Michael Hanna
In the six years since he moved to Nashville, Michael Hanna has had little problem finding work. For a guy still shy of his 34th birthday, he’s built an impressive résumé, with stints in the kitchens of some of Nashville’s most prestigious restaurants, including The Catbird Seat, Urban Cowboy’s Public House and Rolf & Daughters.
But after the COVID-19 pandemic led to him being laid off from his most recent gig at Pastaria, Hanna — like many of his fellow restaurant workers — found himself out of work and facing grim employment prospects.
In July, Hanna turned to one of his favorite food passions, sfincione — a thick but airy Sicilian style of pizza made with focaccia dough — as a way to bring in some income, churning out 15 or so pies a night from his home kitchen in Inglewood. Word spread fast, and pretty soon cars were lined up down the street. In September, with demand for his sfinciones greater than his limited workspace could supply, Hanna found some kitchen space in Hunters Station that he shared with The Grilled Cheeserie. His customers would wait outside a side door marked EMPLOYEES ONLY, where Hanna, working alone, would hustle out to bring the food, then run back to prepare more.
Within a few more months, and with buzz growing, it became clear that his new venture — St. Vito Focacciaria — was outgrowing that shared kitchen space too. So yesterday, Hanna opened for business in Five Points' Vandyke Bed and Beverage — the former home of now-closed Setsun East — where he’ll provide food to the bar patrons while also offering takeout and delivery options.
While in Hunters Station, Hanna offered a variety of other Sicilian delicacies — timballo di anelletti (baked pasta pie), braciole (an Italian beef dish typically served around the holidays) — in addition to his sfincione. While he fine-tunes his new setup at Vandyke, he’s sticking mostly to sfincione (and a dessert option too).
I’ve had several sfinciones since discovering St. Vito in December, and they have all been delightful. But my first experience with the potato sfincione — yesterday evening, as I was one of the first customers in the new space — was truly delightful. Featuring salty bits of roasted russet potato studded into the dough, a generous slather of a rich potato cream, and seasoned breadcrumbs (I love the smoked paprika in there), it’s truly remarkable, particularly at $7.50 for a hefty slice that makes for a filling meal. (The whole $28 pie easily feeds four.) Just writing about it makes me feel the afterglow (and I’m excited for the leftovers). If that sounds like hyperbole, well … just try one. I think you’ll understand. Or if you need more motivation, check out the eye candy (pie candy?) on Hanna's Instagram account.
But don’t take my word for it. St. Vito’s has already captured the attention of renowned Chicago food writer Steve Dolinsky, a winner of multiple James Beard Awards, who featured Hanna and his pies on the Feb. 5 episode of his podcast Pizza City USA. Here’s Dolinksy’s take: “You know, I’m always careful about grand pronouncements, and saying, ‘This will change your life.’ But this pizza could change your life. I think it changed mine, actually.”
The potato sfincione will always be on the menu, as will the Classic Vito — fontina studded in the dough, and mozzarella, fresh parsley and a simple, bright milled tomato sauce on top. He’s also offering a rotating third pie option, currently smoked eggplant. I’ve had them all, and they’re all delicious. But right now, at our house, potato is king.
St. Vito is available for takeout and delivery Wednesday through Sunday 4 to 9 p.m. (and available until 10 p.m. at the bar).
Check out the Feb. 18 issue of the Nashville Scene for a more in-depth feature on St. Vito.
