New Moon Pizzeria and Pub
New Moon Pizzeria and Pub is in the space once occupied by The Hickory Hawg on John's Island. The Hawg packed up its wood and set up culinary smoke signals on Rivers Avenue (6150 Rivers Ave.) in North Charleston, where patrons can chow down on pulled pork, hash and hush puppies. Their departure opened a space in the Maybank Corridor that has been seeing a resurgence in restaurant openings. Fat Hen, Wild Olive, JB's Smoke Shack, Savory Sushi, Zia Taqueria, Boulevard Diner II and now NMP.
David Christopher and Paul "Snappy" Farrell (founder of J. Paul'z) are banking that our appetite for pizza, this quintessential flat bread, will translate into multiple operations. It is their passion for pizza that led to many months of perfecting their formula of yeast, flour and water into a fresh dough that crisps to a cracker-like finish topped with house-made sauces and a special cheese blend. They call their style of pizza "Midwestern" and just in case you thought pizza was only thin crust or deep dish, Neapolitan or New York, well, pizza fans, there are over 20 different styles: Sicilian squares with bread-like bottoms, Chicago-style with thick crusts and sauce on the toppings; the New Haven style of Pepe's and Sally's that is thin, oblong and topped with clams. And then there is grilled pizza out of Rhode Island perfected by Johanne Killeen and George Germon at their restaurant Al Forno, and California pizza compliments of Ed LaDou and Wolfgang Puck, who topped this peasant bread with smoked salmon, creme fraiche, caviar and chives and served it with Champagne.
The Midwestern pizza style is a thin-crusted pie. The toppings come all the way to the edge of the dough as this pizza is cut in the "party" style - meaning a grid of cuts that maximizes the yield. Perfect for entertaining. It also has a cheese blend topping, a specialty of the house at New Moon Pizzeria and Pub. It was in St. Louis that the blending of cheeses gained a foothold in the pizza pantheon.
If you were expecting parrot tulips on the table, a Stephenie Meyer's pizza of the day or even a pizza topped with penguin, bear or mountain lion, New Moon Pizzeria and Pub will not deliver the goods. But if freshly made dough, tossed to a 12-inch round, topped with ingredients both local and seasonal, NMP is your kind of place.
Their specialty is the Hurricane ($14), topped with a mustard-based sauce, the house cheese blend, grilled chicken and bacon. Once cooked, it is topped with diced tomatoes, yellow peppers, jalapenos, pineapple and buttermilk ranch drizzle. There is also the Flying Hawaiian ($13) that mirrors some of the flavors of the Hurricane with ham, bacon, pineapple, cheese blend and tomato sauce. Tex-Mex fans will enjoy the taco ($13), smeared with smashed black beans, the cheese blend and chicken. Once cooked, it is garnished with lettuce, tomato and a jalapeno lime sauce. A Margherita ($13) is on the menu for the purists and is topped with Roma tomatoes, a little garlic oil, fresh mozzarella and basil. What lifted the flavors of this simple pizza was the freshness of the ingredients - tomatoes at the peak of ripeness, good quality mozzarella and a scattering of basil leaves. The Queen would be pleased.
Much of what you will taste at NMP is made in-house: Their sauces, toppings, salad dressings and meatballs are not drop-shipped by a semi but made in the kitchen as needed. They buy local and plan to change their menu with the seasons.
Smaller appetites will find a satisfying trio of sliders (they allow you to mix and match) that are served on small Parker House rolls. Buttered and grilled until the edges are crisped, this little touch makes the cheeseburger, meatball and pulled pork barbecue shine. The 'que is sweet - not smoky and tart.
You will find a menu with house-made potato chips ($4), hummus ($6) seasoned with red roasted peppers; wings ($9) and fingers ($7) served with ranch or blue cheese dressing and your choice of seasoning. Sandwiches ($8) come with New Moon chips or shoestring fries. A grilled and hummus-filled portabella cap is topped with feta, sun-dried tomatoes and olives - messy but tasty.
The burger ($8) and chicken ($9) menu mirrors the flavorings and toppings of the pizza. Salads ($4-$8) are fresh, substantial, and although our server told us the dressings were made in-house, the balsamic vinaigrette tasted "commercial."
They are proud of their dessert pie ($8), an eight-inch round of sweetened crust topped with the fruit of the day and streusel.
The space is divided into a dining room and bar area. The latter with high tops, video games and good sightlines to the flat screens. Walls are troweled a textured black, the decor is that of the darkened new moon. The blinds are corrugated "metal" and pipe fittings have been used to create wall "sconces." The city of Charleston is etched on glass panels and you come away with feeling an effort has been made to create a space friendly to families, golfers, and those who enjoy live music with a bottle of Blue Moon. Our server was attentive and it was clear that in nearly four months of operation, NMP has struck a responsive chord with residents of Johns Island and beyond.
Co-founder Dave Christopher has said, "New Moon Pizzeria and Pub hopes to continue to grow throughout Charleston County and we're excited to start on Johns Island." New Moon Pizzeria and Pub may very well be the "golden spike" to a successful franchise.
