On a busy Friday at Noble Pie Parlor, Ryan Goldhammer moves through his kitchen with the efficiency of someone who’s been making pizza for more than 20 years. The braided crusts, house-made sauce and wildly creative toppings tell the Noble Pie story—from the Pep in Yo’ Step featuring two types of pepperoni plus pepperoni’d bacon, to the PB&J (pineapple, basil and jalapeño)—and don’t sleep on the award-winning wings!
Goldhammer presses dough and feeds it through a rolling machine while also coaching his up-and-coming pizzaiolos—and sharing the story behind his Sicilian tomato sauce, a recipe refined over five generations. His techniques include par-baking crusts for Friday night rushes and making house sausages, for a Reno-style evolution of the East Coast pizza traditions he learned at Blue Moon, the legendary Reno pizza spot (which closed in 2017) where many locals first fell in love with New York-style pies.
What’s the best thing you’ve eaten locally in the last month?
Without doubt, the Atlantis Thanksgiving feast in the Grand Ballroom. It is hard to beat a menu that has everything under the sun on it for one price! Chef David Holman and his team do absolutely fantastic work.
Your kitchen is on fire! (Metaphorically.) What are you cooking?
My personal favorite dish is our Eggs in Purgatory—a Sicilian take on shakshuka. We start with a cast-iron pan brushed liberally with roasted garlic olive oil. To that, we add our pomodoro pelati (San Marzano plum tomatoes blended and reduced with smashed garlic, basil and crushed chili flakes), along with our house blend of Mediterranean spices, eggs and feta cheese.
The eggs poach perfectly in the simmering bath of rich flavors, and the concentrated brightness of acidic tomatoes balances beautifully with the warm spices. We finish the dish with toasted Italian breadcrumbs, fresh parsley, scallions and a drizzle of sweet basil-infused oil, served with clarified butter-brushed sourdough toast.
Who is/was your strongest culinary influence?
From a young age, I was drawn to culinary programming on PBS—shows like Yan Can Cook, Julia Child, Jacques Pépin, etc. Later, I became glued to the Food Network in the early ’90s. If it was all about cooking, it was all good with me.
I have always felt a deep connection to Jamie Oliver—simple cooking with great care and respect for the ingredients. I love that rustic style.
What is your go-to midnight snack?
It has to be scrambled eggs. I think the incredible, edible egg is the most wondrous food on Earth—silky, luscious and satisfying every time. I like to use a riff on the Thomas Keller method.
Which local restaurant deserves more attention, and why?
Wow, that is a very tough question. There are a lot of places that I think deserve more praise, but I’m going to go with a local legend here, mostly because I think that the newer generation doesn’t even know much about this place.
Brickies Tavern has one of the best burgers in town, awesome daily specials and a great breakfast featuring a hand-pounded chicken-fried steak. It’s got some of the best dive-bar vibes around, but since it’s a full restaurant, it’s all ages welcome.
Some other places get kudos for their longevity, but Brickies has been here since 1956 as a restaurant—and even earlier than that as a local grocer and meat market.
How does food contribute to our community?
Food is our community. There is only one thing that you do at least two to four times per day, every single day: Eat. There is nothing more important. Eating and drinking is life. And since the dawn of man, it is something that is about togetherness. We are a tribal species.
Even the history of a restaurant is fascinatingly rooted in community. What started off as a “tavern” added simple soups with hunks of bread to feed guests a complimentary snack. What evolved as an “inn” offered lodging, and with that came more robust food offerings. These taverns and inns became the focal point of community and commerce in towns and villages, and eventually cities. (These are places) where the butcher, farmer, haberdasher and teacher all came together around a table or bar top to laugh and cheer and become nourished in every way.
The evolution of the term “restaurant” is rooted in the French word “restaurer”—a place where people come to restore their physical, mental and emotional health amongst friends, family and community.
What is the one thing you won’t eat?
I’m not sure if there is anything I won’t eat—at least once, that is. I have had some pretty weird stuff doing kaiseki/omakase (multi-course Japanese) meals. Maybe something that I would not be that keen to try again is fish eyes.
Please share your favorite food memory from growing up.
My favorite food memory growing up isn’t tied to one particular dish. It’s about the company you keep, and there’s nothing better than a simple backyard BBQ or cookout, especially growing up in Henderson, Nev.
The routine was always the same: early morning soccer or baseball game, then back to the house to get ready for everyone to come over. Adults would chat and visit, but most importantly, (they would) man that grill—burgers and dogs, sausages and ribs, potato salads, slaws and all the favorite fixings.
Same as it was then, same as it is now—a good BBQ is about as American as it gets.
What is the one kitchen tool you can’t live without?
A great Japanese chef’s knife! Keep your knives sharp. Keep them clean, and learn how to hold them with confidence. Take your time to learn all of the cuts and techniques. Go slow. Work on solid skills, and then work on speed. That’s it. Simple tools to do complex cooking.
What has been your most memorable meal?
One of my favorite family traditions happens on Thanksgiving. Whether we are with my folks or hanging with my new little family (wife and daughter) and friends, it is always the same.
We wake on that Thursday and start to steam clams (littleneck, cherry or cockles if available). A nice bath of pho or seafood stock, caramelized leek-shallot-fennel-garlic, and an array of earthy and warm spices, Old Bay and other goodies. We melt some butter, add some spoonfuls of the steaming broth and a healthy squeeze of lemon juice, then top the clams with some chive, parsley and lemon zest. Lastly, we throw in some toasted sourdough baguette chunks—and then we are ready to party!