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New Elmhurst Pizzeria Shows Off Global Cuisine One Pie at a Time

By Katie Honan | November 4, 2013 12:50pm
 The pizzas show off the diversity of the community.
Salza Pizza
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ELMHURST — A new pizzeria lets you sample the cuisines of the world — without spending too much dough.

Salza Pizza in Elmhurst features the traditional slices you'd expect from a pizza place, but also cooks up diverse personal pies inspired by countries around the globe. 

The new restaurant was dreamed up eight months ago by Shneyder Usquiano, 35, of New Jersey, who had previously worked on Wall Street.

He opened business with a friend, Mikey Hernandez, who used to own a nightclub. His sister Jelly, 25, who had worked in an accounting office, is also working at the restaurant. 

They said they wanted to open the eatery because "we just wanted to open a nice pizzeria," Shneyder said.

"The location is great, near schools and churches," Jelly said. "There's lots of walking traffic."

The personal pizzas, for $10 each, offer flavors unlike what you'd find in other pizza places, they said, and reflect the diversity of the neighborhood.

The Argentinean Chimi pizza, for example, features steak strips and a Chimichurri sauce. The Ecuadorian pizza is topped with mote, and the Polish pizza has kielbasa.

Chef Gregory Rojas, 37, worked to invent the pizzas and also serves up heroes, pasta plates and appetizers like fried calimari and buffalo wings.

The menu is still being worked out, they said, and they've taken suggestions and feedback from customers. 

For Shneyder, the transition from an office job to restaurant owners has, so far, been great.

"It's a little different than my old job," he said. "I like the customer service and attention and just being there making sure people are happy and enjoying what they're eating."

Salza Pizza, 73-17 Woodside Ave., is open seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.