Pizza Is Back

Dallas' most missed pizzeria returns with grand new menu and location

Oh Zoli, how we've missed you so.

Zoli's NY Pizza Tavern/Facebook

UPDATE: Zoli's launched lunch service on November 1. Go get 'em!

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In what is surely the biggest Dallas pizza news of 2017, Zoli's, the New York-style pizzeria sibling to the Cane Rosso pizza chain, has named a date for the official opening (versus soft opening) of its new location in Addison: November 3.

Located at 14910 Midway Rd., Zoli's will rejoin the family of nine Cane Rosso Neapolitan-style restaurants located in Dallas, Houston, and Austin. It will offer a selection of East Coast dishes such as New York-style pizzas, salads, pasta, and sandwiches on house-made bread.

Zoli's originally opened as a slice shop in Bishop Arts, where the awesome pizza stylings of chef and New York native Lee Hunzinger won over diners and critics everywhere. That location on Davis Street was swept up in the area's redevelopment, and it closed in 2016, on Valentine's Day, sniff sniff.

The re-opening in Addison represents a kind of Zoli's 2.0, with both lunch and dinner and a menu of East Coast Italian classics along with the pizzas and other bites from the original Zoli's.

Highlights from the menu include:

Nuggz. Old school style fried mozzarella, served with marinara.
Carbonara. Spaghetti, bacon, egg, garlic breadcrumbs, and pecorino.
Pizza Loves Emily. Pizza with mozzarella, roasted mushrooms and habanero honey, finished with cold cheese.
Brian Luscher. Pizza with mozzarella, sausage bolognese, and creamy ricotta.
Zeppole. Fried-to-order doughnuts tossed in cinnamon and sugar, with caramel dipping sauce.

The New York-style pizzas can be ordered in both 14" round pie and 12" square versions, and guests can choose to customize their own pies with a mix of their favorite meats, veggies, cheeses, and sauces. The restaurant will also offer a $1 side of jalapeno ranch for dipping, previously verboten in the Cane Rosso family; the proceeds will go to Cane Rosso Rescue.

Zoli's was also noted for its irreverent personality and motifs, including an iconic white unicorn head and the famous marquee sign that staffers used to comment on pop culture, now hanging on the wall.

Taking over an address that was once a Snuffer's, the new space has vaulted ceilings, an open pizza kitchen, and a white marble bar. Colorful geometric wood tables designed by Sarah Reiss for R&R Design Works and custom steel-cut lighting fixtures add texture.

A 10-foot Clay Stinnett painting of the "Last Supper" featuring Star Wars characters, dresses up the best seat in the house: Reiss' 10-person purple velour banquette. The 4200-square-foot space also features a private area that's just the right size to host a business lunch, dinner, or happy hour.

"After a long delay due to permitting and construction, we are thrilled to finally unveil the new version of Zoli's to Dallas," says owner Jay Jerrier. "The delay gave us plenty of time to travel to the East and West Coasts to find inspiration for the new menu, and we really have the dough dialed in after working with Brian Spangler from Apizza Scholls in Portland, Oregon. The large space and kitchen gives us the flexibility to create and offer so many of the things that both Lee and I ate growing up in the Northeast."

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Pizza News

Donatos Pizza debuts in Texas with first opening in Frisco

Donatos

Donatos Pizza

An anticipated pizza chain is about to make its Dallas debut: Donatos Pizza, the franchise famous for spreading its toppings to the very edge of the crust, will open its first location in Texas at 8990 Coit Rd. in Frisco.

According to a release, it'll open on November 12.

Donatos is so into its method of distributing toppings all the way to the edge that they have registered a phrase: Edge to Edge® pizza.

Their menu features more than a dozen varieties of pizza such as veggie, four cheese, and pepperoni with hot honey. Their signature crust is a thin-crust but they also offer thicker alternatives as well as a cauliflower crust. Pizzas come in a 7-inch individual and go all the way up to a 14-inch large. Prices range from $15 to $25.

Fans appreciate their better-than-average ingredients and describe it as more flavorful compared to other corporate pizza chains, with a crisp thin crust and generous toppings.

In addition to pizza, Donatos' menu includes oven-baked wings, sub sandwiches, including meatball and Italian cold cuts, plus appetizers and salads.

“Opening a Donatos Pizza location in Texas is a dream come true for us. As lifelong fans of Donatos, we’re thrilled to bring this beloved Ohio-based brand to the Frisco community,” said Casey Dennis, co-owner of Donatos Pizza Frisco. “We can’t wait for everyone to experience great pizza and join us for some fun at the grand opening on November 12th.”

Bringing Donatos to Frisco are two three natives of Ohio, all with a connection to Donatos: Dr. Rico Singleton, Casey Dennis, and Cameron Hopkins — all eager to share their long-time love of Donatos in their new home in Texas. They also share a brotherhood through Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., which emphasizes initiatives like Bigger and Better Business, reflecting their entrepreneurial spirit.

Singleton is a native of Zanesville, Ohio, with a background in Information Technology who has lived in Texas for 8 years. Dennis is from Columbus, has a degree in pharmacy, is lifelong friends with Singleton, and has also lived here for eight years. Hopkins is also a native of Columbus, with a background in software engineering and real estate investing and has lived here five years.

They're also opening another location in the Dallas area in Flower Mound, coming later this year.

“Bringing Donatos Pizza to Texas marks a historic milestone as we begin this exciting journey to expand the brand throughout the DFW area,” says Donatos President and CEO Kevin King. “We look forward to becoming an integral part of the Frisco community through our promise to serve the best pizza and make your day a little better.”

Donatos Pizza was founded in 1963 when Ohio State sophomore Jim Grote bought a small pizza shop in Columbus, Ohio, where the company is headquartered. At one point, Donatos was bought out by McDonald’s in 1999. By 2003, Grote bought it back.

Ther are currently 470-plus locations in 28 states. That includes 175 stores plus nearly 300 non-traditional locations nationwide, including select Red Robin restaurants.

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