At Erik Borger’s new project, Pizza Tascio, even the logo is D.O.P. “We have this character, Uncle Tascio,” Borger says. “We were in Italy for a few months a couple of years ago. In Palermo, off the beaten path, this guy we were with says ‘Hey, watch out for the Tascio around here.’ I’m like, what are you talking about? He’s like, ‘They’ll be perched on their car, yelling at girls, gold chains all over, chest hair sticking out, and they’re just loud and obnoxious.”

Borger knew right then: “If I ever open a New York pizza place, I’m going to call it Pizza Tascio.” Borger, who is well-known to Kansas City pizza geeks as the founder of Il Lazzarone did get around to planning that New York-style joint, which should open at 1111 Burlington in North Kansas City at the end of next week. When it came time for a logo, he emailed Palermo.