In 2007, we discovered the best little (and we do mean little) pizza place in Dallas.
Tucked between a bakery and a burger joint on McFarlin Boulevard in University Park, the owners of Olivella’s Neo Pizza Napoletana quietly started serving up real Italian pizza from recipes and techniques learned by one of the oldest pizza families in Naples, Italy.
All from a brick oven tempered to a scorching 1,000 degrees.
The business has now grown to include a Lakewood location and our favorite of the three in Victory Park. Because if we’re headed to a concert or sporting event (you know, women’s gymnastics or Cirque du Soleil), we don’t want to fill up on fancy fare or, worse yet, stoop to a concession stand dinner, either.
Pizza, therefore, is perfect. And it doesn’t get any more perfect than Olivella’s, where their pies come in two styles: Neapolitan (traditional NYC style) or Roman, a super-thin, crispy crust that’s utterly addictive.
For summer, they’ve debuted a Chicken Alfredo pizza loaded with white meat chicken and a delicious creamy sauce, but we’re creatures of habit and must fall back on our old standbys.
The black truffle pizza, for instance, with house-made mozzarella, speck, mushrooms, truffle oil and black pepper. The flavors of the toppings are so intensely good, it doesn’t even come with sauce.
Of course, we can never go to a pizza place without ordering a plain old pepperoni pizza, preferably with a few mushrooms thrown in for good measure. The Olivella’s version is simply sublime and sublimely simple, however you choose to slice it.
If you’ve never been or haven’t been at least twice in the last week, add Olivella’s to the top of your dining list now. For added incentive, take advantage of one of their generous weekday specials for everything from half-priced wine nights and cheap booze happy hours to BOGO pizzas.
With all the money you save, you can travel to Italy for barbecue brisket.
Because Texas has already mastered pizza.
Olivella’s Victory Park
2340 Victory Park Lane, Dallas
www.neopizzeria.com
