Cafe Nostra

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Wednesday, 01 December 2004 00:00
Caf? Nostra Is A Hit
By Michael Anderson and Anthony Lowenberg
 
Welcome to what we hope will be a regular column in The Dicta, where we will review everything from restaurants to movies to law firms (just kidding… or are we?). We'll start with restaurants. This month we decided to review Caf? Nostra, which ranks in our expert, not-so-humble opinion as the best New York-style pizza place in Dallas. The d?cor isn’t exactly subtle, with pictures of gangsters, both real and fictional, covering the walls (there’s nothing like Tony “Scarface” Montana pointing a machine gun at you while you eat), and multiple TV’s playing mafia movies (on one visit, it was the classic The Untouchables, another time it was the less classic The Last Don). Caf? Nostra tries hard, almost too hard, to let customers know it’s an Italian joint through and through. But even if the d?cor was cinderblocks and metal chairs, we’d still eat there, it's that good. 
 

Starting with the pizza, their thin crust is perfectly even, just thin enough, crispy and a little charred on the bottom, which is a crucial element of good thin crust pizza. Caf? Nostra has a unique revolving industrial pizza oven that allows them to make their perfectly baked thin crusts. And the toppings are fresh; nothing tastes like it came from a can. The thin crust pizzas sizes range from the (not very) small 16” to the large 18”and is also sold by the slice, each large enough to fold over and eat while walking, just like you were on the streets of New York. For a minute, you may think you’re on Bleeker Street in the West Village, until, of course, you see a valet across the street parallel-parking an Excursion. But you don’t have to stop at thin crust pizza; they also have Sicilian style (which we haven’t tried but we’ve heard is good). But the best pizza on the menu is the simple tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella (sliced in thin circles). If you haven’t tried it, then you haven’t had real pizza.
 
If you’re not in the mood for pizza, the menu features plenty of other traditional Italian-American fare. The bruschetta appetizer, a fist-sized mound of a garlicky tomato mixture surrounded by small pieces of french bread toast is heavy on taste but light enough to leave you still hungry for the main event. The house salad is huge and topped with generous helpings of cheese, tomatoes and onions, and a tangy, tasty house vinaigrette dressing. Eggplant Parmesan, served with pasta and garlic knots, comes drowning in melted mozzarella and is better than your average version of the dish. But the best non-pizza items on the menu are the daily specials. We tried the ziti with sausage and chicken in a “pink sauce,” which tasted like a spicy mixture of marinara and cream sauces, and it was delicious. One thing’s for sure, none of the dishes will leave you hungry. Caf? Nostra also offers several dessert options, such as tiramisu and New York-style cheesecake, but we’ve never been able to save room. 
 
Conversations with Caf? Nostra’s owner/chef revealed that he trained at a pizzeria in New York, although he has sworn its identity to secrecy. Prices are generally reasonable and everything is a few dollars cheaper at lunchtime, but, on Wednesdays, they feature one of the best budget deals in town, when all entrees are $5.00. They also deliver as far as downtown (minimum order amounts may apply) for those nights when you’ve got a deadline or just spent too much time reading The Dicta. On a scale of five gavels, 5 being a unanimous verdict and 1 being dismissed for want of prosecution, we give Caf? Nostra a 4. So, the next time you’re in the mood for some classic New York-style pizza or a hefty Italian meal, Caf? Nostra will make you an offer you can’t refuse!
 
Michael Anderson is an associate at Bracewell & Patterson, L.L.P. and Anthony Lowenberg is an associate at Hermes Sargent Bates, L.L.P.
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