It isn’t always easy when it involves others not having a powerful pizza-passion like me. But, it sure is a treat when travelling somewhere that the Pizza Snob’s first destination after arriving at the airport is a new pizza joint. I recently managed to accomplish this feat on a trip to Fort Worth although my foodie Sis-In-Law re-destined my intended stop to her recommendation of Cane Rosso. CR’s place in Dallas has long been on my list, however I was totally ignorant of the fact that in addition to their place in “D” that they also had one in the “FW.”
I knew that this would be a Neapolitan experience and early on had adjusted my taste buds accordingly. Although by now I may have made this point clear, while once reluctant to the “soft” dough of the N-pie, I am now much more comfortable with it, having found some truly tasty crust in my journeys. CR would prove to be a good choice for a fabulous lunch.
After brushing up on my Italian, I discovered that we were at the “Red Dog,” a name of course that fails to have any connotation with pizza. The Fort Worth location (they have five in the DFW area and one in Austin) was a reasonably-fancy spot that sat on the corner in the trendy developing Fairmont district. The dining room was large, so despite being fairly crowded for a Friday lunch, we only had to wait a short time. There’s plenty of free parking available, and there’s also space at which to sit outside.
Our group of five got a large long table inside, and we studied the menu to see what else might accompany our pies. Seems like everyone got a hearty salad, and there was also a scattering of miscellaneous protein about the table before we got to business.
Across the room we saw the pies being cooked in the red and white oven bearing the name of the establishment. I was impressed to read that this baby worked at 900 degrees and took only 90 seconds to fire up a pizza. Mine came out looking quite good, but for an “N” it sorta had and “NY” look to it in the way that the cheese had melted down to blend with the gravy and cover the entire surface. The end crust also had an “NY” look but was puffed up a bit. It still carried a dreamy soft look and had a chewy appeal to it. My plain pie was a tiny little thing cut into six small slices.
Although I did not despair, the pie carried more cheese than I would expect for this kind of pie. In fact, it may have been a slice that was laid across the crust and dark rich tomato sauce. There were only a few noticeable signs of char and in general, the CR pie to me would best be described as soft and delicate.
Description aside, when it came down to eating I found it to be quite a tasty treat. Not necessarily dry, it wasn’t overly oily either. But despite that hot sucker of an oven, my pie certainly should have been served hotter or perhaps just brought to my table faster. You know how that goes with “N’s”—they have a short shelf live and get cold and dry fast. I quit after four slices knowing that the two I had left sitting on my plate would taste much better after a later reheat at home. (And they did.)
So, this was far from the best Neapolitan I’ve ever had, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. For being all about the crust, this was a good one—soft, chewy and delicate, just the way it should be. Good work, but not spectacularly out of the ordinary. Nothing to really be a mad dog about, but Cane Rosso is a fine place at which to dine.
PIZZA SNOB RATING ***1/2 Working on a Good Thing
Cane Rosso
815 W. Magnolia Avenue
Fort Worth, TX 76104
817-922-9222
www.canerosso.com