Two weeks ago we picked up the phone and asked Mayor Mike Rawlings for his five favorite slices in Dallas. He was eager to play along and gave us some decent picks, but now it's time for City of Ate to get in on the fun.
Broken down by category, these are City of Ate's five favorites, including our recent Best of Dallas winner for Best Pizza. We're sure you'll have no disagreements at all. But if you happen to, you know what to do. Get more of Dallas' best with our Best Of app, available for the Droid and the iPhone.
Eno's The Destination Pizzeria Pizza Take a killer decor and fill it with a cracker-crisp crust and you'll have our favorite Oak Cliff pie, especially paired with a good craft beer selection. Eno's pizza would never please a New Yorker (the crust snaps when you fold it), but you can't deny the flavor that makes this place a worth a trip.
Olivella's The Proud to Not be Neapolitan Pizza Pizza Otherwise known as the "because Robert Wilonsky said so" pizza, I tried Olivella's on the strong recommendation of the captain of the USS Unfair Park. He's not alone, though. USA Today named the pizza one of the nation's greatest and I'm not one to disagree. It's not Neapolitan and they clearly say so -- but the soft and blistered crust on my version made for a damn fine pie. Plus Wilonsky is bigger than me.
Fireside Pies Your Friendly Neighborhood Pizzeria Pizza Even without one of Dallas' coziest patios, the original outpost of this seven-year-old chain would be the go-to pizzeria for folks who live within craving distance of Knox-Henderson. The wood-fired pizzas have a center almost soft enough for Naples and crispy, blistered crust, and they're topped with a variety of toppings that make decision time pressure-packed. With craft beers riding shotgun, it's hard to go wrong.
Serious Pizza The You Tried to Hook Up But Failed Miserably Pizza Let's face it: Sometimes a slice of pie is just a vehicle for sopping up booze and sadness. When despite your best showing you can't take home any member of your targeted gender, you can always take home a Serious pizza slice. Just don't pass out with it. That sauce is hard on your sheets. Ladies, don't even pretend you're not susceptible, too.
1. Cane Rosso The Best Pizza. Period. I gave Cane Rosso our Best of Dallas award a little more than a month ago. Since then things have only gotten better. They recently hired Dino Santonicola, a lifelong pizzailolo, who immediately started tweaking recipes. Santonicola increased hydration, making for a looser, more delicate dough that's a bitch to work with but makes for a lighter pie. If you don't like the Neapolitan style, don't bother. But if you like your football round, your wheels piaggio and your pizza Italian, this is the place to eat.
