At first glance, a mix of the American Midwest and classic Italian fare seems like the ultimate disaster, but Michael White’s Nicoletta Pizzeria in the East Village manages to marry the flavors of these two distinctly different regions in menu items such as Midwestern pizza and soft-serve gelato. Although the pizza doesn’t live up to its hype, White’s unique creations stand out in a sea of traditional New York pizzerias. White, who graduated from Kendall Culinary Institute in Chicago and owns Michelin star restaurants, opened Nicoletta as a tribute to his favorite childhood dish — pizza.

As both a big name chef and a mere human, White cannot constantly be in all his restaurants at once. Therefore, Nicoletta’s Executive Chef Bill Dorrler oversees the kitchen operations, Chef di Cucina Michael Cariglio leads daily operations at the East Village location and pastry chef Bob Truitt is the guy behind the fior di latte soft-serve gelato.