James Beard Award-winning chef Michael White is finally making good on his long-delayed plans to bring his NYC-born pizza chain here. Nicoletta Pizzeria’s inaugural D.C. kiosk will sit next to White’s six-year-old Navy Yard standby Osteria Morini, reports Washingtonian.
The 45-seat dockside setup is scheduled arrive in early April, timed in tandem with the start of the Washington Nationals’ season. Nicoletta will slide into the space formerly occupied by satellite food and drink stand Morini Piccolo. The waterfront offshoot of Osteria Morini opened in fall 2017 with Italian street snacks, made-to-order salads, meatballs, and simple desserts.
The rebranded Southeast waterfront site (301 Water Street SE) will be all about pizzas, built with Nicoletta’s hand-tossed doughs that go through a three-day fermentation to create a rich flavor. Along with personalized pie options, featured offerings include a Calabrese topped with thick-cut pepperoni, sausage, tomato, mozzarella, and shaved red onion.
Morini Piccolo’s frozen negronis will make a comeback at Nicoletta, alongside parm sandwiches, wings, salads, beer, and wine, notes Washingtonian. When cold weather returns, the site will offer takeout and delivery only.
Nicoletta Pizzeria has other locations in Bernardsville, New Jersey; at a mall stall in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania; and inside the New York Mets’ Citi Field. Talk of bringing the casual build-your-own pie shop to D.C. date way back to 2013, with the chosen Navy Yard site being a long-rumored option. The Southwest waterfront neighborhood has its own carb kiosk with Union Pie, which opened on the Wharf last fall.
Meanwhile, White and partner Ahmass Fakahany are also prepping to open an evolution of Nicoletta Pizzeria, dubbed Nicoletta Italian Kitchen, in Mount Vernon Triangle next month. The completely new brand under the Altamarea Group umbrella of restaurants is expected to arrive around mid-April at 901 4th Street NW.
Modeled after an all-day Italian “piazza,” or central plaza, the 4,000-square-foot modern restaurant will house an interior coffee shop, called Brew’d, that’s designed to perk up guests with carbs and caffeine during the day. Cocktails made behind its 10-seat bar will largely focus on Italian spirits like limoncello, joined by lots of Italian wines and beers.
- Nicoletta Pizzeria Is Bringing Pies and Frozen Negronis to the Navy Yard Waterfront [Washingtonian]
- Yes, Nicoletta Is Coming to The Yards [EDC]
- Michael White’s Long-Awaited Italian Kitchen Is Almost Ready to Open in D.C. [EDC]
- The Wharf Is Getting a Late-Night Pizza Option [EDC]
- Navy Yard’s Osteria Morini Unveils New Food Stand This Weekend [EDC]