Tuscono's Woodfired Pizza and Pasta in the modest downtown district of Buckner, Missouri (30 minutes east of Kansas City) has been serving up New York-style pizza and handmade pasta dishes for a little less than a year now.

An interesting fact about this cozy little space is that it was at one time the Buckner Post Office. The husband and wife team Kirk and Rene Kellough are the force behind this old building's complete transformation. The couple remodeled the space on their own to save some money, and as you can see in the picture (above), they did a fine job of it too.

It is impressive to note that in the small town of Buckner, the restaurant is the largest employer, and their only competition consists of a Subway and Sonic Drive-In.

Tuscono's Lasagne

Although the atmosphere of the building is lovely in itself, and the owners are almost always present making sure the operation runs smoothly, that isn't the reason I am writing this article.

It's the food, of course! Oh, the food!

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Pasta

The menu at Tuscono's Woodfired Pizza and Pasta is, to put it simply, delicious.You don't even have to take my word for it, as the restaurant recently won honors in the International Pizza Challenge held in Las Vegas.The restaurant was represented by Buckner local, Joey Neidel, where in the challenge he scored first in the Midwest region and ranked fifth in the world for his locally inspired pizza.

According to owner Kirk, their pasta dishes are most popular followed closely by their pizza. The reason why it is just so good is because everything from the dough to their nine different sauces is made fresh, by hand daily.

So if you ever find yourself in the sleepy downtown district of Buckner, Missouri stop by Tuscono's and enjoy one of their delicious homemade Italian dishes.

P.S. the spinach artichoke chicken pasta is my go-to!