Nick's Slice of Brooklyn delivers
PANAMA CITY BEACH — Nick's Slice of Brooklyn delivers the same big Italian taste to the beach that garnered owner Nick DeFilippis a following in the Nashville area for 31 years.
"When I saw this building, I said, 'That's it; I'm done,'" said Nick, who packed up his Franklin, Tenn., restaurant and moved it to Panama City Beach after his last visit. "The water, the ocean. I got to have the ocean. I'm from Brooklyn."
A replica of the Statue of Liberty greets customers at Nick's Slice of Brooklyn, 13528 Front Beach Road. The inside of the building is unrecognizable from its former time as Fahrenheit Grill. Nick's Italian Deli & Pizzeria — featured on Tennessee Crossroads — also had counter service. But Nick has simplified the menu at his new restaurant at the beach, where he came to relax. His pasta is now only available for catering.
But his fans have followed him, too.
"I get at least a dozen people from Nashville a week. Last week a tour bus with 80 kids came to visit me — no joke," he said.
On Tuesday afternoon, Nick was outside talking with customers while Chris was taking orders behind the counter — filled with Garlic Knots, strombolis, and pizza by the slice.
"Just wait till you try the Sicilian; it's incredible," Chris said.
The Sicilian is a deep dish with mozzarella, San Marzano sauce, Pecorino Romano cheese and spices. Other slices always available include Cheese, Pepperoni, Sausage, Margherita, Supreme, The Mama Mia, and The God Father. The God Father features two crusts stuffed with extra cheese, pepperoni, ham, sausage with a little extra cheese and pepperoni on top. Each slice of the God Father and the Mama Mia, which also has some veggies, weighs in at two pounds. But "fuhgeddaboudit" and take the pizza challenge.
Born and raised in Bensonhurst Brooklyn, Nick was 19 in 1989 when he and his wife, Gina, opened Nick's Italian Deli & Pizzeria in Tennessee after he visited and fell in love with the area. If you want to know what made his restaurant so successful, "You figure it out," he said in his thick native Brooklyn accent.
And after a taste of the Margherita, one of his favorites, I did.
"I use real ingredients. I make the dough everyday. I started when I was 9 years old, working in delis. I've been doing this for a long time. I make fresh mozzarella," said Nick, who still makes his fresh mozzarella the same way he did as a kid. "I'm a butcher too by trade. I always worked in a restaurant."
Nick's parents lived in Italy before settling in Brooklyn, where there were delis on every corner. Nick didn't like school, so his dad gave him another option — work every day. And that's what he's been doing since he dropped out of school at age 12.
"Nobody taught me all the recipes, these hands did it," Nick said.
He brought me a fork and knife in case I wanted to use it for my slice, but it turned out to be messy anyway as the fresh mozzarella wrapped around my fork and snapped back. I picked up the large slice with both hands, though a native New Yorker would have used one.
"Pick it up and fold it and oil dripping down your arm — that's it and the flavor's there. Some people pat it down with a napkin, but that's how you do it," Nick said.
The texture and flavor of the fresh mozzarella combined with the flavorful sauce of blended San Marzano tomatoes and nothing else, fresh sliced Roma tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and the Pecorino Romano cheese and oregano on the thin crispy crust made this my favorite.
My slice was not greasy, but I bet with the addition of meat it could be a different story — and also worth it.
"I don't use all fresh mozzarella for everything though; I couldn't make enough. I went to Wisconsin to pick out my other cheese," Nick said. "I don't use garbage."
He boxed up a couple more of his favorites for me to try.
"My favorite is the Margherita Pizza, the Godfather Pizza and the Sicilian and the Garlic Knots — they are like candy," Nick said.
The Garlic Knots are made with the pizza dough and smothered in garlic and butter.
"You have to try the garlic knots — trust me on this one," customer Jeremy Hinton suggested to me.
And he was right.
"Marinara is served with the strombolis, and the sauce is also good with knots. Some get it to dip the double stuffed in too," Nick said. "People are getting to know me. If you come here at night, it's all locals. Nobody walks out unhappy."
Steve, aka "Grumpy," finished up his slice of Supreme at the bar, where bartender Brandy also was answering the phone. Happy hour is all day with $2 drafts and $5 cocktails.
"I'd been waiting for this place to open up. I'll be back to try the stromboli," he said.
Seven different Stromboli Rolls range from Meat Lovers with sausage, pepperoni, ham and mozzarella to Spinach with spinach, ricotta, mozzarella and garlic, and Hot Sandwiches include Chicken Parmigian Sub and Italian Sausage Sub. The only light thing on the menu might be the salads — House, Caesar and Antipasto. But it's the 18-inch pizza pies that keep customers hungry for more — with 11 specialty selection on the menu or create your own from 14 toppings.
"Nighttime — that's when it's crazy," Nick said. "We do deliveries, everything. On Sundays we open up at 3, and on Sunday, we went through over 100 pizzas."
But even during its busier hours at night, he said, it's families who are coming in to eat. The restaurant seats 152, but that's about to expand.
"I got next door, too. I'm busting the wall through," said Nick, who has had requests to do private parties. "And I wanted to stay small and I'm going big again, because I hate to say no. I hate it, but I love it."
Gina still makes the desserts: Tiramisu, Lemon Berry Marscarpone Cake, Double Chocolate Cake, Deep Fried Raspberry Cheesecake Pastry, and Cannoli. But she doesn't join him at the restaurant anymore.
"My wife does all the desserts. I don't fool with the desserts. We worked in Nashville every day together for 31 years. She's not working here; she's done," Nick said. "It's a lot of work. I'm always here."
What: Pizzeria & Bar; delivery and catering
Where: 13528 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3-9 p.m. Sunday
Details: 850-708-3177, NicksSliceOfBrooklyn.com or Facebook.com/NicksPCB
Nick's Slice of Brooklyn
