Chef Erik Borger on How He Fell in Love with Neapolitan Pizza
Kansas Citians no longer have to drive an hour north of the city to Il Lazzarone in St. Joseph, Missouri, for authentic Neapolitan pizza. On March 1, Erik Borger, owner and operator of the pizzeria, opened a second location in the historic River Market area in Kansas City.
Borger introduced an expanded menu at the St. Joseph location in January, which is similar to what’s available in the new location, including the popular pesto pizza with cherry tomatoes and sausage, the pepperoni pizza with honey, the classic Margherita and even a Nutella pizza, along with salads, appetizers such as bruschetta and caprese, 20 Italian wines and 30 craft beers. Borger is also in the process of gaining certification for the new pizzeria by the American delegation of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN), just as he did at the original location, which is the only certified pizzeria in Missouri and one of only 11 in the Midwest.