Naked City Pizza on Paradise
The Pork Board – Lonza, Sweet basil & Fontina Italian sausage, Stuffed Vinegar Sweet Peppers (mozzarella, salami, ham), Crostini
Sliced Meatballs – In-House Made Meatballs, Red Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese, Toasted Bread
Smoked Duck Leg with House-Made Pappardelle and Lemon Arugula
Chicken Wings – Buffalo and BBQ
Guinea’s Pie – Meatballs, Spinach, Ricotta, White Garlic Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese
Lamb Confit Ravioli – Pickled Ramps, Mint Oil, Mustard Seed
The Rebel – Pepperoni, Sausage, Ham, Salami, Tomato, Fresh Basil, Mozzarella
Cannoli
Originally founded inside Moon Doggies on Arville, and gaining national acclaim through an appearance on Guy Fieri’s infamous DDD just a few years ago, those familiar with the original Naked City Pizza may be shocked to realize that Christopher Palmeri has subsequently opened up a second store just steps from The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on Paradise, a house made pasta and Charcuterie program joining all the classics from the flagship in a setting better suited for families as tunes from decades past play prominently throughout the room.
Visited once in the past with visiting friends, and this time approached as part of a business meeting with three pals far more in tune with the local dining scene, it was in giving Chef Palmeri ‘carte blanche’ to serve the table as he pleased that an eight course tasting was served up by a young woman whose skills rivaled any on display at a “pizza place” in Sin City, every single plate showing off the chef’s continuing evolution towards flavors rarely found outside more formal settings while the staples that made Naked City a household name remain present and accounted for with no signs of falling off any time soon.
Sitting and chatting, college football playing on a pair of LCD Televisions mounted on the wall as several craft beers and housemade Sangria tempted some in the group, the meal began with Palmeri’s newly launched Pork Board and with although Lonza and stuffed peppers were admittedly quite beautiful it was the housemade sausage that had the group reeling, the sweet basil and fontina underlying unctuous ground pork with notes of fennel occasionally peaking out.
Italian by way of Buffalo, Thurman Thomas’ jersey prominently hung on the wall, course two featured Palmeri’s Grandmother’s recipe for meatballs inside of a piping hot skillet, the slices each the very definition of succulent amidst mozzarella and fresh tomato sauce, the same meat forming the base for Naked City’s signature pizza whose tongue-in-cheek name became known through The Food Network – the ricotta and white garlic each coming through atop a buttery deep-dish crust with flavors quite pronounced.
Moving on to pastas, the options offered far more intriguing than those at other pizza parlors or even top tier Italian eateries with celebrity chef names found along the Strip, Palmeri’s firs offering featured house-cured duck atop hand crafted ribbons of al dente pappardelle beneath olive oil, light citrus, and arugula, the follow-up ravioli a touch more starchy than would have been ideal but absolutely stuffed with confit of lamb with mint, house pickled ramps, and bright mustard seeds all offering a complex and bold balance.
Returning to hold-over signatures from the menu at Moon Doggies, both ‘bar food’ staples for watching sports across the United States, Naked City’s wings should not go overlooked by fans of the genre whether their preference is to Buffalo Style or BBQ as each come across crisp and smoky, the UNLV-themed “Rebel” another significant offering of savory, four meats perched atop cheese, basil, and tomatoes that should easily please those in search of Detroit-style thick-crust crunch.
Impressed by a bag of donuts offered during the first stop at Paradise, but moreso by the filled-to-order cannoli experienced up on Arville during a family visit over one year ago, it was with five filled shells that the meal was concluded, each shattering bite yielding lightly whipped mascarpone and still the best in town.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS: Though some may consider “deep dish” somehow inferior to traditional Roman or Neapolitan Pies a recent conversation with Pizza Legend John Arena at Metro has really forced me to rethink such preconceived notions, the quality of the product more appropriately judged within the scope of its intentions and almost every bite at Naked City reference standard for the genre, the house made pasta and cured meats going far beyond what even fans or those familiar with the place from network television might expect.
RECOMMENDED: Smoked Duck Leg with House-Made Pappardelle, Sweet Basil and Fontina Sausage, Guinea’s Pie, Cannoli.
AVOID: The pockets of pasta around the lamb confit were a bit less refined than other local spots, a small qualm considering the creative composition of the rest of the dish. Those who dislike the taste of Fennel may also be wary (or at least would be benefited to ask) as the ingredient plays prominently along with Sweet Basil in many plates.
TIP: Recently introducing a Family Room at the Moon Doggies location it would seem a return to check out that space is warranted, my original complaint largely that of the smoky bar and heavily inebriated patronage even at 1pm.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
http://www.nakedcitylv.com/
