12 November 30 - December 6, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents has been slinging some amazing deep-dish pies ever since. In addition to pizzas that pay homage to Detroit, Motor City offers plenty of local twists like the Texas Sweet Heat, made with the traditional Detroit- style dough and Wisconsin brick cheese and topped with pepperoni, candied jalapenos, pepperoncini, Mike’s Hot Honey and Boss Sauce. Olivella’s Multiple Locations Serving Neapolitan and Roman- style pizza, Olivella’s has gained local and national attention since opening in 2007, includ- ing Best Pizza in Texas by USA Today. Their 20 different op- tions, served at three area loca- tions, are sure to please any palate. Look for the great weekly BOGO special Monday through Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m. and Friday from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Partenope 1903 Main St., Dallas, and 110 S. Greenville Ave., Richardson Like many traditional Neapolitan pizzerias, Partenope focuses on simplicity and high- quality ingredients like San Marzano toma- toes, fior di latte for cheese and extraordinary extra-virgin olive oil. They of- fer 15 different kinds of pizza plus a pizza of the month. Partenope won a gold medal in the pizza Olympics for its Montanara pizza, which has a flash-fried then baked crust and is topped with mozzarella, parmesan, to- mato sauce and basil. Pizza Leila 2111 Flora St. Pizza Leila is a pandemic baby: The chef at the restaurant Sloane’s Corner put idle kitchen space to work to deliver pizzas (and keep staff employed) when business in the sit-down restaurant came to a halt down- town. The pizza was so good that it got its own space in the Arts District this year. Here the Sicilian-style pizza is thick, much like fo- caccia bread and cut in squares. One slice is a meal, but if you have two, there’s no judg- ment here. You can mix and match single slices but whatever you do, don’t pass on the cacio e pepe arancini, little fried balls of Si- cilian goodness. Pizzana 3219 Knox St. Pizzana was ranked No. 9 on the 2022 list of the best pizzerias in the U.S. by 50 TopPizza, so it’s clearly a must-visit. A collaboration originating in Los Angeles between Candace Nelson, former owner of Sprinkles Cup- cakes, and master pizza chef Daniele Uditi, Pizzana serves what they call neo-Neapoli- tan pizza. The dough is fermented 48 hours, which gives it true Neapolitan pizza quali- ties, but with a firm, not floppy, base. One of their signature pizzas, the cacio e pepe, is a spectacular twist on the traditional pasta dish. One of the things we like most about Pizzana is their ability to offer a heat and slice option for to-go orders, where they prepare the pizza to the point where you can bring it home and throw it in the oven at a high temperature for about 5 minutes and enjoy it as if it were just pulled out of the res- taurant’s pizza oven. Poco Fiasco 2823 McKinnon St. Poco Fiasco just wants to sip martinis and have a good time. Along with thin-crust pizza, of course. This Harwood District is near several sister concepts including Har- wood Arms and Elephant East. Before games or concerts at the American Airlines Center, which is an easy walk, things can get crowded. But all the more fun. Sit in the cozy bar or the temp-controlled patio and have high-end pizzas like The Donkey, a spicy number topped with Diablo Sauce, pepper- oni (the cup kind), spicy Italian sausage, thin slices of red onion and fennel pollen. Thunderbird Pies 7328 Gaston Ave. (East Dallas) During COVID, the culinary team behind Cane Rosso and Zoli’s had time to experiment with a style of pizza that was not well known to Dallasites at the time. Detroit-style pizza has since become popular in this area, and Thun- derbird Pies is doing it best. Our favorite is a toss-up between the Thunder Mifflin (pep- peroni cups, sausage, mushrooms and tomato sauce) and the Luka Brasi (meatballs, ricotta, toasted breadcrumbs and tomato sauce). Zoli’s 14910 Midway Road, Addison (Yes, this makes a trifecta for Jay Jerrier and his PILF empire. He’s focused.) Named best pizza by the Observer in 2023, Zoli’s New York-style pizza can’t be beat. From our Best-of issue: “It captures the essence of traditional New York-style pizza, with a masterpiece crust that stays firm despite hefty toppings while the edges remain light and airy.” Just like Cane Rosso, their most popular pie is the sweet-heat Honey Bastard, but we recom- mend checking out the pizza of the month for new off-the-menu creations. Kathy Tran Dallas has a great number of delicious pizza purveyors. City of Ate from p11 Become a member by giving any amount to support our newsroom at dallasobserver.com/support Already a member? Keep an eye on your inbox to RSVP; space is limited.
