Nancy's Pizza

Back in 1969, husband and wife Rocco and Annunziata (Nancy) Palese emigrated with their children to Chicago from Turin, Italy. This was during what’s known as the “Golden Age” of pizza innovation in Chicago, and Rocco wanted his piece of the pie. They opened their first pizza parlor in 1971, serving thin-crust pizza, but Rocco soon began experimenting with a unique type of pizza based on his mother’s recipe for “scarciedda,” a specialty pie usually only made on Easter. It proved to be a huge hit, and Nancy’s Pizza’s iconic Original Stuffed Pizza was born.

Additional locations soon followed, and in 1977 the Paleses partnered with Dave Howey to open in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Howey bought Nancy’s from the Paleses in 1990 and, along with his children, he's brought their signature pizzas to more than 30 locations nationwide. In order to make this legendary pizza, a cake pan is lined with freshmade dough and topped with mozzarella, pecorino Romano, and toppings including Italian sausage, pepperoni, and spinach. It’s then topped with an additional thin layer of dough and, to finish, pizza sauce made with vine-ripened tomatoes and a special blend of herbs and seasonings. It’s then baked, flash-frozen, and delivered straight to your doorstep!