The Story Behind La Casa and Its Uniquely Omaha Pizza

For the Season One finale of Italians Who Fed Omaha, Tony Vacanti Jr. turns the microphone toward his own family.  Tony sits down with his father, Anthony Vacanti Sr., to tell the story of La Casa Pizzeria and the Sicilian-American family tradition behind a pizza that has become distinctly connected to Omaha.  The story begins in 1953, when the family converted a house into a pizzeria and began experimenting with a food that was still relatively new to many Omaha diners. What emerged was a pizza unlike most others: a thin, crisp crust, fresh tomato sauce, Romano cheese and toppings that reflected both the family’s Italian roots and Nebraska surroundings.  Tony and Anthony explain what makes La Casa pizza different, from freshly ground Romano and house-made Italian sausage to hamburger, one of the restaurant’s signature toppings. They also discuss the dough, ovens, ingredients and labor-intensive techniques the family has worked to preserve across generations.  The conversation explores more than 70 years of family restaurant history, the challenges of keeping a scratch-made product consistent as the industry changes and why La Casa has resisted changing its pizza simply to make it faster or easier to produce.  It’s a fitting conclusion to Season One: a story of immigration, family, adaptation and how a distinctive style of pizza became part of Omaha’s food identity.  Italians Who Fed Omaha is a podcast from La Casa Pizzeria dedicated to preserving the stories of the Italian and Sicilian families who helped shape Omaha’s food culture. Hosted by fourth-generation pizzaiolo and La Casa owner-operator Tony Vacanti Jr., the series documents the restaurants, bakeries, recipes, traditions and families that helped make Omaha taste like home.  References: www.lacasapizzaomaha.com  https://flatwaterfreepress.org/debates-rage-over-la-casa-and-its-signature-omaha-style-pizza/ https://www.foodnetwork.com/restaurants/packages/best-food-in-america/photos/what-to-eat-nebraska https://www.businessinsider.com/the-best-pizzeria-in-every-state-2015-10#nebraska-27 https://www.mentalfloss.com/food/pizza/best-pizza-all-50-states https://omaha.com/entertainment/omahadines/article_148569d7-b935-596e-9123-ede3fd39960e.html This podcast is part of Hurrdat ONE, an Omaha-based podcast and digital media network dedicated to telling the stories of our city and the people who make it what it is. Hurrdat ONE brings together local voices, creators, businesses, and communities through original podcasts, video, and social content made for Omaha and by Omaha. Discover more local stories and shows at Hurrdat ONE and subscribe to the Hurrdat ONE YouTube channel.