First Look: Sllyce Republic Pizza in Wildwood

No, it’s not a typo – there are two l’s and a y in Sllyce, Wildwood’s newest pizzeria by Llywelyn's president Tom Behnen. (Catch the connection?) Sllyce Republic Pizza is now open at 2490 Taylor Road, with a grand opening coming in a few weeks.

While Sllyce is now taking over a space that was previously occupied by a Llewelyn’s, the company’s pizza joint isn’t a new idea – it’s been in development for over a decade.

“We’ve been thinking about pizza, because we all love it. We were just trying to find the right people for it,” Behnen said.

That includes chef Adam Cantor, an alum of Behnen’s Irish pub chain who has been developing his crust recipe since last fall. “I’m still transitioning my mind from being a chef to a baker,” Cantor said. “It’s a whole new ballgame for sure – the fermentation’s definitely a part of that. It’s different every day.”

Sllyce’s pizza menu includes five classics like the The Nero with mozzarella, Parmesan, fontina, Provel and pizza sauce, and The Romulus and Remus with pepperoni, Italian sausage, prosciutto, bacon and red sauce.

There’s also a specialty pizza menu, which features options like The Octavius with basil pesto, artichoke hearts, roasted chicken, fontina cheese and sun-dried tomato, and The Neptune with garlic, shrimp, spinach, bacon, jalapeno and hamburger. In all, there are 12 pizzas on the menu in addition to a create-your-own option.

Read More // Llywelyn's Pub will turn Wildwood location into Sllyce Republic Pizza

“Once you order it, we toss it, sauce it and bake it,” Cantor said. “It’s going to take a while, but we’re confident that when people taste it, they’re going to taste that it’s fresh … and that it was worth it.”

Sllyce also offers sandwiches with toppings like prosciutto, pepperoni, thin-sliced Philly beef and pulled roasted chicken, all with names like The Achilles, The Mark Antony and The Spartacus.

Appetizers include the Gladiator Fries (thick-cut fries, diced pepperoni, bacon bits and pizza cheese) three flavors of wings and what’s essentially toasted ravioli nachos called The Constantine.

As for the bar, Sllyce has a huge draft list with many local and regional players including Rockwell Beer Co., 4 Hands Brewing Co. and Logboat Brewing Co., as well as national and international players like Surly Brewing Co., Peroni and Coors.

Additionally, Sllyce has four wines on tap – currently, Simi sauvignon blanc, Meomi rose, Imagery pinot noir and Simi cabernet sauvignon – and a list of house cocktails that includes the Machiavelli Manhattan and the Sllyce spritz, which is basically an Aperol spritz.

Between the inside and outside, which features a patio complete with couches, a veranda and an outdoor bar, Sllyce will seat about 200 people. Off to the side of the indoor dining room are two game rooms, one with two bocce ball courts, the other with air hockey, basketball and skee ball.

Sllyce is currently only open for dinner, but Behnen is open to serving lunch in the future if there’s a demand for it. The restaurant will be open from 4 to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 1:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Adam Rothbarth is a staff writer at Sauce Magazine.