Neapolitans have strict rules and regulations for using the designation Pizza Napoletana -- there is an entire nonprofit sanctioned by the Italian government dedicated to making sure the term is applied appropriately.
Chicagoans are fiercely devoted to their signature deep-dish pies.
And New Yorkers, fuhgeddaboudit; those maniacs will go to bat for their beloved thin crust.
No matter which way you slice it, everyone is serious about his favorite style of pizza.
Broward County is about to get its newest specialty pizza place. Nick's New Haven is opening a second location in Coral Springs.
See Also: Ten Best Pizza Places in Broward and Palm Beach Counties
The restaurant specializes in a unique style of thin-crust apizza (pronounced ah-BEETZ in a heavy Northeastern accent) developed in New Haven, Connecticut. It's cooked in a 750-degree hand-built coal oven.
Originally located in Lake Worth, the New Haven-style pizzeria moved to a brand-spanking-new, fancy, 4,600-square-foot storefront back in 2011.
While the digs changed, the pies remained the same. Owners Nick Laudano and Anthony Giovanniello claim it's the sauce and special dough, made from 20-year-old homemade recipes, that make the pies so special.
"We take our pizza very seriously, and the product speaks for itself," says Laudano. "Our dough recipe has been perfected over the course of 20 years."
Designed by Karen Hanlon, the Coral Springs location will re-create an updated version of the distinct vintage-inspired atmosphere (complete with wallpapered ceiling and specially made brick ovens affectionately known as "The Dragons") of the Boca store in a 5,200-square-foot space in the Royal University Plaza.
Laudano and Giovanniello are looking forward to expanding the New Haven-style apizza throughout South Florida.
"We are very grateful for the success we've had in Boca Raton and are excited about the opportunity to bring our concept to Coral Springs," says Giovanniello. "Nick's is unlike anything in the area and will be a great addition to the family-oriented community."
While the pizzeria has won numerous awards for all of its offerings -- including a spot on New Times' "Ten Best Pizza Places in Broward and Palm Beach County" -- the white clam pie and the breakfast pizza (AKA the Nickmuffin) are two of the most popular dishes.
The Coral Springs Nick's will be open Monday to Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to midnight, and Sundays from noon to 10 p.m.
Nick's will be located at 2444 N. University Drive in Coral Springs. Call 954-800-7603, or visit nickspizzeriabar.com.