How to go
WHAT: Noce’s New York Style Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant.
WHERE: Bridgewater Falls (near Chipotle), 3335 Princeton Rd., Suite 105, Hamilton, Ohio 45011
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. Sun.
COST: reasonable
MORE INFO: (513) 894-6623 or www.Noces Pizzeria.com; delivery, carry-out and catering available
CRITIC’S CHOICE: Garlic knots (rolls); Noce’s Signature Pizza; eggplant Parmesan sub; cannoli
LIBERTY TWP. — When most customers walk into Noce’s New York Style Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant, they immediately get in a New York state of mind.
If it’s not from the garlic aroma or from the baking authentic Italian in-house made Garlic Knots (rolls), then the large mural of New York City on the wall and black-and-white photos of the big city will sit them down.
After being open for only four months in Bridgewater Falls, Noce’s Pizzeria already is two thriving businesses. First, the restaurant’s casual dining area can seat 72 customers at a time in booths and tables; and second, there’s a thriving catering, carry-out-and delivery business.
“People sometimes mistake Noche’s Pizzeria as just a carry-out or a buy-the-slice place, but we are so much more than that,” said Mike Licari, one of four owners of the restaurant. “ That’s why I’d like you to call it Noce’s New York Style Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant for the correct title; then people will know. But I’ll just call it Noce’s Pizzeria now, to shorten it.”
Noche’s Pizzeria offers three signature food items, including the buttery garlic knots. They’re served in a basket, they come out fast so there’s little waiting, and a customer may order them as an appetizer with a dipping sauce or just to go along with their pastas.
“Everybody in New York has garlic knots; it’s a given. But here it’s unique because you just can’t find them,” said Licari.
Licari, who grew up in New York, said that Noche’s Signature Specialty Pizza for him was and is often an everyday meal, both as a child and as an adult. And he still loves it. Co-owner Jay Noce, a native New Yorker, grew up eating it, too, and has worked in and around the pizza business his entire life.
Noce’s Signature Specialty Pizza is all made in-house -- with hand-tossed dough made three times a day, along with sauce, Sweet or Hot Italian sausage, black pepper, onions, banana peppers and green or red peppers.
Licari said that many new customers, upon receiving their check , often write “Best pizza ever!” on the bill.
There are eleven specialty pizzas on the menu, as well as create-your-own pizzas.
Noche’s Pizzeria, like the three others in the Tri-State area, offer fresh chicken wings, appetizers, salads, pastas and baked dishes, as well as rolls, calzones and stromboli.
Of course, the most popular dish is pizza, but Licari said calzones and chicken wings are not far behind.
Sometimes customers don’t know the differences among calzones, pepperoni rolls and stromboli, so Licari explained it.
“Here’s what I tell people: If you see a pepperoni roll, you’re going to want to eat it. It’s more of a break apart thing that you dip in sauce. The calzone is a knife-and-fork issue; and it’s more filling. Customers can be creative with the filling, and ours contain ricotta cheese, which makes it more authentic. A stromboli is a pick-up-and eat-it item, like a hot taco,” said Licari.
The menu also offers thirteen 8-inch hot subs, including a delicious Eggplant Parmesan Sub, and three 8-inch cold subs.
In addition, there’s soft drinks, beer, wine-by-the glass, a kids’ menu -- and desserts.
“Cannoli is the authentic, signature Italian dessert on the menu, and it’s stuffed mostly with ricotta cheese. And that often surprises people because it’s so sweet. But there’s sugar, chocolate drops, vanilla and cinnamon in it, too. Then the filling is wrapped in a shell that we make. It’s a pizzelle (an Italian flat cookie) wrapped up,” said Licari.
This friendly, family-oriented restaurant also offers daily pasta specials, and on Friday nights they have a unique special that’s not on the menu.
The first Noce’s Pizzeria opened in 2008 in the Cincinnati area.
According to Licari, all co-owners -- including Rich Gober and El White -- want people to understand that Noce’s Pizzeria is more than a pizza place. It’s more of a restaurant, that has a great pizza.
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