Dolce Vita Pizzeria Enoteca

Reviews 3

AN

Anum Padela

Ive been here a couple times in the past couple years but it seems like the service and food quality had gone down! My friend planned my birthday dinner here with friends. When I walked in the staff who seated us was pretty friendly but the main waiter who took care of us was pretty rude and not helpful. He didnt really spend much time with us when we ordered, I felt like we were a bit rushed. I ordered pizza with arugula, capers, and mozzarella and their spicy potatoes. Most of the other girls ordered either a salad or their margarita pizza. When I received my food both were barely warm but at that point we were so hungry that we began to eat. The pizza was ok, not as good as I remembered it to be. I also think it should have been cooked for a little longer. The potatoes were good not great. Next,...it was my birthday so after I cut the cake, it was quickly taken away for cutting without any observation that my friend was in the middle of feeding me a bite. Then they cut thin slices out for the girls. Not all the girls had cake, in fact probably half. I noticed that the staff didnt cut the whole cake and were cutting cake as it was needed which was great. Based on the amount of cake eaten I should of had a lot of left over cake. BUT, the waiter didnt bring any of it back after the bill was paid in fact he disappeared. We then got our things and went downstairs and asked for the left over cake, we were told there was no left overs, which we knew was not possible, a little perplexed we went outside to get our cars. Thinking that we should ask again, we went back in and asked the waiter again, he then walked out with one small slice and told us that was all that remained. My friend and I were shocked. We know that there was a lot more cake and considering it was a darn good cake Im pretty sure they kept it for themselves. Also why didnt he bring us the one slice the first time we asked? There were a bunch of truffles on that cake and we know no one at the table got those. There was ONE in the box he gave to me. Also, after dinner we asked the waiter to take a picture of the group at the table, he took it but was very rude about it and told us he had to go and didnt have time so it would have to be quick. I have never received such bad service anywhere. And for this to happen not just at any dinner but my birthday dinner it was quite disappointing. On top of all that for the rest of my cake to disappear...It was supposed to be for my family and I didnt have any to share with them. I would not recommend this place to anyone ever again!

JU

Justine Hernandez

Ive eaten at Dolce Vita twice now and all I can say is "Its amore." Sorry, I know thats corny, but it takes a lot for me to return to a restaurant and I would love to come back to Dolce Vita over and over. My food experiences here have all been very high quality and same can be said for the service. I have had a little of everything from all over the menu and never a disappointment. - The bufala caprese is just divine. The mozzarella was reminiscent of fresh ricotta in a creamy way. This is not your novice mozzarella and it goes perfectly with the tomato and a little fruity olive oil and aged balsamic. It is a great insalate to start your course. - From the Verdura Ive had their shaved brussel sprouts with pecorino. Though weary at first, due to my misconceptions set on from cartoons, the brussel sprouts were delicious. It was my first experience with them and will not be my last. - The salmon "marinato" from the Pesce was decent. The citrus marinated salmon is served crudo style. It was a little more tangy than I expected, but tasty. - From the Carne Ive tried the san daniele prosciutto and sopressata. Presenting the meat on a wooden cutting board was lovely and authentic, and the meat, adorned with pickled quail egg halves, made me feel very warm inside. - I dont remember what Ive had from the fritto, so I guess that says enough. I have had the spaghetti, cacio e pepe and the spaghetti clams and ceci for pasta. Spaghetti cacio e pepe is basically spaghetti with a melty sharp cheese melted in it and cracked pepper taste all over. Much more cheese than Id expected, but exactly what I wanted. The spaghetti clams and ceci is what it sounds like: clams, a light sauce, and something like italian garbanzo beans. It was very good but I found the pasta to be a bit too al dente for my taste. Now... the kicker: the Prosciutto e Rucola pizza. This pizza blew my mind. The crust was flavorful, crisp, and thin. The prosciutto just slightly melts on top of the pizza from the heat that comes off the top and it will change your world. The prosciutto theyre using also just so happens to be the best tasting prosciutto Ive had so far. I cannot stress to you enough how great this pizza is. Just go get one. Their sangrias are a bit pricey for my taste and I have definitely had better, but a meal like this deserves a little more than water or soda, so I always get sangria or wine here. This place is a great date spot without being too fancy, and after eating a meal this good, your date will definitely owe you dessert (teehee).

JE

Jeff Turpin

On our latest visit to Houston, we tried Dolce Vita at the high recommendation of some friends. What we found is a pizza very much like Dough in San Antonio, which is a good thing. The Zucca had butternut squash, pancetta, red onion, and smoked bufala mozzarella. First the crust, this is a masterfully executed Neapolitan thin-crust pizza. Even though it was easily folded it was yet delightfully crispy. The smokiness of the mozzarella was spot on with just the right amount of red onion, pancetta, and squash. I was sort of expecting the squash to be pureed into the sauce like Ive had in one other place that serves a pizza similar to this, but the chopped squash was fine as well. The prosciutto e rucola was also a standout. It had a nice peppery flavor from the forest of arugula placed atop of the pizza and the prosciutto itself was really special and top quality. Additionally, we ordered the paccheri special with braised pork. The pasta was cooked to perfect al dente and the red sauce was delicious. The pork left something to be desired as it was not as tender as braised pork should be. We also ordered a bowl of spaghetti cacio e pepe, and although simple, had bold and distinguished flavors. For me, Im almost certain there is some amount of Gorgonzola in this dish, which is a cheese I am not particularly fond of even though I am a cheese lover. Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago would have been the perfect cheeses for me, but thats my fault for not asking beforehand. We finished out the night with two desserts, and to be honest, this was probably the highlight of our night. There was a decadent chocolate cake with a level of moistness Ive rarely seen matched and topped with hazelnut gelato. This cake had the entire table spellbound as a truly incredible dessert. We also ordered the white cream cake and caramel, which is much like a tres leches cake with the added caramel. This was the flavor and taste I was looking for exactly after my meal. The lightness and sweetness of the cake with the cream icing and caramel. It was excellent, to say the least. In short, our friends Dolce Vita recommendation didnt disappoint, and now we know where to go for great pizza and other Italian favorites in Houston.