Leave it to restaurateur Grant Krueger to use gunpowder and 16th century tax collectors as inspirations behind the name of his third eatery in St. Philip’s Plaza. This and other secrets were recently revealed to me at Proof Artisanal Pizza and Pasta, 4340 N. Campbell Avenue. Krueger stopped short of calling them secrets, but acknowledged that the side stories his cuisine tells is part of Proof’s allure.

“For restaurants today, food is the ultimate expression in differentiation, and we definitely do things a little differently with ours,” said Krueger, Proof’s owner. “What you’ll find here isn’t what you’re going to find down the street.”