Sitting on a peaceful but lively, softly-lit outdoor patio, with a rustic brick oven pizza in front of me, I felt as though 6th and Adams Street was a tiny slice of modern meets rural Italy. If you think that Dozzino is among the likes of Gio’s, Benny’s (God rest his soul), or even Napoli’s, and are wondering why you should walk so far, then, my dear friend, you are sorely mistaken.
Dozzino creates the sort of atmosphere perfect for a quiet date or fun evening with friends, as the rustic décor, constantly changing menu, and relaxing outdoor patio (complete with a bocce court), creates a feast for the eyes, mouth, and soul.
Walking in with my usual partner in crime, we stopped to examine the large blackboard behind the counter listing all of the day’s specials. The dishes listed were created not from the leftovers of previous weeks, of which the chef is trying to clear out of the fridge, but rather from the ingredients available locally at any given time—the farms from which the ingredients are purchased are listed on the board as well.
In line with their use of local products is the complete lack of frozen and minimal use of refrigerated ingredients. According to their sparsely populated website, Dozzino has “fresh dough daily”—and the freshness is most definitely noticeable. We started off with our helpful waiter’s suggestion of the Garbonzzino crostini, toasted bread with a topping, in this case mashed garbanzo beans, off the list of specials. Described as “Italian hummus,” the flavor that was developed in a single bite of the mashed chickpeas was enough to enliven the senses. The freshness of the spice ruminated on my taste buds and left a satisfied smile on my face.
In no time at all, our selected pizza, the Diavola, this time choosing off of the regular printed menu, arrived. Looking rather small in our waiter’s hand, especially for $14, I was very skeptical about the pie’s ability to satisfy both me and one very hungry guy. Ignoring size for the moment, as the pie was set before me, I couldn’t help but admire the beautifully bubbly yet crisp crust coated generously with ruby red tomato sauce, dotted with pure white fior di latte, literally “flower of the milk” or made with cow’s milk, mozzarella and finished with a layer of thinly sliced Calabrese salami. The pie looked as though ready for a photo shoot of an Italian travel brochure.
The flavor certainly matched the appearance as each bite delivered an explosion of wonderfully balanced freshness and heat with a hint of brick oven taste. If I had to come up with a critique, the crust was a tad bit too chewy, not quite as crispy as I would prefer, but my compatriot disagrees. Getting back to the small size, the pie was deceptively filling as taste buds and stomachs of both parties were left satisfied, if not stuffed.
Always having room for dessert, I was disappointed with the lack of sweets, but opted for the sweet crostini special of honey and ricotta hoping it would satisfy my sweet tooth. The creaminess of the ricotta and soft sweetness of the honey was delicious and certainly exuded freshness, but after the pizza and appetizer crostini, the dish was nothing about which I could really rave.
Dozzino is a great place for a relaxing meal designed to pique the senses. A tad bit on the expensive side (fresh usually doesn’t equate to inexpensive as pies range from $14 to $20 or so and come in one size—our bill came in around $34), do not go if you are looking for large portions or a quick bite to eat, although service is quick, this food is more the type you savor and enjoy, not shovel down.
As for the lack of sweets, well, I suppose it’s for the better that they stick to what they do best.
