This summer has been a bit all over the place. Like most people, my family and I have been on the go and haven’t had a ton of time at home to try new restaurants that have opened in the area. Fortunately for us, we found the time to have lunch at Napolis Pizzeria in Tega Cay earlier today.
My daughter and I arrived hungry and left stuffed, full with a satisfaction that only great Italian cooking can provide. We each ordered a slice of pizza (cheese and pepperoni/sausage) with a meatball appetizer and a side salad. Crusty bread also arrived at our table when our order was delivered.
Before our food ever arrived I was already impressed. The total for our meal was around $20. It’s sad that this is considered a good deal nowadays, but it is. I’m more than willing to pay $10 for each of us to have a delicious lunch that we’ll both enjoy. A side note, my daughter had water and I ordered a Pellegrino so that helped a bit with the price.
Once our food arrived we were pretty ravenous. I probably would’ve eaten anything at that point but I started with my side salad. Nicely portioned, the salad was fresh with tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. It was the right size to help me avoid eating 3-4 slices of pizza like I would’ve wanted.
In between bites of salad, I reached over for a taste of the meatball. Oh my. This was a good meatball. The meat itself was dense enough to keep its shape but soft enough to almost melt in your mouth as you chewed it. The sauce was thin with chunks of tomato, which is exactly how my Italian mother makes it. The right consistency was achieved, which is key to a good sauce.
Now that I had tasted the meatball, my focus shifted to the slice of pizza. My first bite was delicious. The key to a great pizza is the crust and this one had a thin and crunchy crust. The aforementioned sauce played nicely with the chunky sausage and thin pepperoni.
I’m no food critic, but I am half Italian so I play one on TV. This pizza was everything I had hoped it would be and more. My daughter even said it “was the best she’s ever had.” She’s nine so I’d take that with a grain of salt, but it’s great nonetheless.
Although we tried the NY style pizza, I was tempted to try the Sicilian that was sitting in the case. To be honest, I was tempted to try most everything that was in the case, but that may have been due to my extreme hunger. Next time around I’ll be tempted at the thought that anything I’ll try will be fantastic. I may need a new loophole on my belt.
Along with pizza, Napolis also offers other Italian favorites like stromboli, calzones and baked or entree pastas. A variety of cheesesteaks, hot/cold subs and appetizers like wings, garlic knots and mozzarella sticks round out the menu. For the health conscience, there are multiple salads with in house dressings to choose from.
I’ve lived here long enough to remember the NY deli and the Danny’s that occupied the space Napolis now calls home. Although I was sad to see Danny’s go, I was happy to hear a new pizza place would take its place.
After experiencing it for myself, I’m very glad that the pizza place ended up being Napolis.
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