Pizza has just got serious. Food lovers are in for a treat after new pizza joint Slice 'n' Brew opened its doors in Nottingham. The former pop-up now has a permanent home right in the heart of the city centre - and pizza aficionados couldn't be happier.
Slice 'n' Brew has a menu with a difference devised by a man with 11 years experience as a chef in some of Nottingham's best-loved eateries. Fashioning a Neapolitan/New York hybrid pizza Ryon Ishfaq has gone the extra mile to conjure up imaginative toppings.
There's nothing dullsville about Vodka Pie made with Bloody Mary vodka sauce, mozzarella, pecorino and basil, with the option of adding a whole burrata or pepperoni. Cobble Lane Soppressata (salami) has added fire from guindillas chilli and scotch bonnet honey - a nod to his Jamaican heritage but something that works really well on pizza, he said.
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Meat lovers will be able to indulge in beef, pork and 'nduja ragu - already proving to be a runaway winner - while veggies and vegans can have pizzas topped with artichokes and olives or aubergine. A margherita awaits those with simple tastes but it's a cheese and tomato pizza of the highest order. Those who prefer a thicker base that's more focaccia-like will have their sights set on a Detroit-style Red Stripe, a rectangular pizza - again with the option of topping with burrata or pepperoni.
The sides are small in number but inspired. The baby gem salad comes with ranch dressing, shallots, pecorino romano and almond crumb, while croquettes are packed with mortadella, pistachio and scamorza aka Italian sausage, nuts and cheese. Likewise, there's a choice of three desserts: stout tiramisu pot, Basque cheesecake with Negroni poached fruit and Hackney gelato, from the award-winning London company that considers itself "worthy of the finest restaurants."
That's the slice side of the business - now the brew. The fridge is packed with craft beers that team perfectly with pizza. Amongst them notable local names, Black Iris' Endless Summer and Neon Raptor's Retro Racer, join beers from around the UK and German lagers. Ciders, wines by the glass or bottle, canned cocktails and soft drinks complete the drinks list.
Ryon had been furloughed during the pandemic when he started cooking pizzas in his back garden to pass the time. The success of sales via social media led to pop-ups around town, outside the Hockley Kitchen, in Heathcoat Street, and Junkyard in Bridlesmith Walk, where he was turning over 100 a night.
Slice 'n' Brew has opened in what used to be Kings Walk Kitchen, near Trinity Square. The café has undergone colourful green, red and lemon makeover to turn it into a relaxed New York style pizzeria with seating for 46 over two levels.
Having made a name for itself on the streets of Nottingham, Slice 'n' Brew's followers have been eager to try the new pizza joint. In the first two days Ryon has served 200 people, a mix of familiar faces and new ones too. Nottingham Forest CEO Dane Murphy is a regular and has already visited the new site.
The secret of a great pizza? Well it's not really a secret. "Buy the best ingredients you can afford," said Ryon. It's a relief [to be open]. Doing pop-ups for so long and making all the dough at home it’s hectic when you’re crossing over. The last couple of days have been really buzzing.
"I want the dining experience to not be like a restaurant - like a big open room with lots of tables - but a nice cosy, chilled out vibe, almost like a shop feel. I want a higher product but presented in a way that's accessible to most people. I don't want it to be pretentious or intimating just authentic.
"We've opened our online booking system and people are booking all the way through to November already - it's amazing. I've got quite a small team at the moment but if it carries on like it has been I'm going to have to expand."
Slice 'n' Brew is open Tuesday to Thursday, 5pm to 10pm, Friday 3pm to 11pm, Saturday 1pm to 11pm.
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