Zoli's NY Pizza - Addison

This is the second incarnation of Zoli’s NY Pizza. The sister restaurant of local DFW pizza legend, Cane Rosso. The first spot for Zoli’s was a tiny dark hole in the wall pizza joint in the Bishop Arts section of Oak Cliff. When it was announced that it would be closing to make way for the brand new high priced apartments that come with the “revitalization” of an up and coming trending new part of town, many hearts, including mine were broken. I was sad to see the short-lived by the slice pizza palace disappear. When it was announced that Zoli’s would be making a return… A Triumphant return, it did leave me scratching my head that it would move from the funky friendly neighborhoods of Oak Cliff to the heavy on dining options short on personality mean streets of Addison. 

My first trip to the new digs came during a late lunch on a cold, rainy Friday afternoon. Which worked out perfectly because I'd missed the lunch rush. I was dying to try a pizza on the grandma crust after scoping out all the hero shots of epics pizza squares on Instagram. But I was bummed to find out one of the things that didn’t make the move from Oak Cliff to Addison was the by the slice options. I love a good by the slice Pizzeria, all of the glorious pizza pie laid out waiting for me. Since I didn’t think a could handle an entire large 18-inch square crust pizza on my own, I opted for the lunch special. A personal pizza with a side salad.

With Zoli’s Cane Rosso DNA coursing thru its veins, it’s easy to expect outstanding pie. Zoli’s does not fall short. The crust has the perfect snap and chew. The sauce is spot on with the tang and sweetness of the tomato. This time around I got the Italian sausage and as all good pie should be, it was topped with some clipping of fresh basil. My four slice personal pie was plenty for lunch. But not to be overlooked was one hell of a Caesar salad. Overflowing from a bowl that’s almost too small to dive a fork into without pushing lettuce over the edge if you’re not careful, the dressing coating each leaf with the ideal amount and what appeared to be scratch made croutons topped my portion of the requisite rabbit food.

Comparing Zoli’s to Cane Rosso is easy because they both come from the same family tree. Many people around DFW think Cane Rosso is the bell of the ball, with their multiple locations, in all the trendy neighborhoods around town. And those wood-fired pizza ovens. But Zoli’s, not to be overshadowed by it’s bigger brother, show that no matter on gas or brick oven, it’s the care you put into selecting ingredients and details of making a great pizza that really the difference.

Zoli’s I wish you’d bring back that by the slice counter. But I love you nonetheless.

Zoli’s is definitely worth the quest.