The Proof is in the Pizza
Chef Kyle Jacovino’s naturally leavened rise from chef to pizzaiolo to restaurateur
photos: will blunt
A large, white Acunto Forni oven dominates the kitchen at Pizzeria Vittoria in Savannah. It glows from within, filling the small shipping container space with heat as the cooks push and pull pizzas out of its cavernous mouth with a peel, rotating each pie a few times to ensure the properly bespeckled “leopard crust” that’s prized in Neapolitan-style pizza. On a good weekend, the petite pizzeria can make close to 400 pies a day.
“Pizza was the perfect first avenue for being a chef-owner,” Kyle Jacovino asserts. He had built a rapport with the city through his tenure as executive chef of Hugh Acheson’s The Florence—a role he took on when he was just 27 years old—so as he set his sights on a new venture, he decided to concentrate on one of his favorite dishes to cook there: pizza. Jacovino weaves two decades of culinary experience, as well as his Italian heritage, into every creative thread of Pizzeria Vittoria, keeping the menu simple, yet by no means basic.
Jacovino takes a “build it [well] and they will come” approach to serving his guests. And it all starts with the dough. “Turkey Red wheat is mainly what we use these days,” he says, sourcing the flour from small, regional mills. He also occasionally uses Red Fife from North Carolina. The dough is naturally leavened for about 48 hours then, when ready to bake, topped with a variety of seasonal ingredients, as well as some beloved combos.
In short, he wants to wow his guests with well-built versions of the classics, which include a Margherita and a quattro formaggi with guanciale. However, in many ways, the heart of Pizzeria Vittoria has become the Market Pie.
The restaurant works with a slew of local purveyors and, through them, the Market Pie celebrates the microseasons of the Georgia coast through Jacovino’s Italian-American lens. Recent versions of the pizza include a squash and eggplant caponata laced with dried figs and finished with candied Benton’s bacon; foraged lobster mushrooms, chanterelles, and dragon's tongue beans topped with bresaola; and beets with wood-fired escarole, tomato estratto, and Split Creek Farm feta.
That local-first approach could have easily gone out the window when the pandemic hit, but instead, Jacovino doubled down on supporting the restaurant’s community, purveyors, and staff. The results have increased sustainability for the business and allowed Pizzeria Vittoria to remain an anchor that helps Starland Yard and the surrounding neighborhood thrive.
“Pizzeria Vittoria was definitely a major reason for Starland Yard’s success when it opened five years ago,” says Ava Pandiani, general manager of the restaurant and food truck park. Jacovino’s restaurant was the only permanent concept back then (the spot now has a total of three permanent concepts, 15 rotating food trucks, as well as an outdoor bar). Pizzeria Vittoria originally began with dine-in tables, however, in March 2020, the new business had to quickly shift.
Chef Kyle Jacovino
Stracciatella Pizza, Mortadella, Urfa, Bronze Fennel
“Kyle and his team didn’t shy away from the challenge [that the pandemic presented], and they began running the pizzeria as essentially a drive-through. We were very lucky to have someone dive in and be willing to rework their whole business model.”
The pizzeria increased the relevancy of Starland Yard during that uncertain time, and the restaurant became an ambassador of sorts for residents just discovering the outdoor bar and food truck park concept. Jacovino’s professional reputation for delicious food (especially the pizza) at The Florence only increased curiosity.
But, Jacovino has known for years that pizza was just the beginning of his story. Work is now underway to start the next phase of his creative culinary journey: Lucia, a 15-seat pasta bar with a 20-seat dining room that will feature fatto a mano pastas, a Negroni-centric cocktail menu, and yes, a pizza oven. It’s slated to open early spring 2025 in the former Starland Dairy building just around the corner from Pizzeria Vittoria.
“This is the most relaxed I’ve ever been creatively, and I really want to cook pasta,” he says. “There’s not a lot of fatto a mano pasta in Savannah, and I’m excited about classic pasta done right. We are going to cook approachable and fun, but really, really, well.”
“Starland is where I started in Savannah. I stayed [here] because I loved the vibe of the city. This is where I wanted to plant roots, and my goal from the beginning was to be at the forefront of the cuisine here.”
