Who thinks about finding great pizza in Nashville? During our recent visit to America's second-best music city (after Austin), we indeed were scouting for the top rank pizzas. Our short list included Smith & Lentz, Nicky's Coal-Fired, a branch of Emmy Squared, and Dicey's Tavern. But we ultimately were persuaded to visit City House because they've won a James Beard award.
Beyond that, in June 2024, the New York Times chose "22 of the Best Pizzas in the US" and City House made the list. The article noted:
Can pizza be Southern? Can Italian food? The answer is yes, at least when you’re eating at City House. The restaurant, opened by the chef Tandy Wilson in 2007, helped trailblaze the pizzeria-as-Italian-American-trattoria. At the same time, it showed how well Southern ingredients and recipes take to Italian cuisine. The kitchen is equally adept at handmade pastas and other Italian-inspired dishes.
Photo from New York Times
City House occupies a very nice space in a hip neighborhood in Germantown (North Nashville). On our way in, a local couple passing by told us to be sure to order the "ice box cake." We made a mental note to save room for dessert. We had arrived for an early dinner around 5pm, so the restaurant was quiet. The interior was rustic chic with a pleasant chill vibe.
We began with a shared seasonal salad ($16) made with gailan (aka Chinese broccoli), chickpeas, roasted tomato, garlic, biscuit crumbs, and parmigiano cheese. It was a wonderful start; creamy, rich, earthy, hearty.
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| Gailan and chickpea salad |
We chose one pizza (personal sized Neapolitan) and one pasta to share. The pasta special was homemade cavatelli with roasted local corn and pesto ($27), finished with Pecorino cheese. It was uncomplicated but deeply satisfying.
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| Cavatelli |
From a half-dozen interesting pizza options, we selected one named "Belly Ham and Mozz" ($24), featuring also flakes of Calabrian chiles. The crust is the make-or-break component of any pizza, and especially Neapolitans that bake at 900 degrees or higher in 90 to 120 seconds.
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| The pizza oven |
This crust was made from sourdough, a departure from a typical Neapolitan. It was puffy at the cornicione and nicely leopard spotted. While chewy and soft, it somehow seemed to have more substance and structure than most Neapolitan pies. It was wet in the middle, but not disastrously so; overall the sourdough provided an elevated version of the typically fragile Neapolitan crust.
The mozzarella was creamy and subtly flavored; the belly ham was applied in good measure and was pretty bacon-like (nothing wrong with that!). Overall, a lovely balanced pie sporting an al dente crust with top shelf cheese and belly ham on top.
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| Leopard spots |
We finished by sharing a slice of the Tennessee Waltz Icebox Cake - layers of buttermilk pecan cake drizzled with espresso syrup, filled with bourbon espresso and sprinkled with chocolate espresso pecan praline crumb. Absolutely as delicious as it sounds.
One pizza, one salad, one pasta, one dessert, one glass of wine, and one cocktail for a total of $102 before tax and tip. A lot to spend on pizza, but perfectly in line with the cost of a fine meal in a hip restaurant. If you like Neapolitan pizzas, City House should be on your radar.
Beyond the pizza scene, you go to Nashville for country music and hot chicken, right? We sure did. If you get there, of course go to the Country Music Hall of Fame, which hasn't sold out like the crassly commercial Rock HoF in Cleveland. Don't skip the add-on of a visit to RCA Studio B, where you can see and hear the details of this famous room where so many great artists cut records, including Elvis. 
Inside RCA Studio B
Make sure you see the Ryman Auditorium! It's the original home of the Grand Old Opry and remains a hallowed place. Get a tour or see a concert. Also, the weekly shows out at the new Opry are not corny tourist schtick, but great acts old and new.
Ryman Auditorium
Nothing wrong with Hattie B's or Prince's hot chicken, but get over to East Nashville for the real deal at Bolton's Spicy Chicken and Fish. When they warn you about selecting your spice level, pay attention and take their advice!
Burton's Spicy Chicken & Fish
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