Boston stares away from Orem at a roughly 2500 miles. Italy, much farther. Luckily, a man named Nicola DellaCioppa Jr. has transplanted a little slice of both to the happy confines of the Orem/Provo area.
That slice, (offering slices) is Nicolitalia Pizzeria, which provides – per its tagline – “Homemade Boston Italian Style” pizza.
Across the street from Movies 8 and near the Albertson’s parking lot, the location is perfect for students from UVU and that other school in the valley.
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Raised in the business with his parent’s pizzeria, Nick Jr. brings rare back-east experience to the pizzerias found in Utah.
Immediately entering Nicolitalia Pizzeria, one is seized by the fragrant spices and seasonings that fill the air. Beneath the sound of Italian music, a Boston accent can be vaguely heard giving recommendations to employees on making pies, with the very Bostonian dropped “r’s” for “ah’s” and everything else that makes for an audible journey to the east coast.
With authentic no-nonsense brick ovens cooking the dough and crusts to perfection, Nicola takes a serious approach to the pizza. With the use of the brick oven, they are able to stack each pizza with plentiful toppings, something many conveyor-belt using pizza chains are unable to offer. In other words, when you order your five-topping monster of a pizza at the other place, you get sparse distribution of each topping, a few on each slice. Not at Nicolitatlia Pizzeria though – each topping is stacked liberally, piling onto each slice. The brick oven also affords the restaurant to get the crust to cook in the true Boston sense – a crispy cracker-like outside with a bread-like inside, adding to the flavor and texture.
The cheese used is a combination of skim and whole milk, which avoids the pitfalls of some cheese pizzas which, when using only skim look dull and stale upon cooking, or whole milk which makes the cheese very oily. The combination makes for a delicious and fresh tasting cheese topping.
Nicolitalia Pizzeria is going through an interior redecoration, with anticipated murals looking to place customers in a representation of Italy. The overall experience of Nicolitalia Pizzeria is one worth having for students in the valley looking for a pleasant, inviting atmosphere with food prepared with heart, passion and plenty of toppings.
