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Photo by Olaf Growald
Zoli's Pizza
Fat Staxx Pizza
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Photo by Olaf Growald
Zoli's Pizza
3 of 3
Photo by Olaf Growald
Zoli's Pizza
The lines have died down a bit at Zoli’s, the new pizza venture of Cane Rosso founder Jay Jerrier. The restaurant opened to huge fanfare in a barrel-vaulted building late last fall on Hulen Street. Now that you can get a reservation before 8 p.m. on a weekend, it might be time to try a slice. Options come either in New York-style round or fluffy Detroit-style square.
Our informative server suggested we start with the Baked Spinach Dip ($11). A blend of fontina cheese, chopped artichoke hearts, and spinach arrived bubbling hot in a small cast-iron skillet surrounded by tortilla chips, while a spoon of Italian giardiniera (pickled peppers and chopped veggies like carrot and cauliflower) added a little tang and spice. The dip, sadly, was a little stringy, bland, and not memorable.
We initially ordered the Meat Fight pizza ($19 for round, $21 for square). This one has an unusual sesame seed crust, which I liked, that added a little nuttiness to the dough. The pie comes topped with dices of brisket, featuring Holy Cow rub by Meat Church BBQ in Waxahachie, along with caramelized onions and pepperoni slices.
Hidden underneath the cheese on the Meat Fight pizza was a smear of jalapeño that was flaming hot. We got through the first slice — eyes watering — but couldn’t taste anything after that. Not the onions, not the brisket, not even our own lips. Jalapeños are a fickle pepper; some are mild, and others will light you up. We sent the pizza back and downed a glass of water to cleanse our palates, awaiting its replacement.
The Fat Staxx ($17 round, $19 square) arrived quickly, topped with a few spicy elements like pepperoni, hot cherry pepper ricotta, and a drizzle of habanero honey (along with mushrooms) but was mercifully mild. The sauceless pizza had mounds of fluffy ricotta, and the addition of sweet honey made a few bites excellent.
Not that dessert was required, but it’s my job, so I chose the Pistachio Cannoli ($9). The dessert comes three to an order and is very shareable, resting in a well-executed blackberry bourbon compote. The cannolis, with both ends dipped in pistachios, were filled in standard crusty shells, perhaps not housemade. The mascarpone cheese filling was not overly sweet but had an interesting lemony zing to it.
Zoli’s Pizza
Location: 3501 Hulen St.
For Info: zolispizza.com
What We Liked: The cannolis were good, and the option to grab a soft serve from Cow Tipping Creamery next door and hang out on the back lawn are a nice addition to the neighborhood.
What We Didn’t: The Meat Fight pizza had an overpowering smear of jalapeño on the night we visited − deafening our taste buds.
Recommendations: If you can plan ahead, get a reservation. We strolled right to our table at 7 p.m. on a Friday night.
