Dolce Vita Pizzeria & Enoteca Restaurant

Elite '08

26

96

Larina C.

Houston, TX

The owner of Da Marco gives us a great date place for yummy pizza and pasta dishes.  I've heard rave reviews about Dolce and I recently had the pleasure of experiencing the best pizza in Houston by far. I love thin crust gourmet pizza. They have a great selection of wines at the bar so you can enjoy a pre nosh cocktail when you have to wait for a table on the weekends -which you can count on. The venue fits the service and food filled with lots of character and personality. I am going to be a frequent patron of my delightful new discovery.

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Elite '08

221

381

Lisa A.

Houston, TX

This place smells like vomit on a stinky sock. That's right, it smells like truffle oil. It took me awhile to get use to it and while I was waiting at the bar the couple next to me ordered something with truffle oil and I nearly lost my lunch but I'm glad I stuck it out (note to self: bring nose plugs next time) because, as promised, the pizza is excellent.

I ordered the prosciutto e rucola pizza (tomato, mozzarella, prosciutto and arugula) and the sauce, arugula and prosciutto go really well together (sort of wished the prosciutto was a bit crispier). I've been looking for good pizza in Houston and this is a place I'll return to many times for a perfect thin-crust pizza. I'm looking forward to trying the vongole pizza (clams, garlic, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella) next time. I do wish I had tried more off the menu. The friend that I went with said she usually gets the fagioli with parmigiano salad and I really want to know how they present a bean salad and same goes for the eggplant in "argo dolce", roasted cauliflower, mushrooms with mint and ricotta rosa, autumn squash and ceci, and beets with horseradish and walnuts (okay, I've pretty much listed off their whole "Verdura" menu but doesn't it sound interesting?

Besides that this place stinks I'm not giving it a perfect review because the waiter was way over taxed trying to run around and serve seemingly everyone in the upstairs. It's also a tight space with a lot going on and though I look forward to taking my S.O. with me next time I go I doubt he'll be able to hear a word I say. All that and, yes, it's a bit pricey if you want to do it all and have a drink or two.

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11

11

Gina M.

Houston, TX

God forgive me for I am about to sin and speak against this fine, fine establishment.

On my last visit to Dolce, I experienced a few weird things... One I overheard the waiters seemingly fighting over who was going to take our table (in Spanish, but did we look like bad tippers or something?)

Onto the menu.

We had the staple egg toast with black truffles. read previous entry for my review on that, but know that the mister and i fought for the last bite.

What you should know. The Parsley Salad, is not really a salad, but a slice of cholesterol clogging heaven. A bed of  parsley is brought to your table and is accompanied by a small saucepan full of sizzling pancetta. The pancetta is carefully and lovingly scooped onto your parsley with a healthy dose of pancetta dressing (i.e. bacon drippins), its served with lime squeezins' and tastes like bacony, loving goodness.

We had the special appetizer, the calamari straws with marinara and herbed pesto sauces. Kudos on the sauces even though i am not a fan of the pesto.

We decided against my favorite Calabrese pizza in favor of trying one of the starred **new** menu items. Let me tell you my friend.... it was the most disastrous menu item on the list, I am so sorry to say....

It was called the "Zucca". The description said, butternut squash and pancetta. Sounds like it could be a culinary experience that could be delicious, right?

The thing came back tasting of what could only be described as pizza with "candied yams and rubbery chunks of undercooked bacon fat". It was the most vile experience my mouth has ever encountered.

Luckily, I was overstuffed from all my other yummy food, but please Dolce, remove this catastrophe of an entree from your menu!

And waiters, if you are going to fight over me, please be because I'm cute or something!

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19

99

Albert N.

The Woodlands, TX

Count me among the underwhelmed.  I'd heard all the great buzz about Dolce Vita, and since it is a Marco (aka Mark, before he opened his own store) Wiles restaurant, I figured it would be worth a visit.  So we zipped over to the chic Montrose location for an early dinner.

By getting there early (6:30-ish on a weeknight) we avoided the mob.  Even though the lot was mostly empty, we had to use the mandatory valet.  Not an auspicious start.

The converted house makes for a very pleasant setting; intimate without feeling crowded.  Without a doubt the atmosphere is the high point of Dolce Vita.

That's because we were totally underwhelmed by the pizza.  Dolce Vita is way at the artsy end of the pizza spectrum:  No pedestrian pepperoni to be had here.  We tried the arugula and prosciutto, which a friend recommended.  The problem was the execution:  Thin crust should not be limp and soggy, but ours was.  Only the outer third of the pizza was edible, and the oh-so-cool waiter was no where to be found to address the issue.

That brings us to the dreadful service.  A half-full house and slow service demonstrate the indifferent attitude we endured from the server.  And after we gave up on the pizza, it took 20 minutes to get our check.

It's a pity, because Houston has been lacking in authentic, reasonably-priced Italian places ever since the Grotto got Landryized.  But Dolce Vita needs to focus more on hard work and execution and less on being trendy for it to be successful.  Once the scenesters discover the next place to be seen, maybe things will change.

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29

30

Katharine S.

Houston, TX

It took me forever to get over to Dolce Vita, despite all the good things I'd heard from friends and fellow Yelpers.  So it pains me to say that I, too, am among the underwhelmed.  It's easiest to break this down into things that I loved about Dolce Vita and things that I didn't, so here goes:

Loved:  the casual atmosphere, the outdoor seating, the cozy feel of the bar inside the old house, the complimentary valet (remember to tip, folks!), the fact that we hit it on a Sunday night which meant that we didn't have to wait for a table and the absolutely amazing appetizer, roasted beets with horseradish, walnuts and chives.  Probably the best appetizer I've ever had, anywhere, ever.  Period.  For serious.

Didn't Love:  the bland pizzas (I had the telaggio and my friend had the margherita).  The crusts were good (although mine was quite burned in places) but the toppings were like air.  Mine in particular tasted of arugula and...nothing else.  The pears were especially tasteless.  Disappointing.  My friend's pizza tasted of basil, but you couldn't taste anything else.  Very odd.  Our desserts were also quite bland.  Of the scoops in my triple gelato, only the pistachio was notable.  The others (panna and caramel) tasted of, once again, air.  Her crostata was also quite bland.  The wine list was okay; not the masterpiece that everyone's been raving about.  The waiter barely spoke two words to us the whole time we were there, which some people may actually like.  To me, it just seemed like he really didn't want to be there.

The bill came to $64 after tip, a bit much for two uninspired pizzas, but not that bad when you consider that we also had an appetizer, two desserts and wine.  I'm afraid that Dolce Vita falls squarely in the three-stars category, somewhere between "meh" and "okay."

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53

70

Jenny W.

Houston, TX

the menu reminds me of mario batali's place in manhattan called otto.  houston is so devoid of good affordable italian (not italian-american).  it is such a wonderful addition to montrose.  

i appreciate that everything is reasonably priced including the wine list.  i've been underwhelmed by a few of the small plates, but i respect them for what they are trying to accomplish.  to start, don't miss the truffled egg toast.  for $12 it's easily the cheapest truffle fix you can get and actually see slices of black truffle.  i'm talking about a thick slice of country bread that an egg is cracked on top of.  then a healthy sprinkling of a premium parmigiano reggiano follows before it's broiled into a cheesy gooey messy.  truffle oil and shaved black truffles finish off the plate.  yes, it's on my best dishes in houston list.  

other starters:  the speck (smoked proscuitto) is very good.  no need to get all the meats.  trust me, the speck is the best.  the caprese is excellent too.  spend the extra couple of bucks for buffalo mozzarella.  i'm actually a little surprised it's not automatically served with the buffalo stuff.

my other favorite thing here (also on the same best of houston list) is the taleggio pizza.  think thin crusted pizza topped with a sharp, pungent taleggio (good stuff), bitter, peppery arugula, sweet, slightly firm pears, and truffle oil.  the combination is sheer genius.  a wonderful, complex party of flavors in your mouth.

disclaimer:  it takes a truly truffle crazy person to handle both the egg toast and the taleggio pizza in one meal unless you are sharing with multiple peeps.  it might be truffle overkill for some, like my brother.  i think i turned him off of truffles for life.

another tip.  ask for the pizza whole (like they serve it in italy) so you can cut it yourself at the table.  the truffle oil has a tendency to run off and get between the crust and the pan turning the "foundation" into a soggy mess, so cut as you are eating to prevent this.  OR better yet, fold the whole thing in half and eat it like a calzone.  have a friend take your picture and send it to me afterwards.  i will be thoroughly impressed.

if you are worried about my disclaimer, then my plan B for you would be to order the egg toast and then the robbiola, leek and pancetta pizza.  also an excellent choice.  

pastas are a bit hit or miss and the selection is small.  nightly specials usually involve a couple proteins at least since there aren't really any on the menu.  they are usually wonderful.

the ambiance is great, there is lots of energy, and the place attracts a vibrant montrose scene full of interesting people.  nice patio you can dine on too.  if they seat you on the second floor, beware of the slippery stairs.  i almost ate it in my jimmy choos.

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6

26

Virginia O.

Houston, TX

I'm very surprised people have cited Dolce Vita's pizza "the best in town".  I'm not saying it wasn't good, because it was indeed quite tastey...but  in my opinion their "pizza" is an altered form of what pizza really is and should be.  It's like an abstract form of pizza, if you will.  It's pizza, but not pizza.  It's as though they are trying to make their pizza chic and hip and maybe that works for some people, but not moi.  Let me 'splain: the crust is so thin it's almost non-existent and the toppings are also...thin.  I think I ate about 4 pieces and still wasn't full.   I'm not one of those "deep dish" people or "stuffed crust" people or someone who has to have everything plus the kitchen sink on my pizza, but I do prefer my pizza to have SOME breadular substance with adequate toppings.  Dolce Vita's pizza was just flat and unfilling.  I wasn't impressed.  

Don't misunderstand, the food here is top quality.  Our table ordered a few different salads and they were all really delicious.  Our desserts we tried were great too.

My friends and I went on a particularly uncrowded day but for some reason our waitress was absent for long periods of time.  It made me really anxious and frustrated that we were left unattended for so long.  

Basically this place isn't all bad, but don't go if you're in a pizza mood because you'll be disappointed.  If you're craving top quality REAL pizza, go to Collina's.  It's 100% more delicious and filling.

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Elite '08

64

60

Hank G.

Houston, TX

Underwhelmed, overrated, misplaced expectations??? Yeah, all of those.

I had the the pizza vongole which was with clams and cherry tomatoes. I was kind of hoping they'd chop the clams up a bit. Not really a fan of whole clams sparsely populating my pizza. The pizza was only OK for me (especially for the price), although their variety of pizzas is commendable.

The drinks cost too much, are small and when you have blood orange martinis on the drink list, you better know what a blood orange is. I got an orange martini (otherwise known as a screwdriver), no blood. LAME. They should have come back and told me they didn't have or know what a blood orange was.

The place was too noisy and the upstairs dining area was cramped at best and there was only 2 of us. The service wasn't anything rave about either. Not bad, but not good.

The ultimate question... Would I go back? I think I would give it another shot, but with my expectation MUCH lower.

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12

38

Leslie P.

Houston, TX

This place is the first restaurant I've been to in a long time that lives up to it's hype.  Ya, it's expensive, but so, SO, worth it.  We went on a Saturday night and had to wait around 40 minutes (the bar area is pretty large, although seating is somewhat limited).  Whatever, we had time.  The building itself is really interesting and looks like an old house (which it might have been).  But honestly, all of this is unimportant.  Go, expect to wait, and prepare yourself for an incredible meal.

We started by ordering the cheese plate, the egg truffle toast, and the mussels (which were the special).  Of the 5 or 6 cheeses on the cheese plate, there was only one I didn't like.  The mussels were divine.  And if I had to pick one thing to eat for the rest of my life, it would be the egg truffle toast.  Honestly, I'm not even sure what it was, kind of a rough but eggy bread type thing, topped in black truffles.

We ordered the pizza margherita and the pizza vongole.  The margherita was the best I've ever had.  The vongole, which is pizza with clams and cherry tomatoes, was my favorite (although my dining companions didn't like the clams).  The pizza is thin crust but soft.  It was one of those meals where you are full but keep eating, everything just tastes so good.

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Elite '08

14

25

Christa L.

Houston, TX

How pizza turned into the pizza huts and dominos of today I will never know.  If dolce vita is what pizza was meant to be, I have been sorely missing out.  We were so intrigued by the appetizers we almost missed the pizza!  I just had to try the horseradish beets! Even the table of sweet strangers next to us had to warn us what we were getting into!  In case you get a particularly horseradishy beet, prepare your sinuses; but we like that sort of thing and it hit the spot. The expectation did not disappoint!  We also finished up the appetizers with roasted cauliflower, a mild complement to the beets, and the shredded brussel sprouts (glorified, yet cheesy and therefore tasty, cole slaw).  

I wanted to try the blood orange prosecco but they were out!  I had the bellini instead and it was so good!  The other girls had the yummy Italian sangria!

Unfortunately, the kitchen was backed up and our pizza didn't come out until like 30 minutes later; theyre lucky it was night with the girls and we can talk for hours and not be phased.  We had the prosciutto arugula pizza, it was so lip-smacking with the red pepper and parm, oh and that ultra thin crust makes you feel like youre not wasting calories on carbs!  

Wait staff was very attentive, he checked on us multiple times and the valet was very accommodating -- although we did shut down the joint so there wasn't a wait anyway!

Great experience, minor hiccups, but they recovered the evening nicely.

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2

9

exa g.

Houston, TX

The eggplant pizza had too few eggplant slices, FYI.

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Elite '08

30

91

Connie B.

Houston, TX

If you haven't had the Taleggio, you haven't lived.

Taleggio is the pizza to which Andrew M. refers, and it is a delicious invention of taleggio cheese, arugula, pears and truffle oil. Taleggio is a stinky cheese with a mild taste, and it pairs (or should I say pears?) ever so nicely with the spicy bite of the arugula and the sweetness of the fruit.

I would stay away from the Robiola, which is robiola cheese, leeks and pancetta. It had so much potential, but the pancetta was like hard little cubes of cardboard. Maybe it was a bad night, but between the Margherita and the Taleggio, there's just no point in trying that pizza again.

Dolce Vita also offers some delicious small plates. The calamari with mint, oranges and olives was a nice surprise. The appetizer is cold, and I can't even speculate how the calamari was cooked, possibly poached in citrus, but it was so tender and each bite was a refreshing marriage of the distinct flavors. I'd also recommend the Roasted Cauliflower Siciliana. Another unusual pairing, roasted cauliflower florets with pine nuts and grapes, another delicious dish.

Dolce Vita is a very popular place, so you should plan to get there early or plan to wait. The first time we went, we actually left because I was pregnant and couldn't manage standing for the wait. (The food is so good, apparently no one will give up their seat for a pregnant lady.) We had heard such good things about it though that we came back on Sunday right around opening time and we weren't disappointed.

Dolce Vita offers food that is delicious and exciting, and it should make its way to the top of everyone's must-try list.

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Elite '08

11

68

JIMMY N.

Houston, TX

When it comes to pizza, NYC has the best hands down.  It doesn't matter where you buy your slice, the crust in New York can't be matched anywhere else.  Heck, the worst pizzeria there in my opinion is still far better then any pizzeria Houston has to offer.  Well that was, until Dolce Vita arrived on the Houston scene.  Sure it's not the same crust, however Dolce Vita's thin crust holds its own.  It alleviates any cravings that I have for a NY pie.

It was a Wednesday night, and the parking lot was jammed with cars pulling in.  It almost deterred from coming in, but I figured if it's this crowded on a Wednesday then my butt needs to check it out.  After a 20 minute wait for a table, I found myself confused deciphering their menu.  They had all these subsections (Verdura, pesce, carne,fritto, formagio, etc.)   Each had 5 or more selections...  I thought they were toppings for you to make your own pizza.  Wrong!  My waiter stated that they were all just appetizers not pizza toppings.  Wow, so many appetizers!  So I ordered a calamari and the "speck" alto adige (like prosciutto its a type of cured meat) as starters.  I also ordered the vongole (clams, garlic, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella) pizza while my friend ordered a gnocchi al Ragu.  The calamari w/mint, oranges and olives was very good and light.  A nice little starter dish while the "speck" came out in strips of eight or so pieces like bacon.  Not bad either, I saved some and topped it on my pizza.  When my 12" pie came out, I was so afraid that I would not finish it.  Yet 10 minutes later I was wondering where it all went.  At first I was hesitant on ordering a pizza w/ clam toppings; I'm sure glad I ordered it.  It was so darn delicious!  Without all those carbs weighing me down, I was able to enjoy every single topping on that crispy crust.   Every crunch and crackle just made me wonder why I hadn't come here sooner!  Great pizza has finally arrived and I'm glad it's only a 5 minute drive from my house... and not a 5 hour flight to New York!!!

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6

20

Justus P.

Houston, TX

Very good....actually very, very good.  

BUT it adds up very quickly even though the menu doesn't look too bad.  Me and my girl went there and got brussel sprout salad, salmon appetizer, pasta with slow cooked pork, a pizza (cheese, arugula, and pears, I think the same as Andrew M.'s) and torta nera -- really good dark chocolate cake. -- $57 (after tax and tips)!

And we don't even drink!  (my friend says the wine ain't cheap either)

But if you're hungry for good pizza and you want a casual place with good service that gets packed even on Tuesday nights....

4-stars=if you can afford it.

PS i should mention that most of the seating is outdoors but they do have it covered and climate controlled.  Its definitely expensive casual.

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Elite '08

119

609

Cory O.

Houston, TX

Okay, FINALLY the Fearless Critic hits it spot on.  This place is amazing and well deserving of all his praise.  I'd been a little hesitant to check this place out for a few reasons: 1) I knew it was the same owners as Da Marco, so I figured it would be pretty upscale 2) the hubby doesn't like Italian food so I can never convince him to go 3) Yelp's 3 money symbols scared me off.  3 dollar signs for a pizza joint seemed crazy, but I'd trusted my fellow Yelpers and never even bothered to check out the menu online.  Well, I'll be adding my two cents, and taking away one of those money symbols since this place CAN be done for pretty cheap.

Okay, so we called ahead to see if we needed to make a reservation and evidently that is only possible for groups of six or more.  When I asked my hubby about it, all he could say was that it sounded loud.  That should've tipped us off that this was such a hot spot.  

We pulled into the drive and had a cop walk up to us.  Kinda weird.  And scary.  Evidently he helps with the valet.  Strange, huh?  So, we leave our car (which caused great confusion later since it is our rental and when the valet pulled up with it when we were leaving, I looked at him like he was crazy), and step into a crowded, loud place that was packed full of people.  Now, generally I'm very anti all those things.  I get claustrophobic pretty easily, I HATE when strangers rub up against my, and I'm an old woman who hates loud places.  However, this had such a fun, neighborhood feel, that I didn't hold it against them.

We got our names on the list (45 minute wait on a Friday night around 7 p.m.) and saw a spot open up at the bar and made a dash.  We got a perfect seat right next to the cash register, so plenty of fast service.  Our bartender was incredibly friendly and fast to serve us.  There was a mix up at the beginning while he was taking our orders when I said "Bass" and he thought I said "Pass".  After sitting there for a few minutes while my hubby nursed his scotch, I realized that was the reason he didn't grab my beer!  We remedied the situation and I had my yummy Morretti instead.  Since I was starving, we decided to grab some appetizers while at the bar, though we could've ordered off the full menu.  We ended up with a meat and cheese (as per usual for us) and it was phenomenal.  The hubby doesn't really like soft cheeses, so I didn't have to share and I was a happy camper.  Strangely, they bring a serving honey with every cheese plate.  While delicious, I was curious about the cheese since my sister had lived in Italy for quite some time and never mentioned the honey and cheese phenomenon and my hubby who'd traveled through Italy had never seen it before either.  Regardless, it was delicious.  Plus, for $2 more, you get these pizza bread pitas that are straight out of the oven and wonderfully warm.

Our table was soon ready and we paid our tab (since they only had about 3/4 of a regular serving of my hubby's scotch, the bartender comped the whole thing!) and we moved to the patio.  Even though it was outdoors, they could enclose it for bad weather days and there were a few heat lamps if necessary.  

Our waiter was friendly and very competent.  He moved quickly without feeling like he was in a rush.  We went with the prosciutto pizza that was amazing.  Probably the best pizza we've had in town.  Before we knew it, we were onto dessert.  I went with three gelatos (white chocolate, mint, and vanilla bean) which were delicious.  It was topped off with some homemade (tasting) whipped cream that was a perfect way to end the evening.  The hubby got some of their muscato which was a little sweeter than I like, but still wonderful.

As we're trying to pay the bill, somehow they mix up our checks, but the owner was over there in a flash fixing everything herself.  That kind of service is amazing and we were happy to see her take such an active role in her place.

All in all, if we lived in the Montrose area, this could definitely become a regular haunt.  You can do the whole evening for cheap ($12-15 for a pizza), or go overboard and have the whole appetizer-salad-entree-dessert thing.  This could be a great place for a date without it being too romantic.  I'm happy to find a place that had such quality food for such a decent price!

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Elite '08

11

144

Andrew M.

Houston, TX

By far the BEST pizza in Houston.  These are wood oven pizzas with a variety of interesting toppings and cheeses.  However, I would caution that if you do not like thin crust pizza this may not be your type of place.  My date and I each had a pizza.  My dates pizza was very good, which was topped with a nice sausage.  My pizza had pears, greens, and a truffle butter, which made for a delicious and interesting combination.  There is a great wine list and hear that the pastas and salads are great as well.  I would definitely recommend Dolce Vita!

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0

8

Vivian H.

Houston, TX

Aaaaahhh....This is probably my favorite restaurant in Houston.  I agree that the pizzas are the best in town.  Just be sure not to order one right when the restaurant opens at the start of the evening.  The wood-fired oven takes a bit of time to reach really hot temps, so the crust on a really early pizza is a bit soft.  We've tried many of the side dishes and enjoyed them all.  The arancini are a special treat--not served in many Italian restaurants in Houston, and absolutely delightful!

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