#SCBD takes on City Pizza Overnight!

Posted on March 18, 2013 by smallchickbigdeals

There is nothing like a good piece of New York pizza. If you’ve seen Elizabeth‘s and Lauren‘s posts, you know that the SCBD team are always up for a good slice. Almost two weeks ago, on a Friday morning in my case I got my four pies delivered to my apartment from City Pizza Overnight. Unlike Lauren & Elizabeth I did not get any gluten-free pizzas but got to try a veggie thin crust, regular veggie, plain, and pepperoni!

I was actually in the middle of cooking a late breakfast when mine were delivered so I decided why not just eat lunch so I popped in the plain pizza and put the rest in the freezer to eat over the weekend and the following week. It was incredibly easy to make, unwrap it, keep the cardboard circle (I almost didn’t but you can put it on it to serve after), pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees and once its ready, put the pizza in for 6-7 minutes. It was delicious and definitely some of the closest to New York style pizza I’ve tasted being it was shipped form Chicago!

That night I decided to see if my roommate Leah was interested in having one of the pizzas so we got some beer and had a pizza party. We decided to eat some of the plain I had leftover and to try one of the veggie pies. We loved how full of veggies the pie was and the plain was great reheated in the oven again.

To end the weekend, we decided to put in the pepperoni pie. My boyfriend was over so between the three of us — the pie was finished in no time. I loved how covered in peperoni it was and the thin crust was perfect. FYI: Thin crust is my favorite.

I’d highly recommend City Pizza Overnight for your next party because you get 3 pies sent to your doorstep and it’s definitely worth the money. Also, if you live far from the city and have never had New York style pizza, this is the perfect opportunity to try it! The ordering process is easy and user friendly and the owner, Adam is always giving the utmost customer support if you have any questions.

Happy Eating!

Elizabeth’s City Pizza Overnight Review

Posted on March 11, 2013 by elizabethpalmer14

Last Thursday I placed my order for pizza delivery from City Pizza Overnight- and Friday afternoon, as promised, I came home to a huge, brown box at my doorstep. City Pizza Overnight is a Chicago-based company that specializes in NYC-style pizza delivered overnight. It comes to you cooled and packed in ice, ready to crisp up in your oven and eat in 6-7 minutes. The ordering process is simple and straightforward, and their FedEx shipping process is seamless. They send you a confirmation and tracking number so you know exactly where your order is and when it arrives. Definitely easy and definitely convenient.

For my pizzas, I tried a regular plain pizza, a gluten-free plain pizza, and a gluten-free pizza topped with onions, and peppers. Once out of the box, all you have to do in unwrap each pie and put them right on the rack in your pre-heated oven. The pizzas made my kitchen smell fantastic; a nice perk you don’t usually get to enjoy when you order pizza. I found it helpful to keep the cardboard circles from under the pizza- that way you can just pull them right out of the oven onto those and serve.

How did they taste? The gluten-free options are a real accomplishment. They have a tender and crispy crust like you’d expect from a regular pizza, the sauce and cheese are in good proportion, and the vegetable toppings on one gave it a welcomed boost of flavor. For anyone with a gluten allergy who’s craving a pizza fix- this would surely hit the spot. The regular plain pizza for me tasted a little plain, for lack of a better word. It didn’t have the cheesy, crusty, unctuousness I’ve come to expect from plain pizza. But if you live in a part of the country where good pizza is far and few between, this might be right up your alley. And as I said before, the gluten-free options are a smart and delicious option even for those without a gluten allergy. You can even order up a bunch of pizzas and keep them in your freezer, ready to heat and eat at a moments notice.

Overnight Pizza: The Gluten-Free Edition

Posted on March 5, 2013 by laurenpstern

When I first told my friends and neighbors that I was having two gluten-free New York style pizzas delivered to my front door from Chicago, IL, they were in complete disbelief. I mean, can you really blame them? The idea of having a pizza, whether it be gluten-free or not, delivered anywhere in the world via Fed-Ex sounds completely crazy, right? But the idea actually exists and is pulled off extremely well by the folks over at City Pizza Overnight.

I have to admit, throughout the process, I was quite nervous about ordering these pizzas. I’ve never ordered food on the internet before, and sometimes you just hear the craziest stories! But Adam, the owner of City Pizza Overnight, really works with you to make sure you get the full experience! I think I can speak for Sara, Elizabeth, and I when I say that he really went above and beyond in making sure we were comfortable throughout the entire process. Especially in my case, I mean anyone who is able to work with my allergies and gluten-sensitivity without getting frustrated deserves an A+ in my book!

In addition to the excellent customer service, the delivery was quick and easy! We even knew exactly when our pizzas were arriving via e-mail and the pizza arrived right on time! We didn’t even have to sign for it, which is a huge plus for anyone who can’t be around for the pizza’s arrival.

In my case, the pizzas arrived at 3pm, so I had to freeze it for a few hours before digging in! I received two pizzas, one regular and one pepperoni. My family and I decided to try the pepperoni first, because it’s been a really long time since my gluten-free mother or I have had a pepperoni slice! Once dinner time came around, we popped the pie in the oven, and 10 minutes later we had ourselves a mini pizza party!

The pepperoni pizza was delicious! It felt like I was eating a regular pepperoni pizza slice! Unlike the homemade gluten-free recipes I’ve tried, you can’t even tell it’s gluten-free! Out of the two, I think the pepperoni pizza was my favorite just because it felt like the old non-gluten free times. The only thing I disliked about it was that it was really greasy (especially compared to the regular) but even that wasn’t a HUGE problem for me. It was expected, actually!

The next up was the regular, which I tried with my boyfriend Luke this past Sunday. For the purpose of this site, I tried mine plain and with garlic powder. My boyfriend, on the other hand, decided to get creative and slather bacon all over his pizza. Regardless of our different concoctions, we couldn’t stop raving about how delicious the pizza tasted! He even argued with me vehemently about saving a slice for my mom. He wanted to eat 5-6 slices, it was that good!

Overall, my experience with City Pizza Overnight was nothing but excellent. The service was fast and easy and the pizza was delicious, even days after delivery! I am already recommending City Pizza Overnight to my friends and family and highly considering ordering again next time I have a small get together!

Love #NYPizza? Get the Cheazza App!

Posted on March 1, 2013 by smallchickbigdeals

There is nothing like having a slice of New York Pizza on a Friday night. But the question is where to go and get it? I have the solution, the Cheazza App.

Credit: Brett Middleton

Cheazza is an iPhone app created by Adrienne Smith with her boyfriend, Joe Masilotti. Joe is a developer and Adrienne works in the digital media sphere, so they decided to combine their talents and make an iPhone app! They love eating and discovering deals in New York City, so they decided to uncover New York’s $1 pizza slices and best cheap pizza deals. There’s a pizzeria on every block in Manhattan, but you can spend $5 for a limp, lukewarm slice. They wanted to show users the best slice for a deal.

Joe is Cheazza‘s sole developer, while Adrienne manages all things “editorial.”

“We conducted all pizza research ourselves (which involved many a pizza crawl), and created the app from the ground up on our own”, says Adrienne.

Info page on the app

Cheazza has over 70 pizza places, from bars that offer free pizza with each drink purchased (Crocodile Lounge) to $0.75 cent slices in Midtown (Ray’s, occasionally to pizza happy hours in the Financial District (It’s A Pizza). The iPhone app is $0.99 to download, and can be downloaded on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Interested in downloading the app? Well today is your lucky day, we are giving away 5 free promo codes for the Cheazza app!

How to win a code:

Share this post and mention @Cheazza_App and @SmChickBigDeals for a chance to win a free download.

The first 5 people to do this will be notified right away if you are a winner and given your promo code to download the app!

Good luck and happy pizza finding!

Check Out #SCBD in Jerz Hot Spots!

Posted on January 20, 2013 by smallchickbigdeals

I’m proud to announce that you can now find me, Sara Monica (founder of SCBD) co-hosting episodes of Jerz Hot Spots presented by Urban Socialites! It premiered last week so make sure you subscribe to the episodes, here.

If you haven’t seen it already, here is the premiere episode which was shot at Goodfella’s in Bayonne, NJ:

Just for fun, here are bloopers from the episode:

Stay tuned and enjoy the show!!

Pizza done the Italian way!

Posted on November 15, 2012 by atiffanything

Finding authentic food in New York City can prove to be a challenge at times but worth every second. While attending an Italian play at Cherry Lane Theater (38 Commerce Street, NY, New York) for an extra credit assignment this past week, a restaurant suggestion was made for us to check out Numero 28 (28 Carmine Street, NY, New York). The restaurant offered our group of 20+ accommodations instantly and greeted us with pure Italian hospitality. The authenticity of the restaurants energy complimented the menu perfectly and the pizza dishes that arrived at our tables completed the experience with pure satisfaction.

Our dishes included the Margherita plain, the S. Daniele and the Prosciutto with Arugula pizzas. A bite into either one of these slices was like taking a trip to Italy every time. The texture of the brick-oven slices added to the experience and when complimented with a Birra Moretti (Italian beer), the meal was complete. If the endless pizza and beer werent enough to satisfy the tummies of our group, the torta di cioccolate was absolutely did the job and was heavenly. The hint of what seemed to be coconut allowed our senses to go wild and visit a sense of euphoria.

Take the trip to Numero 28 Ristorante and enjoy your bite of Italy today!

Tiffany Salisha

Tiffany is a born and raised true New Yorker. Having lived in 3 of the 5 boroughs, her taste for NYC life includes both the social energy of the city as well as the amazing eateries she can stumble upon. Her grandmother, who is a native to Puerto Rico, instilled her passion for food and boy was she sure to bring the flavor with her. Through the years, she has expanded her food horizons & has grown an appreciation for all shapes, sizes, & tastes of food allowing her to self-proclaim herself a “foodie”. Follow her @atiffanything!

Take a Bite of the Best at Girello Pizza in #Tribeca!

Posted on October 25, 2012 by smallchickbigdeals

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of dining with my dear friend Serena Palumbo at Girello in Tribeca. Girello has a perfect lcoation because it’s not even a two minute walk from the downtown train station. It was the first time Serena and I went there and we loved it.

We were welcomed with a smile by our waitress Tara and were escorted to our table. Girello has a nice, cozy atmosphere so as soon as Serena and I got seated we felt right at home! We were each served a glass of wine, which I really enjoyed followed by an amuse, fresh baked bread with oil & vinegar to compliment our wine. We loved our bread but it only got better from there. Next, Tara picked our first course, mussels.

Our delicious plate of mussels!

The oven roasted P.E.I. mussels. tomatoes, garlic, white wine, herbs were perfect and a great portion for two people to share. Serena and I really enjoyed them– we love our seafood! Our second course consisted of the salad they had their special menu complimented by their special cocktail of the night. The cocktail was great and served in a teacup. The salad was huge, it had arugula, tangerines, and a shredded cheese. It was delicious!!!! I think they should put it on the menu too!

The salad from Girello!

Last, we opted to have pizza as our last course, since Girello is known for their pizza. I can see why they are known for their pizza, because we were not disappointed! We tried the pizza special. It was white pizza topped with vegetables and arugula– it was cooked perfectly! I loved it! The cocktail of the night also complimented the pizza–Serena and I were in foodie heaven!

Pizza from Girello

Of course, we couldn’t leave without trying one of Girello’s signature desserts– tiramisu! Now, let me tell you Serena and I loved the tiramisu. It was a great size, we ate as much as our stomachs could handle!

Tiramisu

So if you are in Tribeca and looking for a cozy restaurant to enjoy a great meal, I highly recommend Girello. I loved the fact that as soon as I came in I was treated like family. The food is great and fare priced. They also have a new cocktail every night that’s available starting during happy hour. I love that they focus on specials so you can expect something different when you come in but they a great list of signature dishes!

Girello: 11 Varick St. between Franklin St. and N.Moore St. in Tribeca

Happy Eating!!

*Disclaimer: The PR team paid for my meal. I was not required to write about these experiences and my opinions are my own and unbiased.*

There ain’t no pizza like Firehouse pizza!

Posted on July 29, 2012 by smallchickbigdeals

Every now and then you find a pizzeria that you will always love. This pizzeria has fed me through my sadness, happiness, and every in between. I found Nicky’s Firehouse restaurant during my freshman year at Fairleigh Dickinson. I decided to try there delivery since I didn’t have my car on campus and have been in love with their pizza ever since. Eventually when I started going to the pizzeria with my boyfriend and kept ordering out. It just stuck, and if you asked any of my friends I praised there caesar salad pizza all the time! Well the December/January of my senior year they went on hiatus and were under construction. I was worried I wouldn’t have Nicky’s before I left but they opened right before I graduated. Long story short, after months of not being able to go due to construction and whatnot. I finally went again with my man Jason this weekend and Nicky’s didn’t let me down. I loved the changes they made & the pizza was just as great as I remembered a few months ago!

New decor at Nicky’s Firehouse!

Nicky’s Firehouse Restaurant (15 Central Avenue, Madison, NJ)

Customer Service- 5: It was just how I remembered, everyone was friendly and answered our questions. Also, the owner Nicky is always there so it really make it a mom & pop pizzeria.

Atmosphere- 5: It wasn’t what I remembered but I can get used to it. I like the new changes, it definitely makes more space and it works. It looks more like a firehouse and the colors are definitely deeper.

Food Quality- 5: The pizza was exactly how I remembered it. I love their crust, it’s not too thick and not too thin. But when I looked at the menu I was a bit upset they didn’t have the caesar salad pizza on the menu. But other than that, the menu is smaller but has great choices. We each had two slices and garlic knots and loved it!

Price: $- If you’re in the area, get Nicky’s you can better pizza for just about as much as Dominoes. They also have an individual pizza for $7 which I love. It’s definitely affordable and BYOB and did I mention delicious?

Final Score: 15/15- If you want some good pizza in Morris County, go to Nicky’s. It’s great for a date night or just for a slice or two. The service is always on point, the staff and owner are friendly too. I’m so happy they re-opened and will definitely be back!

Buffalo chicken pizza at Nicky’s Firehouse!

Pizza at Nicky’s!

If you have been to Nicky’s before, I’d love your opinion and if you plan on going let me know what you think!

Happy Eating!

’til next time…