Review: The stuffed pizza at Nancy’s Pizzeria takes deep dish to another level
If you’re from Chicago, chances are you’re familiar with Nancy’s Pizzeria. You probably know that Nancy’s is considered the home of the original Chicago-style stuffed pizza, and no doubt you’ve eaten your share. In moments of homesick desperation, you may even have had a Nancy’s pizza shipped to you — because, short of flying back home (or to one of a handful of other cities where you can find a location of what has grown to be a national chain), that was the only way you could get one.
Until March of this year, that is, when Nancy’s opened a location in North Raleigh. Now, not only can you indulge whenever the craving hits, but you no longer have to try to explain to your uninitiated friends the difference between a stuffed pizza and its more famous culinary cousin, the Chicago-style deep dish pizza.
You can take them to Nancy’s, where they can experience for themselves what mere words don’t do justice to: that a stuffed pizza raises the ante on a deep dish pie — already a behemoth in its own right — by making it even deeper with more fillings, and adding a top crust and a final layer of tomato sauce.
If you’re feeling mischievous, you could even bet them that they can’t finish more than two slices of a large Uncle Tony’s (Italian sausage, pepperoni, green peppers and onions), which the menu informs you racks up a grand total of 5,980 calories. Naturally, you’ll want to make the bet before the pizza arrives and they see how big it actually is.
You’ll have plenty of time. Depending on the fillings and how busy the place is, it will be 20 minutes to an hour before a stuffed pizza lands on your table. (Your server should be able to give you a more precise estimate.)
Several topping combinations are available, including the signature Nancy’s Special (spinach and mushrooms), a favorite among Chicagoans. You can also create your own combination, choosing from a wide-ranging list of 25 fillings — Italian sausage and hot giardiniera, or Canadian bacon and artichokes. Regardless of which fillings you choose, you can count on about a metric ton of molten mozzarella, a richly seasoned tomato sauce, and a sturdy crust with a 2-inch high rim to contain all the gooey goodness.
If that sounds like more gooey goodness than you can handle, you could opt for Nancy’s “slimmer” stuffed pizza, which goes easier on the fillings. Just be advised that you’re still looking at 530 calories for a slice of medium plain cheese.
Or you could go all in on thin — as in classic Chicago-style thin crust pizza. With a crust that’s crisper and more dense than New York-style, cut into rectangles instead of wedges, this is the pizza recognized by Chicagoans as the true original Chicago style since long before deep dish came onto the scene.
The menu offers a half-dozen pasta alternatives to pizza, mostly Italian-American favorites such as fettuccine Alfredo, spaghetti with meatballs and baked chicken tetrazzini (with spaghetti, mushrooms, cream sauce and mozzarella), a calorie bomb that could give a couple of stuffed slices a run for their money.
The meatballs are also available on a sandwich or as a starter, where they’re simmered in a rich marinara sauce and served up in a miniature cast iron skillet. Garnished with a chiffonade of fresh basil and accompanied by crostini still hot and crisp from the oven, the meatballs are worth ordering, even if they leave you with room for just one slice of stuffed pizza. You can always take leftovers home.
I wouldn’t sacrifice a slice for the wings, however, which are just average. But I would gladly make room for a starter pairing grilled broccolini and juicy bias-cut sections of Italian sausage, dusted with grated Pecorino cheese and crushed red pepper.
The Caesar salad and caprese panzanella (fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil and croutons in a balsamic glaze) are both winning salad options, and they’re light enough that you won’t have to worry about making allowances.
After doing my share of damage to a couple of appetizers and stuffed pizza, I’ll confess I wasn’t up to the challenge of trying the red velvet cake (925 calories) for dessert. But I did manage a couple of bites of cannoli (230 calories), to which I can give a bloated but happy thumbs up.
Located in Brennan Station, in the space that was most recently home to Sardi’s Den, Nancy’s has given the dining room a makeover in warm shades of avocado, cream and coral. With mid-century modern furnishings, polished hardwood floors, and a distinctive pegboard wall covered in pizza peels, pans and other tools of the pizzaiolo’s profession, the place has a look that’s at once contemporary and casually inviting.
But don’t let the sleek look fool you. Nancy’s Pizzeria is all about tradition.
Nancy’s Pizzeria
8111 Creedmoor Road, Suite 137, Raleigh
919-870-9777
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: 2 1/2 stars
Prices: $
Atmosphere: casual, contemporary
Noise level: moderate
Service: variable
Recommended: meatball trio, grilled broccolini and sausage, stuffed pizza
Open: Lunch and dinner daily.
Reservations: accepted
Other: full bar; accommodates children; modest vegetarian selection; patio; parking in lot.
The N&O’s critic dines anonymously; the newspaper pays for all meals. We rank restaurants in five categories: 5 stars: Extraordinary. 4 stars: Excellent. 3 stars: Above average. 2 stars: Average. 1 star: Fair.
The dollar signs defined: $ Entrees average less than $10. $ Entrees $11 to $20. $$ Entrees $21 to $30. $$ Entrees more than $30.