Naked City Pizza
Naked City Pizza on Paradise is a place we drove passed many times on our way home without stopping in to enjoy. All that has now changed!
Naked City Pizza is named after one of the original neighborhoods in Las Vegas. One of us being a Las Vegas native knew the neighborhood well as her mother was raised in this area of town.
This restaurant on Paradise is not your average red sauce pizza joint, but rather a classic-Italian comfort-food-meets-sophistication-and-modern dining joint. All this in an intimate and fun setting.
The family recipes and the photos serve as a tribute to their parents and grandparents, as theowners have dedicated a wall of vintage black and white family photos. The sailor and nurse photo is a must see and the story a must tell – just ask one of the owners.
We shared The Guinea Pie (Guinea being the nickname of the chef owner), the signature pizza of Naked City and wow, what flavorful indulgence this was. Imagine this: a square pizza with a white garlic sauce base topped with fresh spinach and the chef’s grandmother’s all-beef sliced meatballs with a hint of mint, topped with mozzarella, ricotta and dusted with dried oregano. Hungry yet? Great news – all pizzas are available in 1/4 sheet, 1/2 sheet or full sheet. You will fall in love with the menu items from starters like the Garlic Buns to salads, hot and cold subs, desserts and of course, as the name suggests; pizzas for days. In the mood for Poutine Fries perhaps? Well they have that too!
We had to try the Buffalo wings, first cooked in the oven, then fried giving them an extra crispy texture and served with Naked City’s homemade ranch and blue cheese dips.
How does modern and sophistication fit in to this equation? Look for the daily specials that are changed out every few weeks.
We enjoyed the Tomato Confit salad which has Heirloom baby tomatoes and were marinated in extra virgin olive oil, garlic and basil. They are then cooked until they are just blistered and were both sweet and savory. The oil was used to dress the arugula with a bit of fried baby basil that added texture and flavor. We also had the New Zealand Lamb with Lonzo, mint oil, whole grain mustard over smashed potatoes. The presentation was simple elegance, enhanced with edible flowers… And yes, we ate them. It would be remiss of us if we did not mention the quality of the ingredients that are exceptional and the value unbelievable. The lamb chops were only $11.95!
We ended with Sweet Cream Ricotta Cannolis with house made chocolate cherry ice cream.
The 50 craft beer offerings, including local Nevada ones, are so extensive they are prominently displayed on a chalkboard at the entrance. This beer menu features the name, type, price, alcohol percentage and amount in ounces. The Sharkinator, a white IPA, is a must try for a Parrothead. However, the red wine was too good to pass up this time.
This street front restaurant is a Buffalo Bills’ sports hangout with a UNLV “Rebel Yell” including furniture made by the owners. The city watcher in you will enjoy the barstool dining that faces the street; the conversationalist in you will enjoy the conference style wood tables and upholstered bench seating.
Fall will bring football Sundays, movie nights and beer tasting dinners. Be on the lookout!
“Nothing naked about the cuisine; it comes fully dressed with surprising & delighting twists” and That’s What She Said! MV
