Online: cocozzamemphis.com

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis restaurants: The story behind Cocozza's new artwork