Are you craving pizza? Well, there are a million places to go, but what about a thin-crusted New Haven Style pizza? There’s only one name that comes to mind — Nick’s New Haven Style Pizzeria. While Nick’s has been winning diners over since 2011 in their Boca Raton location, pizza lovers will rejoice with their newest venture — a 5,200 sq ft restaurant in Coral Springs. Now what makes their pizzas uber-delcious — a homemade sauce, 20-year old recipe, and hand-built coal pizza ovens, also referred to as “the Dragons.” While pizza is their specialty (the white clam pizza is a must-do), Nick’s also offers a lengthy menu of appetizers, salads, pasta dishes, entrées, grinders and desserts — all generously portioned.
Once inside, you’ll notice the lively bar area, their comfy banquettes, old posters lining the walls and seating for 200 — either inside in the spacious restaurant and on the covered patio just outside the restaurant. As for noise, if you’re looking for something quieter, take a seat outside. The indoor seating area is energetic and tends to be a little loud, but we had no problem holding a conversation.
Although, I’ve been hearing great things about Nick’s, this was my first visit to either location. Though, I had tried take out pizza there once, but didn’t have the best experience — great flavor, but it lacked the crispy crust that I was seeking. So when I was invited into the new location for a media tasting, I wanted to give it another shot. Since this was a media visit (yes, it was complimentary), the restaurant wanted us experience Nick’s — and experience we did with plate after plate of decadent dishes. Since the menu is lengthy, we’ll share with you some of our favorites.
When you’re craving a refreshing cocktail, the New Haven-style Lemonade (their signature drink) is sure to satisfy. Raspberry flavored vodka, PAMA, simple syrup and freshly squeezed lemonade combined to a make a well-balanced cocktail, without being too sweet.
For appetizers, our favorite of the night was the Risotto Balls (pictured above), something that rarely excites me. Three fried bundles of 3 cheese risotto offered a creamy texture on the inside with a well-flavored light breading on the outside. Paired with the rustic tomato sauce, these were a delight on the palate and will be added to my “must-order” items on the menu.
For salads, it was the Artichoke & Arugula salad, that won us over. The plated salad of fresh arugula was tossed with a light balsamic vinaigrette, tomatoes, marinated long stem artichokes and freshly shaved Parmesan. This is a great option for a lighter dinner — but is also great for sharing to start off your meal.
For pastas, there are many to choose from — Linguine & Clams, House-Made Ricotta Spinach Gnocchi with pink sauce and fresh basil, Whole Wheat Penne with roasted vegetables — and we found the traditional Rigatoni Bolognese was rich and comforting. The sauce was made with slow-cooked beef and beef ragu with linked sausage. It was like taking a trip to your Italian grandmother’s kitchen.
And now — onto the pizzas. We put the white clam pizza to the test — now this is what they are known for. One side, was a traditional White Clam Pizza with hot cherry peppers, while the other was served with bacon (and we know bacon makes everything better). Both had a crispy crust (we recommend going to the restaurant rather than getting take out) and good flavor, we highly suggest going with the traditional (sans bacon) — and you’ll enjoy this perfection on a plate. The bacon throws the flavors off and makes it a bit too salty. The pizzas are huge, so remember to go on the smaller side.
Options for dessert were aplenty. From the moist carrot cake to a classic tiramisu to fried Nutella ravioli, it was hard to select just one — so the team at Nick’s served us a buffet of sweet treats. While most of them satisfied our craving for something sweet, we would recommend skipping the Fried Nutella Ravioli (just didn’t work for us) and opt for an order of the Warm Apple Strudel served with a creamy vanilla bean gelato.
Nick’s New Haven Style Pizzeria in Coral Springs will host their official grand opening tonight (July 17, 2014) with complimentary drinks and light bites starting at 6:00 p.m. The restaurant is located at 2444 N. University Drive in Coral Springs; 954-800-7603. The address for the Boca Raton location is 2240 NW 19th Street, Suite 904 in Boca Raton; 561-368-2900
Disclaimer: While this meal was offered complimentary, all opinions expressed here are my own.
