Betsi is the owner of the newly opened ZA, an Italian restaurant in the heart of Elm Grove.
Betsi (Owner, Right) & Gabbi (Co-Owner, Left)
Tell us a bit about your foray into opening ZA. Why Italian? And why Elm Grove?
My family is of Italian descent, so it was always a dream to open up an Italian restaurant. Our grandma immigrated to the United States from Bari and passed away at 100. Our childhood Sundays were spent in her kitchen listening to her speak Italian and smelling her sauce slow cooking. We chose Elm Grove as the location for ZA for two reasons. First, because this is where we grew up and where our other restaurant, Zisters, is located. Second, we believe that Elm Grove is one of the most supportive and loyal communities for small business owners. We feel very lucky to be able to call Elm Grove home.
What are your favorite items on the menu and why?
There are so many good things on the menu, but if I had to narrow it down to my top two, I would say: 1). The spicy pepperoni is so, so, so good. The mix of heat from the red pepper flakes and sweetness from the honey is an absolutely perfect combination. 2). I would say that the chicken piccata is a fan favorite. My sister and I personally have eaten this dish too many times to count. There is something about the creamy lemon sauce with the salty capers that keeps us coming back for more.
Which other local businesses do you frequent in and around Elm Grove?
We don’t specifically have any one local business that we frequent religiously, but we dabble in all of them over the course of time. The beautiful thing about Elm Grove is that there is just about everything you need in one small, condensed area. We try to support locally as much as we can, whether that’s from getting flowers at Welke’s or grabbing a glass of wine on OD’s patio.
We’ve been told to ask about your pizza sauce recipe… Can you tell us a bit about it? And what inspired it?
It depends on which pizza you’re talking about! We have many different sauces that we use. Our traditional red sauce is so simple, but I think the freshness of it makes it perfect. It’s definitely something you want to try firsthand!
With the holidays quickly approaching, what can guests look forward to at ZA? Any special events or dining experiences?
One exciting thing we want to address is our expansion that we hope to have completed before the holiday season! We will be able to provide more room for our incredible customers, as well as host wine dinners and private events. In the colder months, we really hope to play up the coziness that ZA has by providing an inviting dining experience through the warmth that Italian cuisine has to offer. Between our wood-fired pizza oven burning and a nice glass of red wine, I feel like ZA’s full potential will show!
