Lucy’s pizzeria brings taste of Big Apple to Orem
The Margherita pizza at Lucy's New York Style Pizzeria in Orem.
Lucy's New York Style Pizzeria also serves Full Caprese.
The Antipasto at Lucy's New York Style Pizzeria.
Not all pizza is created equal — something that could be a mantra at Lucy’s New York Style Pizzeria in Orem.
The franchise got its start in Idaho of all places — and doesn’t the thought of that kind of remind you of a well-known picante sauce commercial where some grizzled cowpokes sitting around a campfire turn their collective noses up at another brand once they find out it is made in “NEW YORK CITY?” Well, if taste is the ultimate determining factor, whether Lucy’s got its start in Idaho or New York will be of little import as the pizza that we sampled during a recent visit was fantastically delicious.
Lucy’s does boast three restaurants in Idaho, and the Orem location marks the franchise’s first foray out of its home state. The Orem restaurant had its grand opening at the very end of July, and we couldn’t hold out for too long before giving it a try, stopping by on a Friday evening.
We enjoyed the decor inside the restaurant, with New York-style scenery and photos on the walls. There were various booths throughout, and several had longer benches, the better to accommodate families or larger groups.
As the restaurant’s website states, it is a pizzeria, not a fast-food pizza joint. So to help pass the time while your pizzas are cooking, Lucy’s features some greaseboard pizza paddles and markers, to help keep the younger patrons occupied. Truth be told, our teenage daughters also enjoyed doodling on the paddles, so maybe they’re not just for the youngsters after all.
A complimentary plate of olives, featuring an Italian dressing and other spices and seasonings also helped pass the time. The plate also included some pickle slices. The olives had a bit of a kick to them, but we enjoyed them.
Our server was extremely helpful and cheerful, answering all our questions and even making a suggestion or two in regards to menu choices. At her suggestion, we ordered a pair of 18-inch pizzas, but divided them in half so as to better sample a wider variety of the specialty offerings. That proved to be a wise decision, as we thoroughly enjoyed all four of our choices.
Our server’s top suggestion was to get the CCB, which featured a ranch sauce topped with sliced chicken breast and real bacon bits. Yummy! This one immediately became one of our favorites.
We also tried the Meaty combination. This included large round pieces of Canadian bacon and pepperoni, sausage, bacon and meatballs.
Our two other choices included the Supreme and the BBQ. The former was loaded with large strips of green pepper, onions, mushrooms, olives and pepperoni. The latter included smoky chicken pieces in a tangy BBQ sauce — all cooked to perfection.
Part of the New York-style pizza experience is that the dough is all hand-tossed, which apparently results in a thinner crust. The crust on our pizzas was definitely thin, and it was so overloaded with toppings that it typically flopped over in your hand. Once you got it to your mouth, however, any extra effort to avoid spillage was quickly forgotten.
We also made it a point to try a couple different appetizers. The Fried Mozz was out of this world — or at least out of this state. It didn’t come in separate sticks, as is the norm, but as one larger chunk. We’re not normally a huge fan of the typical marinara dipping sauces that accompany items like this, but we must say the zesty marinara provided by Lucy’s may spoil us for all other similar sauces. This one was delicious and a perfect complement to the Fried Mozz — and also to the Cheesesticks, which we also sampled. The Cheesesticks are really garlic breadsticks, but covered in mozzarella — which let’s face it, never makes anything worse.
The calzones also made for a great dish. They arrived at our table larger and flatter than ones you may generally see at Italian-themed restaurants, but these were definitely scrumptious. You choose the inside toppings and cheeses.
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the great-tasting and extensive selection of lemonades available. With a wide variety of flavors offered, we tried three different ones during our visit: strawberry, raspberry and huckleberry — asking our server for a shot or two of vanilla flavoring in each one. My, oh, my, this might be the best lemonade offered in Utah County. We’d almost return for the lemonade by itself.
Our server tried to entice us with mentions of dessert. We wish we could have complied, but we were way too satisfied by that point. Maybe another visit. And judging by our initial experience, there definitely will be another visit to Lucy’s New York Style Pizzeria.
LUCY’S NEW YORK STYLE PIZZERIA
Where: 59 S. State St., Orem
Prices: $3-$16
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
Info: (801) 802-7777, lucysnypizza.com