Amos Stevens
New Member
Pizza circles family back to friendly neighborhood
By LOUISE DURMAN, durman@knews.com
July 9, 2003
Taya Walker is Russian by birth, but her pizzas are Greek, Hawaiian, Californian and much more.
Taya opened Pisano's Pizza in Sequoyah Hills Shopping Center in May. She also has two Pisano's Pizza restaurants at Lake Tahoe in California.
Taya was married to a diplomat from Spain and traveled all over the world before they divorced.
She then met and married Eugene Walker, now deceased, who was originally from Knoxville. They moved to Sequoyah Hills in 1978, and their children would walk from elementary school to the pharmacy in the shopping center. It was this good memory that brought her back last September to her Sequoyah Hills home, which she had kept.
PISANO’S GOURMET PIZZA
Where: 1200 Kenesaw Ave., Sequoyah Hills Shopping Center
Hours: 5 to 9 p.m. seven days a week
Options: Dine in or carry out
Phone: 865-521-3838
At one time the family and friends went to Lake Tahoe to ski and snowboard.
"I fell in love with Lake Tahoe. It's just beautiful," she says. She had a summer home there and when she found a pizza place for sale, she bought it.
"I had never made pizza in my life," she says in her delightful accent, but her daughter, Jana, knew how and persuaded her mother to buy it. Taya later opened the second Pisano's at Tahoe. She says a lot of entertainment stars who have homes at Tahoe came for pizza, including Robin Williams, Chuck Norris and Steven Seagal. Tourists from Knoxville also have visited. Jana, who now operates the Tahoe restaurants, got married, and Taya decided to return to Knoxville and "open a little place."
When she saw that the former pharmacy was for sale, she decided to renovate it. She says the people in Sequoyah Hills have "been so nice and so supportive."
Her son, Dennis Walker, works with her at Pisano's, helping make the pizzas. They bake the pizzas in two brick ovens. Each oven can hold five large and eight small pizzas. "The pizzas can come and go very fast."
Dough is made from scratch, and she grows her own herbs to use in the toppings. Sizes are 12 inch and 16 inch, and prices range from $9 to $18, depending on size and toppings.
California pizza with feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and fresh garlic and the margarita with garlic, tomatoes and fresh basil are especially popular. The Hawaiian pizza has ham, pineapple and red onions. "Sinatra" has garlic, pesto and tomatoes. The veggie is made with artichoke hearts, black olives, mushrooms, onions, spinach and tomatoes. There are a barbecued chicken, meatball, sausage, cheese and more for a total of 13 pizza offerings. Also, customers can make their own from a list of topping offerings.
"People are most interesting," she says. "They study the menu very carefully."
Pisano's also has a house calzone and several kinds of salads.
A friend makes cookies that Taya sells, and chocolate candy bars are available for those who want dessert.
"I love this country," Taya says. "All you have to do here is work hard." And she does, still owning the two Pisano's at Lake Tahoe plus the one in Knoxville. She hopes to open a second in West Knoxville, the Farragut area, in the next six months or so.
Louise Durman may be reached at 865-342-6432.
By LOUISE DURMAN, durman@knews.com
July 9, 2003
Taya Walker is Russian by birth, but her pizzas are Greek, Hawaiian, Californian and much more.
Taya opened Pisano's Pizza in Sequoyah Hills Shopping Center in May. She also has two Pisano's Pizza restaurants at Lake Tahoe in California.
Taya was married to a diplomat from Spain and traveled all over the world before they divorced.
She then met and married Eugene Walker, now deceased, who was originally from Knoxville. They moved to Sequoyah Hills in 1978, and their children would walk from elementary school to the pharmacy in the shopping center. It was this good memory that brought her back last September to her Sequoyah Hills home, which she had kept.
PISANO’S GOURMET PIZZA
Where: 1200 Kenesaw Ave., Sequoyah Hills Shopping Center
Hours: 5 to 9 p.m. seven days a week
Options: Dine in or carry out
Phone: 865-521-3838
At one time the family and friends went to Lake Tahoe to ski and snowboard.
"I fell in love with Lake Tahoe. It's just beautiful," she says. She had a summer home there and when she found a pizza place for sale, she bought it.
"I had never made pizza in my life," she says in her delightful accent, but her daughter, Jana, knew how and persuaded her mother to buy it. Taya later opened the second Pisano's at Tahoe. She says a lot of entertainment stars who have homes at Tahoe came for pizza, including Robin Williams, Chuck Norris and Steven Seagal. Tourists from Knoxville also have visited. Jana, who now operates the Tahoe restaurants, got married, and Taya decided to return to Knoxville and "open a little place."
When she saw that the former pharmacy was for sale, she decided to renovate it. She says the people in Sequoyah Hills have "been so nice and so supportive."
Her son, Dennis Walker, works with her at Pisano's, helping make the pizzas. They bake the pizzas in two brick ovens. Each oven can hold five large and eight small pizzas. "The pizzas can come and go very fast."
Dough is made from scratch, and she grows her own herbs to use in the toppings. Sizes are 12 inch and 16 inch, and prices range from $9 to $18, depending on size and toppings.
California pizza with feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and fresh garlic and the margarita with garlic, tomatoes and fresh basil are especially popular. The Hawaiian pizza has ham, pineapple and red onions. "Sinatra" has garlic, pesto and tomatoes. The veggie is made with artichoke hearts, black olives, mushrooms, onions, spinach and tomatoes. There are a barbecued chicken, meatball, sausage, cheese and more for a total of 13 pizza offerings. Also, customers can make their own from a list of topping offerings.
"People are most interesting," she says. "They study the menu very carefully."
Pisano's also has a house calzone and several kinds of salads.
A friend makes cookies that Taya sells, and chocolate candy bars are available for those who want dessert.
"I love this country," Taya says. "All you have to do here is work hard." And she does, still owning the two Pisano's at Lake Tahoe plus the one in Knoxville. She hopes to open a second in West Knoxville, the Farragut area, in the next six months or so.
Louise Durman may be reached at 865-342-6432.
