By Pam George
Pizza lovers near the intersection of Silverside and Marsh roads in Brandywine Hundred have plenty of options. They can savor a slice from Fresco Pizza in Branmar Plaza, Sitaly to Go in Branmar Plaza II, Paris Pizza or the elegant V&M Bistro. Prefer chains? Domino’s Pizza is in the Shoppes of Graylyn, and Papa John’s Pizza is at Marsh and Grubb roads.
But Nick’s Pizza Parlor & Bar is different. For one, there’s an IYKYK cachet. Nick Vouras patiently used pop-ups to build interest before opening Nick’s Pizza near Price’s Corner in 2023. (That location is currently being used for storage.)
For another, Nick’s Pizza Parlor has a prominent bar. It’s in the former Ulysses American Gastropub space in the Shoppes of Graylyn, and the footprint has stayed the same: the bar is in the front room, there is a dining room in the back, and French doors open to a separate area that juts into the dining room.
Opening a pizza restaurant within a pepperoni’s throw of so many others is brave, especially since the space is nearly 5,000 square feet — that’s a lot of seats. However, there was a line down the shopping center sidewalk on opening day. There were hiccups, of course, but the social media reviews were enthusiastic.
“We had a great time last night, and the food was delicious,” one fan wrote. “Only so much you can do when all of Brandywine Hundred shows up on day one. Have patience, folks; it’s worth the wait!”
A Meeting of the Minds
The Nick in the name is Nicholas Vouras, whose partners are David and Joanne Govatos. If the couple’s name is familiar, that’s because they own Swigg Real Wine, Craft Beer & Spirits in the Independence Mall. They were also the opening partners at Snuff Mill Restaurant, Butchery & Wine Bar across the parking lot. (Bill Irvin is now Snuff Mill’s sole owner.)
The partners met through Bill Lundstrom, a mutual friend. Lundstrom had purchased pizza from Vouras and raved about it when he came into Swigg. “He’s a big food-and-wine guy, and he said, ‘Gosh, this young kid is making incredible pizza out of Kozy Korner’s kitchen,’ ” David Govatos recalls.
Kozy Korner is not known for its pizza — or it wasn’t before 2021. But it was a natural proving ground for Vouras. His family has owned the restaurant since 1922, when it was at Delaware Avenue and Washington Street. After giving way to a hotel in 1984, the business reopened at Ninth and Union streets. Vouras was 12 when he started working at the restaurant.
While attending California State University, Northridge in Los Angeles, Vouras developed a case of homesickness and a craving for Delaware’s pizza places. Given his food-and-beverage background, it’s unsurprising that he studied online videos on pizza-making. Back in Delaware, he worked at a pizza restaurant and perfected his dough.
Since Kozy Korner lacks a pizza oven, Vouras made Detroit-style pizza, which did well with the available equipment. The square pizza was invented by Gus and Anna Guerra, the owners of Buddy’ Rendezvous on the east side of Detroit, who wanted to make Sicilian pizza. They put a focaccia-like dough in a steel pan with deep sides, which carmalized the cheesy dough around the edges.
Via social media and text, Vouras began taking popup orders for pickup at Kozy Korner and Mulrooney’s Tavern, and he brought his pizza to Swigg for wine-tasting events.
Vouras, who always wanted a brick-and-mortar restaurant, found an 800-square-foot location near Price’s Corner that was previously home to Casapulla’s Catering. There was barely room for a counter, let alone seats. From the start, the eatery was swamped, and Govatos helped when he could. “I’d always been interested in doing something with beverage and pizza,” he explains.
Vouras welcomed the assistance. “Going from a pop-up — and doing whatever you want — and being there was challenging,” he recalls. “Dave was helping out. Joanne worked nights toward the end. It was pandemonium.”
There were only a few parking spaces, and it was common for cars to crash into the railing. If customers parked next door, the neighbor was irate.
Go Big
Nick’s Pizza needed more space, and the Govatoses were willing partners.
“I think you can create a lot more as a group than you can on your own; everybody’s talents rise,” Govatos says. “And when everybody knows their role, it works.”
Joanne would oversee the front of the house and office, David would handle the beverages, and Vouras is “the kitchen guy,” he says. “I make the food.”
Then, the Ulysses space became available in a shopping center with abundant parking. “We had to move quickly — we had a small window when all of three of us could work on the project,” Govatos explains.
The temporary sign’s tagline reads: “Pizza + Drinks + Nostalgia,” and Vouras and partners David and Joanne Govatos are taking diners back to late 20th-century pizza parlors. The floor is a red-and-white checkerboard, the outer walls are paneled, and Tiffany-style lamps hang over the black booths. Some might say the look is more ’60s, but framed albums from 1980s-era artists Pat Benatar, Stevie Nicks, Men at Work and The Police create a sense of place and time.
The same is true of the menu. “There’s no ambiguity,” David Govatos says. “We have pizzas, there’s salads and pasta. It’s affordable — there’s always a niche for high-quality, affordable food.
Pizza styles include “circle,” similar to New York-style but with a slightly thicker crust, and the square Sicilian. During the soft opening, one couple came just for Detroit-style. Until Nick’s opened in Graylyn, they’d traveled to Collegeville, Pennsylvania, for their fix. They were happy to have an alternative closer to home. There is also Grandma Pizza and tomato pie. Regardless of the style, “Nick’s quality level is very high,” Govatos says. “It’s unique.”
For now, there is red, white, Buffalo chicken with ranch, BBQ chicken and a mix of chicken, bacon and ranch. (There is a gluten-free 10-by-10 option.) The menu also includes cheesesteaks on homemade rolls, cheesesteak-topped fries, wings and familiar dishes with house-made pasta.
All of it is fine by Paul Calistro Jr., who went on opening night with five other people.
“The Buffalo wings were cooked to perfection, and the French fries were unique,” says Calistro, who takes priding in pointing out that Vouras and Nick’s Pizza are graduates of West End Neighborhood House’s Launcher program for budding entrepreneurs. “One of my party ordered Buffalo chicken on sesame seed crust. I shook my head in disbelief until I tried it. Amazing. The Detroit was fluffy yet had a crisp crust. The sauce and cheese made me lick my fingers. Well, I totally blew my diet, but it was worth the two pounds.”
At the bar, Govatos is highlighting Italian wines. “I’m deliberately bringing down the prices to get people to drink wine again,” he says, referring to the global dip in wine sales due to changing consumer habits and preferences; weather and wildfires; and the economy.
Nick’s is taking advantage of the existing taps, and there are canned cocktails and nonalcoholic beer. Mixed drinks made on demand include the Brat Pack Punch (Jamaican rum, pineapple, passionfruit, lime, orgeat (a nut-based syrup) and grenadine, and the Phil Collins (vodka, cucumber, yellow Izarra, a liqueur, and lime).
Where Everybody Knows Your Name
The restaurant is close to where the David and Joanne Govatos live. “It’s a tight-knit community,” she says. “People are familiar with this location.” The pizza parlor is poised to be a neighborhood anchor in a culinary triangle that includes V&M Bistro across the street and Kid Shelleen’s Charcoal House & Saloon in Branmar Plaza.
In the 1980s and 1990s, people didn’t stare at their phones at a restaurant table, and the partners hope the concept encourages friends and families to slow down and connect. The Trivial Pursuit games scattered throughout the space and free arcade games in the back dining area will hopefully encourage people to pocket their phones.
“Good restaurants create a level of escapism,” David says. “I hope that with what we create, guests can walk in here and forget the crazy world for a while.”
Another goal is to make memories. Everyone remembers their favorite childhood pizza place, Vouras notes. And few people lose their taste for it. “In good times or bad times, everybody is buying pizza.”
The partners hope that Nick’s Pizza Parlor will remind adults of a simpler time when a slice could turn a frown upside down. And as for the kids: “We’re trying to be that place where 20 years from now, they’ll remember us,” Vouras says.
Pam George has been writing about Delaware’s dining scene for two decades, and in 2023 received a Community Impact Award from the Delaware Restaurant Association. She is also the author of Shipwrecks of the Delaware Coast: Tales of Pirates, Squalls and Treasure, Landmarks & Legacies: Exploring Historic Delaware, and First State Plates: Iconic Delaware Restaurants and Recipes. She lives in Wilmington and Lewes.
Above: Nicholas Vouras (center) with Joanne and David Govatos at Nick’s Pizza Parlor & Bar days before their new venture opened to waiting lines. Photo by Justin Heyes