WIZARD OF ZA

↑ Cheese Pie Comfort-style Sicilian Pizza

What’s next for newly brick-andmortared The Wizard of Za

" To me, cooking is synonymous with family— breaking bread with the ones we love.

Spencer Saylor credits the people of Columbus for making his restaurant dreams come true.

“I never, ever, ever will be able to thank Columbus enough,” said the 27-year-old Youngstown native, whose viral Sicilian-style pizza launched him from his own kitchen, to ghost kitchens, to finally, his own space in FUSIAN’s Clintonville location at 4214 N. High St.

But although Saylor seemingly got his happy ending, his story is only just beginning. Now that he has a space to call his own, Saylor has far more in store than just a popular pizza shop. The entrepreneur has always dreamed of having his own restaurant, and plans to use the Wizard of Za as a foundational test kitchen of sorts. It’s clear his pizza is just the first chapter.

Wrapping up the long waitlist for his pizza, which Saylor was slated to do by mid-February, will free him up to begin his culinary experiments. First up will be an expanded pizza menu. Wizard of Za’s original four pies included pepperoni, cheese, tomato, and vodka sauce.

But now, Saylor said he plans to have specialty pies and collaborations with other local restaurants that rotate every couple of weeks. The goal is an ever-changing, modest menu. He also has his eyes on crafting homestyle Italian comfort food like handmade pastas as well as desserts and ice creams. →

↑ Saylor makes Sicilian-stlye pizzas using local Ohio ingredients

I’ll never know what folks are going through day to day in their lives,

but if I can feed their soul for 15 minutes and bring some light into their life, that’s all I hope for.”

Once the pandemic dies down and the service industry steadies, he’ll funnel those items into a full-service restaurant that’s a separate entity from Wizard of Za, one that features Italian comfort food.

“To me, cooking is synonymous with family— breaking bread with the ones we love,” Saylor said.

Saylor said his time spent with family in the kitchen in Youngstown brought him a lot of joy.

“Since then, it’s been my dream to bring as many folks as possible that feeling,” he said. “I’ll never know what folks are going through day to day in their lives, but if I can feed their soul for 15 minutes and bring some light into their life, that’s all I hope for.”

Though Saylor stands poised to embark on yet another culinary adventure, back in 2019 he was just a northeast Ohio transplant missing Youngstown pizza.

Sicilian-style pies are the closest thing to what he grew up with, he said.

“It’s very much based around the crust and not the toppings,” he said.

So that year, Saylor began a personal quest to learn how to make Sicilian pizza. By March 2020, he was furloughed from his catering industry job, allowing him more time to focus on perfecting his pies. Friends and family began telling their friends and family about Saylor’s pizza.

By April of last year, Saylor was getting more and more requests to try his pies. By that time, he recognized he might have a commercial project instead of just a personal one. He began looking into renting ghost kitchens and commercial space, which were readily available because of the challenges brought to restaurants by the pandemic. The Wizard of Za became mobile, with Saylor lugging around his gear in his car, operating for days, weeks, or a month at a time at various kitchens.

A few months later, Saylor began getting inquiries from local and regional restaurant groups interested in working with him. One of those outfits was FUSIAN, which eventually transformed their dining room into a Wizard of Za pizza shop.

↑ Saylor prepares housemade focaccia crust for each pie

Saylor operated out of a FUSIAN kitchen in Westerville this past fall before moving into Wizard of Za’s Clintonville home in midDecember. And while his style of pizza is one with strong roots in New York, his pies are made with ingredients local to Ohio.

The pepperoni that graces his pies comes from Columbus outfit the Ezzo Sausage Company, and Saylor sources his basil from Waterfields Farm in Cincinnati. The vodka sauce is made using Ashville-based M&O Spirits. Saylor makes all his sauces and the focaccia crust for his pies as well.

The focus on crust and sauce harkens to his childhood in Youngstown, where Saylor said pizza was used to commemorate any and all events, from football games to birthdays to Christmas Eve.

“It’s just a food that people are passionate about,” he said ♦

↑ Kyle Cardwell & Phillip Clary

Head butcher and owner of Macelleria

Columbus welcomes new butcher shop renaissance.

By Jack McLaughlin Photos by Leonardo Carrizo

Like the milk man or the chimney sweep, the neighborhood butcher shop probably feels like an antiquated concept to most Columbus residents.

Until recently, that is.

In the last several years, Columbus has seen an explosion of interest in the previously-floundering art of butchery, with several extremely popular “craft” butcher shops popping up in the city since 2016. “A lot of it’s about people wanting to see where their products come from. It’s conscious consumerism,” said Ohio Association of Meat Processors Executive Secretary Valerie Parks Graham, who has noticed the trend spreading statewide.

And if you ask Tony Tanner, he would probably agree with Parks Graham’s assessment. Tanner is owner of The Butcher & Grocer, the wildly-popular artisanal butcher shop/market that opened at 1089 W. 1st Ave. in Grandview in 2016. He also launched the equally-beloved Grandview restaurant Cleaver, which uses TB&G for all of its proteins.

"We’ll only buy from our farmers, and we’ll never use pack houses or auction floors or distributors."

“At the end of the day, I think we’ve become popular because of the way we source. We’re transparent about everything,” he said, noting that the shop only purchases beef without hormones or antibiotics. “We’ll never buy the way that most meat counters buy today. We’ll only buy from our farmers, and we’ll never use pack houses or auction floors or distributors. I know everything about the animals that we purchase until they leave our store.”

This transparency is illustrated in the layout of the Grandview storefront itself.

Just behind its sweeping glass display case is a single wall separating the actual butchery from the retail space. A window-sized hole provides an even closer look into where, exactly, your food is coming from.

While the desire for transparency has partially fueled the recent butchery boom, it’s also been propelled by the need for variety. →

“You see, we’re not doing all the same tired stuff. We want to educate, and we also want to elevate the food scene,” said Phil Clary, owner of Macelleria, another local artisan butcher shop. “We’re always offering different things; last weekend we had beef, pork, two types of lamb, and even wild boar. We’re doing wild boar sausage, a pork liver sausage, and a lot more. You’d have to go to Italy to get some of these things.”

Macelleria, located at 2474 E. Main St. in Bexley, has only been open since December, but in that time they’ve enjoyed white-hot popularity, with droves of repeat customers. One of the items that’s become a surprise hit among their east-side customer base is an uncommon specialty sausage known as Mazzafegati. Originally from Umbria, it features pork liver, pork shoulder, orange zest, and spices.

It isn’t just the new kids on the block who have enjoyed butchery’s surge in popularity. Carfagna’s Market has been a Columbus butcher since 1937, and they too have begun to offer interesting, lesstraditional cuts of meat

They’ve also taken note of the hunger Columbus residents have developed for culinary knowledge. According to Director of Marketing Sal Carfagna, one of the tenants of their massive, new Polaris marketplace (set to open later this year) includes actively educating customers about their meat, which will be served by their staff of professional butchers.

“Whenever anybody needs anything special, they can come right up and we can educate them.

Our trained butchers can explain to them where a certain cut is, what the texture and flavors are going to be, and how to cook it,” said Carfagna. “If you’re looking for something unusual like say a Denver steak, we can cut it right there in front of you, and we can even help you learn how to do it on your own. Education is so important to our customers now. ”

Those wanting to learn a bit more about craft butchery can even do so from none other than Ohio State. Their school is hosting a Buckeye Fresh Mini Meat-Cutting Workshop several times this spring beginning March and ending in May. Those interested can email Dr. Lyda G. Garcia, Extension Meat Specialist, at garcia.625@osu.edu for more information or to register.

During a time when whole food and consumer awareness appears to be at an all-time high, artisanal butchery is primed to stay in the spotlight. And why not? It’s a great way to teach, learn and— more importantly—eat well.

“One of the problems with our food culture today is people being so disconnected. I’ve had people come into my shop and ask for boneless chicken wings, not realizing what they actually were. But it’s great to be able to show them; it’s great to be able to educate,” Tanner said. “And I think if the pandemic has taught me anything, it’s this: The closer we are to our food, the better off we are.” ◊

↑ The Butcher & Grocer

Artisanal butcher shop, Grandview

↓ Kyle Cardwell slices a piece of pork

↑ Tony Tanner owner of The Butcher & Grocer

PAR-TEA TIME

How to throw the perfect tea party

↑ Afternoon Tea Service includes a bag of tea, a scone, clotted cream and jam, three savory finger sandwiches, and two mini desserts

"I feel people are finding themselves yearning for a connection, not only to host a party, but for nature’s everlasting riches—tea."

By Lindsey Escaja / Photos by James D. DeCamp

Afternoon tea is making a comeback. As the hit Netflix series “Bridgerton” continues to sweep the nation with its modernized British traditions, more people are realizing they don’t need to be throwing a bridal or baby shower to have a classy afternoon affair with friends. You can also throw a tea party...just because, of course.

“I feel people are finding themselves yearning for a connection, not only to host a party, but for nature’s everlasting riches—tea,” said Mayra Betances Yerbatera, owner of Teas for Spirits.

There’s so much more to a fabulous tea party than just tea. Part of the magic is in the elegance of it all, and the rest is in the details. That said, anyone can throw a tea party with the right tea— Lipton just won’t do.

Betances Yerbatera recommends having various teas on hand and pairing them with a garnish buffet tray.

“Include a solid black, green, and oolong tea leaves for your guests. The tray will add flair, allow your guests to make their own selections, and make your par-tea catch Lady Whistledown’s attention and become the soirée it should be,” she joked.

If you don’t know where to start and have visions of a charming tea room setting out of a British fairy tale, Cambridge Tea House is the place to go for all of your party needs. This hidden gem will make you feel like you’ve temporarily traveled across the pond. With its charming atmosphere and delicious goodies, the tea won’t be the only thing having you coming back for more.

↑ Sarah Jackson,

Owner of Cambridge Tea House

→ Afternoon Tea Service from Cambridge Tea House

“During the pandemic, we have had a lot of fun planning themed menus for our customers,” said Sarah Jackson, owner of Cambridge Tea House. “Our afternoon tea service package is the best one to order, whether [you’re] hosting a party for one over Zoom or with friends in the flesh,” she says.

If setting up for one, the afternoon tea service package includes a bag of tea to brew at home, a scone, clotted cream and jam, three savory finger sandwiches, and two mini desserts. →

→ Garnish buffet tray

↑ Mayra Betances Yerbatera,

Owner of Teas for Spirits ↓ Hibiscus Fusion with Blood Orange tea & sugar balls

← Tea & Sugar Balls

Include a solid black, green, and oolong tea leaves for your guests. The tray will add flair, allow your guests to make their own selections.

It can also be customized to accommodate your guest list.

“We will continue to carry the special menus at our location, as they and our loyal customers are what is keeping us afloat during these tough times since we are unable to host events in person at our location,” says Jackson.

For those who want to sauce up their tea experience, adding a bit of spirit can enhance the occasion. When you add the leaves to something other than water—say, a spirit such as bourbon—you open a Pandora's box of possibility.

“Butterfly Pea Flower Tea Fusion is my favorite to mix with alcohol,” said Betances Yerbatera.” It blends harmoniously with gin, vodka, or white rum. If your guests are looking for the familiarity and comfort of a hot toddy, Blood Orange + Cinnamon Tea and Hibiscus Flower Tea are good to have on deck to pair with a whiskey or bourbon.”

Whatever menu you decide on, you’d better get started on that guest list. Tea for Two Tuesday is March 16, after all. Send out those invites, get all the mixings, and drink responsibly! ♦