by Steven Lindsey Photos by Rod Orta
Is Dallas big enough for another authentic Neapolitan pizza restaurant? Absolutely. But in the old Chocolate Angel space at Preston and Forest that once was home to Il Cane Rosso, one of the most justifiably buzzed-about pizzerias to hit the metroplex? That’s right where San Antonio transplant Dough will soon open. Talk about déjà vu.
Tasked with the delicious assignment of doing a little pizza recon 300 miles away, I headed to the Alamo city to check out Dough mere days before owners Doug and Lisa Horn plan to open their second location. (By the way, it was reading an article in Rachael Ray’s magazine that forced me to realize the genius of the name Dough. Doug H? DougH?) Yeah, took me a minute, too. But in my defense, I was too focused on the amazing spread on my table.
Two things other than the delicious pizza are working in Dough’s favor as it heads to a bigger market. One is its Mozzarella and Burrata Bar. According to Mrs. Horn, Dallas’ will be far more expansive than the San Antonio one, which is very impressive already. The Spiedini, which will definitely be coming to Big D, is a must-order. Oven-roasted, house-made Mozzarella wrapped in Prosciutto di Parma represents a spectacular combination of salty, creamy and meaty.
The second big differentiator for Dough is its Food Network street cred. Featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives’ “Porktastic” episode earlier this year, the tiny pizza place immediately became overwhelmed with customers—all of whom are more than happy to wait for a table and a couple of amazing pies.
When Dough opens in a couple weeks (if all goes according to plan), check out the Pork Love, a decadent-yet-balanced combo of salami, sausage, pancetta and speck with tomato sauce and house-made mozzarella. All on the wood-fired, Italy-certified Neapolitan crust.
If the trend of great pizza continues to take over Dallas with the arrival of authentic, Neapolitan enthusiasts like the Horns and Jay Jerrier of Il Cane Rosso before them, it might be time to start learning a few key phrases in Italian. And maybe learning to drive a Vespa.
Catch Dough on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives tonight, 8:30 PM CT and tomorrow at 11:30 PM CT.
I wish I was more excited about Dough coming, as it’s right in my back yard. I’m a diehard Cane Rosso fan – and appreciate that it’s Dallas’ own and not a chain. There’s something so unique about Cane Rosso that I don’t think can be replicated anywhere else – it’s probably Jay, or the space, or the big red oven. Who knows what it is…but I’m stickin’ to Cane Rosso if I want neapolitan-style pizza!
We understand that the Dallas version of Dough is being franchised by the folks that sublet Cane Rosso the space at Chocolate Angel, so this may or may not be as good as the Dough in San Antonio. We shall keep watch and compare later the Dallas version with the one to the original location.
Thank you Mr Lindsey for making the trek to San Antonio for us!
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