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Nashville Foodies
January 11, 2010
Posted by Heather
In yet another testament to the power of Twitter, we recently became aware of Manny's House of Pizza. Somehow we've missed this little gem and never heard of it until a few weeks ago! But we're so glad to have found it.
Manny's is a little pizza place tucked into the Arcade, between 4th and 5th Avenues. The shop itself is tiny and no-frills, and it's clear that the focus is on getting good food out quickly. As you watch people come and go, you'll notice that there are the regulars who know what they're doing, and then there are the first-timers (like us on the day we went!) who aren't exactly sure how the system works. And that's what we're here to help you with.
I suggest taking a look at the menu before you go, so you'll know what to expect. You can order whole pizzas, pizza by the slice, "rolls" (pockets of dough wrapped around fillings and served with marinara on the side), calzones, pasta, subs, salads, even cannoli. I also suggest stepping back away from the counter when you enter if you plan to peruse the on-site menu and specials of the day and give the regulars room to come and go.
We'll get to the food in a moment, but one thing I must mention is how active Manny's House of Pizza is on Twitter. You can find them as @MannysHOP. they have frequent drawings via Twitter for free lunches as well as posted info about daily specials. The day we visited, we hadn't yet seen any info on daily specials. I tweeted to the shop, asking if there were any going on, and they quickly replied just five minutes later! They're a great example of using Twitter for your business.
On to the food. The day we visited, I grabbed the Twitter special: spinach roll and drink for $5.75. It was fantastic. The roll was full of flavor, even starting with the dough of the roll, which can so often be bland and tasteless. The roll was stuffed generously with spinach and mozzarella, and the marinara sauce was tangy and delicious. Josh got the meatball calzone. He's not a guy of many words, but when I asked him what he thought about it, his response? "It was just perfect." There you go.
Another feature I like about the menu is that tax is included in the prices. Why doesn't everyone do this?
You can take away your items or eat at the location. You should know ahead of time that at Manny's, you're not paying for ambiance. The eating area is somewhat dim, and I'd venture to say even shabby, but the focus here is on food, and we did not feel that the environment detracted at all from our enjoyment of the food.
We highly recommend that everyone try Manny's, and at the very least you should sign up to follow them on Twitter! You might be the next lucky winner of a free lunch.
October 30, 2008
By P.J. Tobia
House of Pizza in the downtown arcade is the best New York-style pizza in Nashville. This is not an opinion, it is a statement of fact.
Fine, white flour dusts the bottom of each pie, adding a textural dimension to the crust that is the signature of pizza found in both the Empire and Garden States. Another note about the crust: There isn't too much of it. A New York crust doesn't protrude two inches out from the sauce line, like a sun-baked beach at low tide. Rather, a half-inch of crispy, naked dough provides plenty of handle.
As for the cheese, House of Pizza nails it. A hot, thin blanket hugs the top of each pie, and the cheese isn't so overloaded that it all slides off in a greasy sheet with one bite. Some-- I'm looking at you, Rob Williams-- might squawk at the standard toppings offered at the House. But any real-deal NY pizza joint isn't offering pesto and sun-dried tomatoes as toppings. If I wanted that stuff, I would have ordered a salad. Or moved to Cool Springs.
Anyway, the sauce at House of Pizza offers plenty of salty tang with notes of black pepper, making any further accoutrements-- especially arugula or whatever-- unnecessary.
Finally, there's the location. The arcade in the mid-afternoon is full of bustle-- office workers tucking ties into dress shirts to avoid sauce stains, pretty career women reapplying lipstick after enjoying a slice, and high school kids in baggy clothes and backpacks on lunch break. And nothing will put you in a New York state of mind faster than Manny Macca barking orders behind the counter, hustling the line along Brooklyn-style. In short, it makes you feel as though you're in a thriving metropolis. The kind of place with real authentic pizza.
Lannae's Food & Travel Blog
July 15, 2007
Posted by Lannae
I love Manny's House of Pizza! The menu doesn't change, and everything is made fresh daily. They have pizza by the slice, whole pizzas, calzones, strombolis, lasagna, salads and more. When I first went to House of pizza, it was a bit Seinfeld-esque. Line up, know exactly what you want, order, pay and move out of the way to wait for your meal, so the others in line can put in their order. Then, they call out your order, you step up and take the paper plate. Now find a seat outside in the Arcade or in the dark dining area in the back of the pizzeria. Finally, take a bite, and know that this is how a New York, or Boston piece of pizza really tastes like.
I love this place, I love the calzones, I love the pizza, and I love this place. Did I say I love this place? The foundation of a pizza is the crust, and if the crust is not right, then the pizza will never be right, no matter what cheese or toppings you use. The sauce is made every day, it is consistent and perfect all the time. I could drink it, it is so good.
If there is a line for pizza, it will move fairly quickly and it is worth the wait. Anyone who even slightly likes pizza needs to try House of Pizza because it is so GOOD!
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