Local Flavor: Za’Za’ Turns Prosaic Pizza Into Edible Art

Discussing pizza with an acquaintance is as risky as bringing up bullfighting, homeschooling or Wal-Mart; it’s impossible to tell from someone’s hairdo, career or discernible political opinions where they're going to stand on any one of these potentially explosive issues.

There may be a specific formula involving number of years spent living in a bedroom community + number of children living at home / tax return + number of years spent as a member of Greenpeace + years spent as a member of a Country Club... but no one’s cracked the code yet.

Seemingly innocuous chats about stuffed crust pizza, bagel pizza, New York versus Chicago pizza, the proper method of eating a slice (fork, fold or straight up?) and the relative merits of unusual toppings (deep-fried goat brie, anyone?) have sundered families and split businesses.

It’s probably best not to bring it up.

If forced to, however, Za’Za’s is indubitably a safe pizza subtopic on which to land. Za’Za’ is a sprawling, light-filled pizzeria with hand-painted tables, a neon blue lit SoHo-style bar, a huge floor-to-ceiling wood-burning pizza oven that looks like it was built by Dr. Seuss and a warm staff that is (almost) as ready to fete you as it is to feed you.

“Our priority is the food, of course,” said Anna Macciocco (one of the establishment's owners, along with Nello Tizzano) about her restaurant. “But we also try to create a fun atmosphere. I grew up in Westchester, and I love it; I’d rather stay here than go into the city at night, so we’ve created party nights and wine tasting events for our customers so they can come here and have a real night out, not just dinner.”

Za’Za’s unwavering commitment to la vida loca is evident to anyone who logs onto their website with the volume on their computer cranked up or passes the lively, lit-up storefront after dark. 

But their commitment to pizza? Well, that’s where their hearts are. 

Za’Za’ focuses on authentic Neapolitan pizza – the current haute pizza of the pizza cognoscenti, and a perennial favorite among pie traditionalists.

“We use 00 flour, San Marzano tomatoes and mozzarella di buffalo Campana,” Macciocco told Scarsdale Patch. “Those three ingredients form the basis of all our pizzas, so we make sure they’re top notch.”

“Tony, our pizzaiola, has been making pizzas in the Neapolitan method for 30 years,” Macciocco continued. “They go in the oven at about 1,000 degrees for just two minutes. He turns them out, and they go straight to the customers.”

The double 00 flour is stronger than all-purpose flour but low in gluten, so the thin, heat-blistered, bubbling crust is firm and can support hefty toppings without cracking — but lacks the jaw-tiring, excessive chew of over-mixed doughs.

The tomatoes are sourced from a region of Italy south of Mount Vesuvius; the fruit grows in volcanic soil and is sweeter than American varieties. The mozzarella, also flown in from Italy, comes from water buffalos raised on marshlands in Campania and is tangier and creamier than the stuff we’re used to from plain old lawn grass-chewing cows.

The final product, perhaps best expressed in the glorious simplicity of Za’Za’s pizza Margherita, is a dinner plate-sized disc of electrifyingly rich, toasty crust with a balanced, bright-with-a-touch-of-sweet red that tastes like the distilled, Platonic version of tomato sauce that exists in everyone’s mind and so few actual places. Glorious orbs of melted cheese top the pizza, and a drizzle of top-shelf olive oil and a sprinkling of basil leaves could gild the lily, but they don't.

“They use all of the freshest and best ingredients,” said Rosanna Tedone, a business associate of Za’Za’s. “Going shopping with Anna is an experience. You'll never see anyone more concerned with the quality of every ingredient; she inspects everything — from the basil to the fish that’s going to end up in tonight’s special — and she never buys anything that isn’t the best quality.”

In addition to wonderful pizza, Za’Za’s offers a full spectrum of traditional Italian appetizers, salads, homemade pastas and entrees. Long-time Scarsdale residents will recall Rustico, owned by Macciocco and Tizzano in the same space before Za’Za’ landed.

“We were ready to do something a bit different, but our customers had favorite dishes that they didn’t want to part with, so we included some of them on our current menu,” Macciocco said.

If you're looking for an intoxicating piece of pizza pie, come on down. Za’Za’ has been almost universally hailed by critics, and even knocked out gold standards like Lombardi’s, Grimaldi’s and Patsy’s in USA Today’s pick for top New York State pie. People drive across multiple state lines to get a slice of their pie and blog to tell about it. Pack your wallet accordingly. If you're craving a cheap bite on the go, drive on.

Pizzas are $14 - $19 and focus on the classics: Margheritas, quattro formaggis, a bit of Italian sausage here and some truffle oil for a taste of luxury there. Go to Za’Za’s for the pie – they elevate simple dough, tomatoes and cheese to an edible piece of art.

But stay for the other lovely entrees as well. Between $19-$30, the Pollo Martini (chicken breast encrusted in parmesan, sautéed with white wine and lemon) makes standard chicken parm look like an unseasoned hunk of rubber, and the restaurant's Bistecca Tagliata (prime ribeye steak, sliced, lightly breaded and served in a red wine reduction) could make Mr. Clean grow hair again. Za’Za’s atmosphere, staff and food is rich, sumptuous, convivial and laid-back: everything a restaurant should be... and more.

For a taste of Za'Za' at home, try their recipe for Pollo Capriccioso:

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 2 large eggs
• sea salt, to taste
•  fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• oregano, to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
• 2 cups arugula
• 1/4 red onion, sliced
• 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, diced
• 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
• extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs

Method for the chicken:

• Heat frying oil in large sauté pan over medium-high heat
• Pound chicken cutlets to a medium to thin consistency
• Mix eggs together with a pinch of salt and pepper, oregano
• Dip chicken cutlets in egg batter
• Coat the chicken in bread crumbs
• Fry cutlets and put aside

Method for the Salad:

• Place arugula in a bowl
• Add sliced red onion, diced tomato, diced fresh mozzarella
• Top with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper
• Mix all of the ingredients together, set chicken cutlets on top of mixed salad and serve

Za’Za’ is located at 753 Central Park Avenue in Scarsdale. Call (914) 472-4005 for more information.