OMAHA, Neb (KMTV) — For years, we've heard the secret behind a good pizza is the sauce. The owner of Noli's Pizzeria says not so fast.
Inside Noli's Pizzeria on 40th and Farnam, people are pretty passionate about their pizza.
"Pizza is the perfect food," said kitchen manager David Meier.
Meier is one of them.
"I got my first job at a little pizza place when I was 14, and I've been making pizza ever since," Meier said. "The best part of the job is when I hand the pizza out to someone's table and you kind of watch them go whoa and then pull out their phone and start taking pictures."
"It's probably the biggest comfort food we have nowadays," said owner Joel Marsh.
It's exactly what Marsh had in mind when he opened Noli's Pizzeria six years ago.
"We're technically New York neapolitan," Marsh explained.
That means their crust is thin and the oven is hot.
"It's like 900 degrees," Marsh said.
But the real secret: "It's in the water," Marsh shared.
Their New York-inspired pizza is made with New York tap water reproduced right in the restaurant.
"They created a water filter to recreate it here," Marsh explained. "It's like five times as pure as Omaha city water."
Meier showed us how one of their most popular specialty pies is made. It's called the DiManzo.
He starts with Filet mignon then adds portobello mushrooms and fresh mozzarella.
"It really adds a nice creamy texture to it once it's melted down into the pie," Meier stated.
Once it's done, there are a few final touches.
"It's going to get our house-made gorgonzola creme sauce," Meier explained.
That's topped with fresh basil and a balsamic glaze.
"We have people drive up from Lincoln just for this," he shared.
Each pizza is made with fresh ingredients and you can order by the slice.
The lunch specials at Noli's are super popular. You can get a slice with a soda for less than ten dollars.
"We don't play around with lunch here. Lunch means a lot to us," Meier said.
Noli's also offers homemade meatballs and pasta big enough to share.
If you get a salad, order the house dressing.
It's a family treasure.
"My Grandma Mo Mo has been making a poppy seed dressing since I've been growing up. So when we started this place, that was one of our features we made and kept making. It's hugely popular and delicious," Marsh shared.
It's so good they bottle it.
Everyone here knows: "Very few things make people as happy as a fresh pizza," Meier said.
So after a challenging year, they're optimistic.
"Hopefully we're on the other side of this and we'll just keep it going," Marsh said hopefully.
And of course...
"And keep eating pizza," Marsh said with a smile.
Noli's Pizzeria was named after the owner's daughter, who is also a pizza lover.
There are two Noli's locations. One is in the Blackstone District at 40th and Farnam.
The second location is at the Inner Rail Food Hall in Aksarben.
For more information visit their website.