MOMO PIZZERIA & RISTORANTE
Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★⭑
District: Lincoln
Modern Italian Fare & Pizza
Perfect For: Casual Dining; Lunch; Date Night; Drinks
Standout Dishes: Carne Italiano Pizza; Pepperone Pizza
Let’s be honest about something: most of Nebraska’s best pizza is in Omaha. Yia Yia’s and Lazarri’s are good in their own right, but they can’t stand up to Piezon’s, Pitch, Dante, Noli’s, Virtuoso, and others. When it comes to pizza, Omaha runs circles around the capital city.
There is, however, one Lincoln joint that can go toe-to-toe with most of the Omaha behemoths. That’s MoMo Pizzeria & Ristorante.
Located on the Eastern side of Lincoln, MoMo is the definition of a modern restaurant. It’s absolutely beautiful on the inside and while everything feels upscale, it’s not a stuffy place. It welcomes diners from all walks of life, from kids wearing basketball shorts to businessmen in suits. All are welcome.
The servers are friendly and extremely knowledgeable about the menu, and they’re willing to help you navigate the enormous menu. MoMo is best-known for their wood-fired pizzas, but they also serve pasta dishes, duck, sandwiches, and a host of amazing-sounding appetizers.
The pizzas come with either rosso (traditional red) or bianco (a white cream sauce). The toppings range from normal (pepperoni, beef, mushrooms) to a bit more on the wild side (over-easy eggs, blue crab and hollandaise sauce). The toppings are generously distributed, and they pair well with the slightly sweet ross sauce. The pizzas are about 10-12 inches in diameter, and a large appetite can take one down alone.
The Carne Italiano (shown in the header photo) is my personal favorite. A combination of thinly-sliced steak, fennel sausage, bacon, mozzarella and provolone cheeses, and pepperocinis, it’s the best pizza I’ve had in Lincoln. The crust is thin and slightly crispy, and the wood-fired experience gives it a nice char. There’s a slight butter-garlic glaze on the outer rim of the pizza that catches some parmesan and gives each slice a nice breadstick finish. All the meats play together wonderfully without turning the dish into a salt bomb. It’s just wonderful.
The Pepperoni Pizza isn’t far behind. MoMo uses massive, thin cuts of meat, and each pepperoni frisbee nearly covers the entire slice. The salty pepperoni is absolutely phenomenal. There’s a slightly smoky flavor that peaks through, and that works nicely with the sweet sauce.
For something a bit off the beaten path, try the Steak and Gorgonzola Pizza. The steak gets lost a bit, as the marinated mushrooms and gorgonzola cheese bring much stronger flavors to the table. But it was tender and tasted great when allowed to sing by itself. The flecks of raw red onion added a nice bite and some acidity.
The pizzas are definitely the star of the show, but MoMo has several awesome pasta options as well. The noodles in the Spaghetti Bolognese are cooked a perfect al dente, and the meat sauce is a combination of pork, veal and beef. The parsley and asiago cheese help tie the whole dish together.
