Each week, Justin Bitner goes hunting for DFW's most interesting sandwiches. Have a sandwich suggestion? Leave it in the comments and he'll check it out.
Venue: Cavalli
Sandwich: Prosciutto Panini
Bread: Pizza dough
Toppings: Prosciutto, basil, tomatoes, "fresh" mozzarella, olive oil
The Case: 'Wich Trials goes stripping once again this week, this time hitting a linear congregation of shops out in Irving. A devoted reader of the blog, Claire Peters, took to the mean streets of Facebook to recommend noted pizza joint Cavalli. The place is known for being a Verace Pizza Napoletana Association (VPN) certified pie maker, which I was assured of when I walked in the door and saw the masked clown testing the laws of gravity at the foothills of Vesuvius.
I approached the cashier and placed my order, asking the cashier if they made their "fresh" mozzarella in-house. "Do we make the mozzarella?" she replied, as if the mild cheese is some naturally occurring element, like diamonds or cadmium, which couldn't possibly be fabricated with human hands.
With my hard-hitting interrogation coming up empty, I took my number and snagged a chair. It wasn't long until I was greeted with an enormous pile of meat, cheese and tomato with two beautifully charred sheets of pizza dough holding it all together. The sandwich was accompanied by a small salad with creamy balsamic dressing, which I quickly dispensed of before moving on to the crux of the dish.
The first bite of the sandwich was a little tough; I'd forgotten that cooked pizza dough has a little bit more pull than the typical baked bookend. I moved through the initial taste and onto what was an incredibly satisfying sandwich. The equi-thick layers of prosciutto, mozzarella and tomato allowed each flavor to take a turn at commanding the palate. The few leaves of basil and light coat of olive oil added the perfect accents to cut through the delicate cheese and crimson fruit. The pizza dough, stringently prepared and fired, brought an excellent woody flavor while also resisting the tomato's attempts to make it soggy.
The Verdict: Leave your questions at the door and check out the Prosciutto Panini.
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More 'Wich Trials: The Bobbie at Capriotti's The Sliced Beef at Hard Eight BBQ Granny's Sunday Gravy at Gennarino's The Balis Bad Boy at Mr. G's The Whole Hog at Smoke
