Two brothers who grew up cooking together in Owensboro kitchens are now going head-to-head during Owensboro Times’ Pizza Week, each showcasing their own take on family-inspired pies.
Dennis Weafer, owner of Fetta Specialty Pizza and Spirits, said his entry is a nod to his mother and grandmother, who instilled a love for food in the family.
“We would cook a lot growing up at family picnics and gatherings. My mom was always a homemaker, so she was in the kitchen a lot, cooking dinner for us, and we learned a lot from her,” he said. “Every day is Pizza Week for us, so it’s a no-brainer that we’d be part of this.”
Fetta’s feature is Lasagna the Pizza — a 12-inch crust layered with Romano cheese sauce, mozzarella, and ricotta dollops, then topped with a house-made meat sauce of fresh ground beef, San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, oregano, basil, and extra virgin olive oil. Dennis said he and his brother Matt worked side by side at Niko’s Italian years ago, where they first started bouncing pizza ideas off each other.
Across town, Matt Weafer is carrying on the rivalry at Niko’s Bakery with The Sicilian, a deep-dish pizza that he described as “designed to stick to your ribs and feed a family of 12.”
“It’s a winner,” Matt said. “We both love good food — trying new things, doing different things, sharing with other people. A lot of that comes from our mom and grandma. On my birthday, I still want the same thing: her lasagna and her cake.”
The Sicilian features a cheese-stuffed focaccia crust brushed in rosemary-garlic oil, topped with sun-dried tomato marinara infused with white wine and roasted garlic. It’s piled with mozzarella-provolone blend, Boar’s Head pepperoni, roasted pork shoulder from Hill View Farms cured in fennel and red pepper, house-pickled hot banana peppers, Kalamata olives, Parmesan, and oregano.
Though the brothers both credit their upbringing and shared work experience for shaping their love of food, they don’t shy away from some playful competition.
“He makes pizza all day, every day — he doesn’t have Pizza Week, he has pizza year,” Matt said with a laugh. “But I’ve made plenty of pizzas too. I’m excited to try his, and I hope folks will try mine first, then head to Fetta.”
