Restaurant Review: Zoli’s NY Pizza Tavern

Jay Jerrier built his reputation and business by slinging authentic Neapolitan pizzas. His first location of Cane Rosso in Deep Ellum was a huge hit. His second restaurant in East Dallas is—literally—rolling in dough. Jerrier got tired of patrons who moaned for New York-style pizza. Smartly, he opened Zoli’s, an homage to thin-crust pizza served by the slice. Zoli’s slogan—“If you hate Cane Rosso, you’ll love Zoli’s”—may be true for serious pizza snobs, but I find contentment at both places. The interior at Zoli’s is no-nonsense: walk in the door, check out the pizzas in the case, order a slice or two, and go. The ingredients are above those you find at any New York joint with any combination of the words “Famous,” “Original,” “Ray’s,” and “Pizza.” Instead of oily pepperoni, a slice slathered with tomato sauce and covered with soppressata is as fine a pie as you’ll find in Dallas. I’d rather pay a little more—the slice was $3—and have an easier time folding the triangle, so next time I’ll order a whole 20-inch pie and cut it my way. Other meat toppings include prosciutto, sausage, and meatballs. They also offer thicker, oval, Grandma-style pizza, but I found it too chewy. A green salad served in a simple metal bowl was full of fresh lettuce but overly doused with creamy Italian dressing. Garlic knots, beautiful little bites of dough soaked in butter and garlic, are a must-order. They double as the new breakfast of champions.