From what we had heard, Il Cane Rosso started as a wood fire stove hitched to the back of a truck. Apparently the pizza was so delicious that local foodies would follow the mobile pizza oven around Dallas. Owner, Jay Jerrier, recently settled down after his two year search for the perfect location at 2612 Commerce Street. We decided that it was time to see what all the fuss was about, it turned out we weren't the only ones.
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| Burrata |
After a late start on the evening, so by the time we arrived downtown, it was almost 8:30. While the line wasn't out the door, the place was packed to the gills, and the host informed us the wait would be an hour and a half. We were fully committed to our pizza escapade, and added our name to the waiting list. Fortunately we were able to squeeze over to the bar area order some focaccia bread and drinks, to wait it out. The pizza gods were watching over us this evening, because after only 5 minutes, the host was able to sneak us into 2 seats at the pizza bar.
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| Focaccia |
Our friendly waitress appeared almost immediately from the sea of patrons, and provided us with a wealth of knowledge about the ins and outs of the menu. At about the same time our focaccia hit the table, still steaming and sprinkled with sea salt and rosemary, our mouths were beginning to water. Due to the recent tomato shortage we opted for the Burrata salad, as opposed to the Caprese salad. Not quite what we had expected, but tasty none the less. On our next visit we will probably skip the Burrata and go straight for the pizza. Speaking of pizza, the menu covers all bases with over 20 unique combinations, our decision was tough only picking 2. Our waitress, Amy steered us in the right direction by suggesting the Luana, which includes mushrooms, sausage, and soppresata. Not being a meat lover my wife selected the Vegetale, which was covered in seasonal vegetables. I really don't think you could go wrong with any of the choices, every pizza that Jay pulled from the oven looked scrumptious.
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| Luana Pizza |
The pizza definitely has an authentic Neapolitan flavor. The crust is light and chewy, and the vegetable toppings tasted like they were picked from a garden behind the restaurant. Most notably the meat toppings were especially memorable, and unlike anything we have experienced yet. Overall, both pizzas were some of the best we have tasted in 2011. Il Cane Rosso is definitely a new hot spot in Deep Ellum. I'm certain that this pizza haven will be collecting the local awards for many years to come!
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| Vegetale Pizza |
The Final Report: 8.5 out of 10
Don't miss out on an opportunity to enjoy this fantastic pizza, just plan on waiting once you get there.
From what we had heard, Il Cane Rosso started as a wood fire stove hitched to the back of a truck. Apparently the pizza was so delicious that local foodies would follow the mobile pizza oven around Dallas. Owner, Jay Jerrier, recently settled down after his two year search for the perfect location at 2612 Commerce Street. We decided that it was time to see what all the fuss was about, it turned out we weren't the only ones.
