DaLous is a small restaurant with a tiny patio area for extra seating. They need that extra space cause this place is packed and people that will wait for tables. Chef Dale Hanson specializes in pizza from a wood fired oven but they also offer one baked pasta dish each night in addition to a featured pizza combination. They have a number of delicious salads to go with the food and house made gelato and other sweets made by his partner Lois Stensvad. A la the name Dalou’s was born. There is a small wine list and beer available but they do not have a liquor license. A mustard and red color theme is carried out in the menus, table napkins and wall paint. Service is friendly and helpful and the atmosphere is pretty casual with bare wood tables. Music plays in the background but the hum of the crowded room is the main source of noise.
We started with Kasseri Flambé which was a tangy Greek style cheese served with a pizza puff. It is doused with liquor and lit on fire before it hits the table. It is tasty stringy hot cheese on absolutely the best hot doughy bread you’ve ever put in your mouth.
The Blue Apple salad was with baby greens, onion, Gorgonzola, maple balsamic vinaigrette, Granny Smith apples and smoked almonds. The large was plenty enough to split for 2 or even 3, so they also offer a small size. It was fresh, perfectly dressed and a delicious combination of flavors and textures. The cheese had plenty of flavor and the apples were crisp thin slices. A winner.
A special pizza that night was with Thai peanut sauce, roasted garlic, roasted cauliflower, broccoli, onion, bell pepper, pineapple, mozzarella and and sunflower seed sprouts. It was a great combination of flavors on the terrific pizza crust. The crust has a nice puffy edge with a good chew and a center that can hold up to multiple toppings.
The Margherita Pizza was with tomato sauce, fresh basil, fresh Mozzarella and olive oil. It had the same great crust topped with quality ingredients. The flavors melded into a wonderful version of a classic combination. Always on the menu, this is another winner.
The baked pasta that night was gnocchi with tomato sauce, chorizo, basil, onion, fennel, Mozzarella and Parmesan. It was fine but the pizza was the star here. It’s nice to have a choice but if you haven’t been you must get one of the pizzas.
For dessert we had the fig and honey gelato. It was full of bits of sweet fig in a creamy lovely textured gelato.
The espresso creme brûlée was creamy with a strong essence of coffee with a perfectly caramelized top. Another delicious choice to end a very fine meal.
