Dual First Looks: Dough and Mesa Maya Part 1

by Steven Doyle

Yesterday marked the opening of two restaurants in the North Dallas burbs located mere feet from each other at the intersection of Forest and Preston. This was far too great an opportunity to pass up and since we couldn’t choose one we went to both Dough, the San Antonio based Neapolitan pizzeria and Meso Maya, the newest restaurant concept from the group that most recently took over the El Fenix.

To be honest, our intent was to check into Dough, but once there we remembered that Meso Maya was opening the same day. Both had been through a rigorous weekend of friends and family testing and were in full swing operation.  

First stop was Dough. We had anticipated a long wait but were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves on the waiting list that wouldn’t span much more than 30-minutes. The service was brisk if not a bit clumsy, but patrons were no worse for the wear and tear. Scanning the large room that previously held Chocolate Angel, Too, and the inaugural stint with Jay Jerrier’s Il Cane Rosso, Dough has been long anticipated and seemed well received.

One of our creative contributors, Steven Lindsey (who really has a full time gig at Gay List Daily) ventured to San Antonio for us about a month ago for a little reconnaissance action. We will implore Steven to check out Dough in Dallas for us very soon and do a compare-contrast thing for craveDFW.

The pizzas were flying out of the Italian oven at super natural speeds. The kitchen staff was having fun tossing fully shaped pizza dough back and forth as it spun through the air, a nice parlor trick that is worth the price of admission alone.

The staff makes their own burrata out of pre-purchased fresh curd and there are several mozzarellas to choose from to nosh, including a fine house-made burrata ladeled with a a reduction of balsamic. You can get a sample of each for a mere twenty bucks.

The pizzas are sturdy and fat on ingredients. You will find the requisite Jimmy’s sausage that every Dallas pizzeria mandates (love the stuff, but can someone try their hand at in-house sausage?)

These babies are not for the faint of pocketbook, zeroing in on more ching per slice than any other Neapolitan pizzeria in Dallas at twenty dollars a pie. The same size at Cane Rosso will cost about $15, Cavalli about $10, and Campania  $15 for the same size (they offer 3 sizes) for a disparaging difference upwards of 50%.

Bucks aside, the pizza is quality jam. The ingredients are top-heavy and the location borders the loop where no other Neapolitan can be found. We pronounce that there is room for Dough, and they fill the need quite nicely. Plus on the full bar.

Now on to our second dinner, Meso Maya.