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From everything that I have read on Chowhound, Nomad turns their tables very fast, but there can be waits to up to an hour. Fortunately for us, we found a parking spot right in front on the street, and we walked in and grabbed the last 2 top that was open. We had arrived around 6:45PM, and the rest of the restaurant was jam packed. They definitely pack them in!
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As you walk in the restaurant, the first thing you notice is the giant brick oven in the back left hand corner of the restaurant. Prior to that, they have their prep line, where there were 4-6 people working, and this overlooks the dining room. Right in front of this is a giant, long table, where it seems that they seat people, one next to another. We were seated on the right hand side of the restaurant, where it looks as though the doors open during the nice weather months to the outside. I can only imagine this being very nice on an evening with gorgeous weather. There were also a couple tables at either end of the restaurant.
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As you walk in the restaurant, the first thing you notice is the giant brick oven in the back left hand corner of the restaurant. Prior to that, they have their prep line, where there were 4-6 people working, and this overlooks the dining room. Right in front of this is a giant, long table, where it seems that they seat people, one next to another. We were seated on the right hand side of the restaurant, where it looks as though the doors open during the nice weather months to the outside. I can only imagine this being very nice on an evening with gorgeous weather. There were also a couple tables at either end of the restaurant.
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Another element that I think adds to the interior is the tongue and groove, white ceiling in the restaurant. This looks nice, and gives the place a clean, finished look. But at the end of the day, what is important here is the large brick oven! ;-) After all, this is what continues to make Nomad a thriving success!
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I grabbed our wine glasses, as well as a ½ bottle that I had poured last night’s remnants of a 2006 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Koplen vineyard into before I put it in the fridge over night. If you’re wondering why I pour it into a half bottle, it is because this takes away the air space, and in my opinion, keeps the wine better overnight. I also grabbed a bottle of 2007 Roots Run Deep Winery Cabernet Sauvignon “Educated Guess.” There is a lot of debate on this wine right now on Wine Berserkers at: http://wineberserkers.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=28208 , so I really wanted to see for ourselves. Check out the review below in the next day or so!
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Our server came over, and I think his name was Bill. He ran through the 3 additions to the menu tonight, and also let us know that there was no clam pie on the menu tonight. Meanwhile, one of the bus girls came over and brought us a chilled bottle of water and two glasses. This was actually a very nice tough, as it is a blue/aqua colored bottle, and kind of that old school bottle with the plastic cap that you can snap shut. I am assuming that afterwards, they wash these and refill them, but it adds a nice little element of sophistication, and also places some nice color on the table around the restaurant. Our server also asked if we had been here before, and we said that we had not.
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He then explained that the pies were 12 inches, and what a lot of people do is order a salad to split, and then a pie to split. He did however tell us that eating an entire pie by yourself is very possible. Come on, 12 inches? Seems like I could polish that off with no problem right? Well, we’ll see! So he took our order, and I kid you not, it couldn’t have been more than 4 minutes and our pies came to the table bubbling hot out of the brick oven. How is this possible?
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Well, it is entirely possible as Nomad keeps their brick oven at temperatures from 750 to 1000 degrees, letting each pizza cook to perfection in less than 2 minutes. The oven is fueled by wood, and they use only cherry or apple. As you can see from the pictures, these pies are gorgeous. The bubbly crust is cooked very nicely, and has a good airiness to it. In just a few places, the heat has given it a nice char, but overall it is a great crust! This is definitely different from your normal pie, and this is some of the best brick oven crust around. Much better than any of the chains that boast their brick oven.
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Both our pies were cooked nicely, with a good crunchy crust, yet the inner crust was soft and chewy. Nomad definitely has taken the time to perfect their crust over the years, and it shows. They make their dough in small batches, and let it rise overnight for a full 24 hours before serving.
The toppings were also nice, and the sauce was flavorful, while not overpowering the nice flavors of the crust. Zelda’s ordered the Margherita, which had the San Marzano tomato inspired sauce, fresh mozzarella, aged parmesan cheese, fresh organic basil, organic olive oil, and salt. She said that the flavors were nice, and I am sure that they were similar to mine.
I opted for the spicy sausage, which had the same San Marzano sauce, fresh mozz, and parm! It was then kicked up a notch topped with “Simply Grazin’ Sausage, caramelized onion, and then the same organic basil and olive oil, and sea salt. The sausage had some great spice and flavor, and not in a hot way by any means. It was just good and flavorful, and the caramelized onions added to the deliciousness! All in all, great brick oven pies!
So at the end of the day, Nomad makes a heck of a great pie, and we’ll be back in the future! Cheese! I mean, CHEERS!
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Nomad Pizza
10 East Broad Street
Hopewell, NJ
Phone: (609)466-6623
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