Smokin’ Brick Oven Pizza at Nicky’s Firehouse

For many Madison residents, it doesn't take a three-alarm fire to send them over to Nicky's Firehouse Restaurant & Pizza, a casual, family-style eatery known as much for its food as for its support of local businesses, community outreach, and 5K charity benefit runs. The restaurant first opened its doors in 1991 and has been firing up the kitchen and serving solid pizza, pastas, and hearty family fare ever since.

Nicky's Firehouse is divided into two rooms: a pizzeria and a sit-down dining area, both of which carry the restaurant's fire station theme with gusto. Firefighter hats, black-and-white photos of old firehouses, a collection of firefighter pins and patches, and other assorted fire-related paraphernalia line the walls, while a firefighter in action statue (complete with hose) looks on from the front window. All that's missing is a pole and a Dalmatian. There is no mistaking the theme here, and it is carried over to the menu which features the kind of hungry man, "comfort food" Italian meals that many a firefighter has been attributed to cooking and eating.

Pizza is one of the Central Avenue restaurant's strongest suits, and it's offered up in several different varieties, including individual 10" pies ($6.95), whole wheat ($9.95 for 14", $11.95 for 16"), Sicilian ($12.95), cheese ($9.95 for 13", $11.95 for 16", extra for toppings), and a selection of "Nicky's Specialty Pizzas" combinations ($11.95-$15.95).

If those are not enough choices, there is also a menu of 12" brick oven house pizzas which are only served to eat-in diners—and eat in, you should. Nicky's brick oven pizza is what all pizza aspires to be: crusty on the bottom with the lightest dusting of cornmeal, thin-crust but valiantly holds up a mess of chunky-cut, good-quality, fresh toppings, cheesy without the grease, and party-in-your-mouth spicing and flavor combinations.

You know the pizza heaven I'm talking about, and that's exactly what "Nicky's Special" brick oven pizza delivered ($12.99). The pie was topped with extra-thick slices of Portobello mushrooms and tomatoes, laced with broccoli rabe, and blended with just the right amount of ricotta and Italian sausage. No bite was too overloaded with one product, and the sauceless pie proved that there certainly is an art to constructing and cooking pizza way beyond a dose of tomato sauce and a handful of mozzarella.

Not as successful as the pizza but certainly no slouch in their categories were Nicky's tortellini carbonara ($11.99) and chicken saltimbocca ($12.99), two of the Firehouse's main course selections. Both were ample portions, fairly priced, and about average in execution. The carbonara had more of an alfredo consistency: heavy creamish instead of raw egg-velvety, although the traditional peas, prosciutto, bacon, and onion components were included. While purists will argue the subtle distinction, the dish was enjoyable nonetheless. Also on the plus side, the saltimbocca chicken breast was extremely tender and juicy and simply adorned with a touch of prosciutto and cheese. But on the minus scale, the heavy Madeira-spiked demi-glace gravy seemed better suited to a potato or rice bed rather than the accompanying pile of noodles.

Other entrees available at the BYO run the gamut from chicken marsala ($8.95 for half portion, $11.95 for whole) to veal piccata ($9.95 for half, $12.95 for whole) to shrimp fra diavolo ($9.95 for half, $13.95 for whole) to walnut crusted salmon ($10.95 for half and $14.95 for whole) to burgers ($6.95-$8.95) and sandwiches/wraps ($5.95-$7.95).

Just as large as Nicky's pizza menu is its pasta board, which includes over 20 items such as Pasta alla POE ($9.95 for half order, $11.95 for full), a name-sake of owner Nicholas Lardieri's mother, "The Three Piasons" ($10.95 for half, $13.95 for full) featuring shrimp, chicken, and Andouille sausage, and homemade lasagna ($8.95 for half, $10.95 for full).

Naturally, a firehouse-themed establishment wouldn't be complete without hot wings and chili. Nicky's "Firehouse Wings" are served hot or mild with blue cheese ($7.95) and are followed by "4-Alarm" chili ($4.95), a few soups, thirteen different salads ($4.95-$9.95), and other appetizer selections including mozzarella sticks ($5.95), clams oreganato ($6.95), hot antipasto for two ($12.95), and Maryland Jumbo lump crab cakes ($9.95).

Like the rest of my meal (and with the exception of the outstanding brick oven pizza), I found the coconut shrimp appetizer ($8.99) to be somewhat of a mixed bag. The shrimps were over-fried and blackened in places—a problem that is easily fixed with a closer eye on the fryer basket. If the seafood had been pulled earlier, the plate with its accompanying Asian citrus duck-type sauce would be a rousing success.

Desserts at Nicky's are unfortunately its low point. Its most popular item, the red velvet cake ($6.99), is a four-tier monstrosity with chocolate truffle filling and cream cheese icing. The cake is everything but velvety: dense, cloying, and very, very straight-out-of-the-refrigerator cold. The icing tastes and feels like paste. If there is one area for the restaurant to work on, it definitely is its sweets menu which also features canolli ($3.95), New York cheesecake ($5.95), and cappuccino éclair cake ($5.95).

Nicky's Firehouse runs themed specials three nights a week (pizza night Mondays, pasta night Tuesdays, and Ladies' Night Thursdays) and is participating in Madison's "Late Night Thursdays" and Hearts for Haiti programs. It is very much engrained into the fabric of Madison, and one must commend Lardieri on two fronts: for being pro-actively involved with the community and for providing a steady, affordable dining option in a fun, relaxed setting. This is not gourmet cuisine, but Nicky's Firehouse isn't trying to be. It's a comfortable, old stand-by where you can bring your family, not worry about spilled milk, know the service and food will be just fine, and light up your appetite for one of the hottest pizzas in town.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nicky's Firehouse Family Restaurant

15 Central Ave., Madison

(973) 765-0565

Hours of Operation:

Monday through Saturday, 11 am-11 pm

Sunday, 12-10 pm

BYO. Delivery, catering, children's birthday parties, and children's menu available.