Passion for pizza traveled with him from Ukraine His style
When Vasyl Lemberskyy first saw a pizzaiolo in action, he was hooked. It was the only pizza shop his hometown of Kiev, Ukraine, and he had to work there. He spent years learning, and he brought his passion with him.
Lemberskyy, who was 30 when he moved to Milwaukee in 2001, initially opened his own pizzeria in St. Francis in 2003. He was the opening chef and helped establish Transfer Pizzeria. He’s learned a lot about Milwaukee appetites over the years, trying different toppings and eventually embracing our love for sausage.
In January 2017, Lemberskyy moved to a new role, making pizzas at Santino’s Little Italy, 352 E. Stewart St., in Bay View.
Lemberskyy, who lives with his wife and daughter in Fox Point, shares his story and his dreams.
How he started
Mainly, I started cooking because all my childhood I was hungry. I was always in the kitchen watching my grandma, and she’d give me something to do. She would make very nice baked pies with poppy seeds. It was Ukrainian food, pierogi, and I’m not sure what it is in English, a thin sliced dough that is deepfried and with sugar powder.
Making his way to Milwaukee
My first job was here in a Polish restaurant, Polonez, when I came here in 2001 the month before Sept. 11. I was 30.
My father-in-law came here as a refugee 20 or 25 years ago. He’d never seen me before I came here.
Pizza path
We were walking by this place in Kiev, and for the first time in my life I saw someone making pizza. I was just standing there in shock. That’s what I want to make. This was the first pizzeria there. I want to do this.
This Italian guy was there from Sicily, but making Roman-style pizza, thin crust, crispy. They said we need a dishwasher, so that’s how I started.
I’d help him. He didn’t speak Russian. I didn’t speak Italian. It worked.
I have no idea. It is not Neopolitan not American, not Roman style.
I opened a pizzeria in St Francis next to Polonez in 2003. Nobody knew about fresh artichokes, crazy toppings. I didn’t know that when I opened. I didn’t have sausage (pizza) back then. People started telling me, you need to have sausage because this is Milwaukee. Eventually, I realized.
My style is just my view of pizza. It is always the same dough, but it all depends on the pizza oven. Environment matters, the temperature, the weather, and believe it or not your mood.
Mood matters
I can come to work crabby, but working is therapeutic. It all goes away when you’re making pizzas.
His favorite topping
Garlic sauce. I’m not going to tell you
what is in there, but it was the main addition to salads and whatever at home. My grandma would always give it to me to make. Pizza with this garlic sauce is something delicious.
What he won’t eat on a pizza
People order and we have to compromise. I said no when people want to put a 10-ounce meatball on the pizza. I’m serious. Why? Just because you can? Even if you pay money, c’mon.
His Milwaukee meal
I go to my friend at The Cudahy Burger Joint, 4905 S. Packard Ave., Cudahy. What I like is he tries to bring back these classic burgers.
Meals and memories
My last meal would be simple panfried potatoes. When we were kids, we didn’t have much food, but we had a lot of potatoes.
Dreaming dinner
In my dream, this guy came to me and said, “Can you make this?” I asked my Italian buddy about it…now I make it. Pizza melanzane, which is eggplant in Italian. I try not to tell people I dream pizzas, I think it is crazy.
Passing things along
My daughter, Elizabeth, 11, likes to play with the dough, and she’s been making pizza with me since I was at Transfer. Little by little she is learning. Do I want her to be in the kitchen? Not really. It is fun, but hard.
Returning to his roots
I took my daughter to Ukraine, we went back. We met her great-grandma, that was the biggest thing. None of our relatives there had seen her before.
We visited a different house every day and you had to eat. They all want to feed you.
Pizzaiolo passion
I can definitely say I’m a pizzaiolo. I love making pizza. I asked an old friend, what makes a pizzaiolo? It is very simple. If you love it and you are making pizza, then you are.
Fork. Spoon. Life. explores the everyday relationship that local notables (within the food community and without) have with food. To suggest personalities, email nstohs@journalsentinel.com.