New Italian eatery Little Nicky’s delivers great tastes
By Steve Cabeza, www.clubcabeza.blogspot.com
I’m really pretty fortunate—last week I had a great experience at Payzins Restaurant and Bar in Coral Springs (Macademia Crusted Tilapia, baby!) and this week I got to try Little Nicky’s Italian Ristorante (formerly DiSalvos) and Pizzeria in Hollywood.
Little Nicky’s doesn’t look like much from the curb (what’s with all the flags?), but once you pass through the doors and catch the smell of fresh garlic, and then you see the kitchen and the crew hand-tossing the pizzas, that all changes!
Back a few years ago I used to run around with some Miami Dolphin players. We used to frequent a joint named D. T. Riots then. One of the many colorful people I met and associated with back then was Bobby Morelli. He is now running Nicky’s, and it was my pleasure to reunite with him here at his family’s new joint. Bobby is one of those guys who instantly puts you at ease. He’s charismatic and family-oriented, equally disarming and endearing, and it is easy to see why he’s been so successful at the many different concepts he’s run in the past (including a few Sal’s in Palm Beach). It was great reuniting with him and watching him interact with the customers who came to Nicky’s the night I was there.
Little Nicky’s is located . Named after the owner’s son, Little Nicky’s is everything you want out of a pizza place, despite the full menu. They have a hand-tossed, 16-inch cheese pizza, made with fresh ingredients, on the menu for $5.95 all the time (carryout only). I didn’t eat the pizza, but I saw plenty of folks enjoying it. And the older customers sitting next to us could not stop raving about the crust (really!).
I enjoyed the fried calamari appetizer with marinara sauce ($7.95), served with fresh lemon. The calamari was fried and predictable, but the marinara was delicious, robust, and had a rich and zesty fresh-tomato flavor. The Bruschetta al Italiana ($5.95) came highly recommended and I will have to try it next time I go back to try that $5.95 pie.
What really delivered was my main course, the Chicken Gorgonzola. To be honest, I had some reservations about this dish. I’m not a big fan of Bleu Cheese (it’s a little overpowering for my taste), but Cousin Danny (chef) did a great job, both making it and selling it. Alfredo based, with lots of mushrooms, garlic, and finished with fresh herbs, this dish was rich, decadent, creamy, and had a nice and subtle smoky-and-velvety finish. The dish came with plenty of extra sauce for sopping up with the warm garlic rolls (6) that come with all entrees, and all this for under $15 bucks (including soup or salad).
When you check out Little Nicky’s tell Bobby and Danny that Steve sent you, and ask for Luigi the server, he does a great job without stopping by the table every 5 seconds. The vibe is cool, the portions are huge, and you can’t beat the pizza value.
Please listen in to The Food for Thought Radio Show every Thursday from 6 – 8 p.m. as I eat, drink, and report on restaurants all over Broward County. And if you want to try some of these places out at a big discount, check out PremierDiningFlorida.com for discount dining options.
Civil servants (police, fire, TSA, etc.) get 50% off the bill at Little Nickey’s when in uniform; and the average entree is about $12 bucks. Early bird specials run daily from 4 – 6 p.m. Little Nicky’s is located at 2090 North State Road 7, Hollywood, Florida, 33021. (
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Steve is an aspiring writer, devout Floridaphile, marketing guy, and food & drink lover who enjoys sharing his experiences and hearing of others. Find his local bar articles at http://www.examiner.com/x-12903-Miami-Bars-Examiner and his personal blog at http://clubcabeza.blogspot.com/. He can be reached at .
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Posted by Andrea Freygang on Apr 27 2010. Filed under Broward County, Hollywood, Local news, Taste Broward. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
