In the never-ending search for the best alternative to dining hall pizza, I tried a small shop called Nick’s Tomato Pie. The restaurant is located centrally in Armory Square, across from Syracuse Suds Factory and just off the corner of South Clinton Street, where Syracuse staples Funk ‘n Waffles and Modern Malt are located.

Looking at the outside of the restaurant, I wasn’t exactly overwhelmed by its curb appeal. The storefront is modest, but has some cute Christmas lights lining the awning. The black paneling with wide windows definitely fits the 1920s architecture rampant in downtown Syracuse. But nothing particularly struck me or made me say, “Wow, that’s cool.” Granted, it is just a pizza place.

Walking inside, I noticed the restaurant was divided into two rooms. The front door leads into an open space with a cash register, a counter for single-slice pies and a huge pizza oven. The kitchen was only partially visible from the customer’s perspective. The two people working at the time had an enormous amount of pizza dough on a rolling cart, probably about to be shaped into pizza crust.

Kelli Mosher | Staff Photographer

I ordered a serving of medium buffalo wings, a slice of mushroom pizza and a meatball sub. The wings were disappointing, for sure. They looked like they had been sitting out for a while, because they probably had. The guy working told me that the wings were part of a lunch special, so I assume that the wings I was eating were the leftovers from the lunch rush.

By the time I got to them, the wings were no longer tender and fall-off-the-bone like good wings should be. Rather, they had a texture more similar to boiled chicken. I believe they could have been good had I been eating a fresh batch, but I was utterly disappointed by what actually made it to my plate.

Eating that first bite of mushroom pizza was definitely a welcome change of taste after the wings. My first bite was delicious and bursting with the fresh tang of marinara sauce. Although I really enjoyed it at first, due to my high expectations, the rest of the slice was decidedly average.

All in all I didn’t hate the pizza, but I didn’t love it either. It was a good enough slice to satisfy my craving for non-dining hall pizza, but it also didn’t satisfy my craving for my favorite pizza back home.

I only ate a small part of the meatball sub in the restaurant. What I did eat there was truly fantastic. The sauce was even tangier on the sub than it was on the pizza, the meatball was soft enough to cut with a fork and the bread was delightfully crisp from baking in the oven. I was pleasantly surprised, given the showing of the pizza and the wings were not stellar.

I ate the rest of the sub as a late-night snack the next day, and I think the meatball tasted even better, which is a total norm with Italian food. The meatballs seriously reminded me of my grandma’s meatballs, which is a plus. I truly commend Nick’s Tomato Pie for its meatballs, because my grandma makes some damn good ones.

For anyone looking to get their real pizza fix without leaving the comfort of their dorm, apartment or house, Nick’s Tomato Pie is available to order off GrubHub.

Overall, Nick’s Tomato Pie is definitely not a Syracuse gem that should become an integral part of students’ diets. However, they do craft a nice sub, and I wouldn’t hesitate to order one again.

Published on February 21, 2016 at 8:19 pm

Contact: cmrussel@syr.edu | @caseymrussell