The second entry in my series on Food Trucks in Fort Worth.

You don’t have to fly to Italy or cruise around the streets of Napoli on a Vespa if you seek an authentic Neapolitan style pizza. Heck, you don’t even have to drive down I-30 to Dallas. Just get yourself to Il Cane Rosso on Thursday nights in Fort Worth, Vespa optional.

Il Cane Rosso makes their pizzas not in a food truck but in an oven imported from Italy that’s mounted onto a custom trailer. It’s not just the oven that makes this pizza authentic Neapolitan style pizza, it’s also the quality of the ingredients. The dough contains special “double zero” flour along with sea salt, water, and yeast. The simplest of ingredients yields the tastiest of returns with a slightly crispy, thin crust that delivers a satisfying bite.

Take that first bite and you will also taste the quality of the toppings. Now, quality doesn’t come cheap so don’t expect dollar slices here. You may be eating from a food trailer but that doesn’t mean they have skimped on ingredients. We’re a long way from Domino’s when words like “hand crushed San Marzano tomatoes” and “hand pulled, made in house mozzarella” describe the ingredients. That’s what makes the pizza authentic and worth the price. Expect to pay $12-15 per pizza.

Food nerds will really enjoy watching the pizzas being made from start to finish. I had a little moment of childish excitement as I watched pizza dough being stretched and given a toss into the air. Once the toppings go on and the pie goes into the blazing hot oven it does not take long for the pizzas to be ready.

You’ll find this gem of a pizza trailer in Fort Worth on Thursday nights at Times Ten Cellars. Naturally a little vino should accompany your pizza – we went with a Malbec. A glass of wine will cost around $8, with some bottles starting at $18. If you’d like your pizza alfresco, I’d sit on the lovely side patio overlooking Foch Street. Otherwise enjoy your pizza in the elegant dining area or conversation niches at Times Ten.

We were overwhelmed by Il Cane Rosso’s many pizza choices, so we ended up letting the chef decide by choosing the special pizza of the evening. The combination of sausage, sopresatta, red onion, and basil held up nicely on the wood fired crust. Spicy toppings, silky mozzarella, and a firm crust – love at first bite!

Il Cane Rosso saves you the airfare to Italy by bringing you the most authentic Italian Pizza you’ll find in Fort Worth. Beyond all the details that make this an authentic Neapolitan style pizza the proof is in the bite – and there’s greatness in each one.

Il Cane Rosso Mobile Oven (only on Thursdays)
in front of Times Ten Cellars 5PM – 8:30PM or until the dough runs out
110 Foch Street
Fort Worth

Follow them on Twitter for updates: @canerosso
Facebook: facebook.com/ilcanerosso
Also check out their new Deep Ellum restaurant at 2612 Commerce Street, Dallas.

The Vibe
Finally, a place for uppercrust Fort Worth Westsiders to gather other than the Rivercrest Country Club.  Just kidding, Winslow’s Wine Cafe serves folks from both sides of the bricks.  And judging from the constant crowds I think a few people from nowhere near “the bricks” have discovered Winslow’s as well.  The smoothly contemporary wine bar serves wine and wine friendly food in an old converted gas station.

Everyone from blinged out, fur-vested ladies to jeans-wearing guys watching ESPN populate the bar area.  Small sofas make up a “loungy” area if you’re looking to get cozy.  If you like your vino al fresco, Winslow’s has a primo patio that’s making me yearn for spring.  Heaters extend the patio season, but on my last visit in 40 degree weather the heaters were not working their magic.  Our hostess managed to move us to a spot by the wood burning oven in the dining area, ahh that’s more like it.  The dining area has banquette seating and small tables that remind me of a modern European bistro.

The Food (And Wine)
On our first visit to Winslow’s, the knowledgeable waitstaff expertly steered us towards a a glass of Gougenheim Tempranillo ($8) and a Campo Viejo Tempranillo ($13-yeouch).  Winslow’s has a few $7 glasses, but all of us cheap wine aficionados would appreciate a few more added to the list.

On another visit my husband and I ordered bruschetta ($8) to start our dinner.  Though the bread was nicely grilled and crunchy, the toppings were slightly under seasoned and didn’t deliver the crisp zing of freshness I was looking for.  They were topped with a tomato-red onion mixture, white beans, or tapenade.  Perhaps I had visions of myself as a blinged out, fur-vested lady when I decided on the decadent and priciest dish on the menu, The Lobster Ravioli ($19).  My husband ordered the House Gnocchi ($14).

My Lobster Ravioli arrived swimming in a lovely sauce that I worried might be too heavy.  After one bite, I found that the fennel infused sauce had just the right amount of richness without being too heavy.  The homemade pasta lightly ensconced the succulent lobster filling.  I savored the strands of lobster that I found in my sauce, but a few more would have been welcome.  Overall I was happy with the dish and sopped up every last bit of sauce.

The gnocchi came out looking picture perfect and the butternut squash beurre blanc sauce didn’t drown the gnocchi.  The texture of the gnocchi could have been lighter but the flavorful sauce with crispy pancetta balances out any issues I might have had with the gnocchi itself.  The raw sage that topped the dish would have been great if it had been given a little flash fry in some butter (I love the combination of crispy fried sage with pasta).

We were with friends and they ordered the Spinach and Chevre Pizza ($18).  I was too into my Lobster Ravioli dish to notice that my friends were quickly devouring their Pizza.  It must have been good because it disappeared before I could think to ask for a bite.  I will take their word that it was good.  Also a note to anyone who dines with me, “Save me a bite!”, please.

On the recommendation of the waiter we ordered a bottle of Syrah from the Anglim Winery, Paso Robles ($44).  The medium bodied wine was like Richard Simmons reading Nietzsche – deep but fruity.  It complemented our pasta dishes nicely.

The dishes plus the wine made our total add up, but it was worth it.  When we go back I think we could order 2 salads ($8/each) and a 14 inch wood fired pizza ($14-22) along with a cheaper bottle of wine and wind up with less sticker shock while still enjoying a great meal.

The Service
At these prices I expect a higher level of service.  On our first visit we were perfunctorily handed a wine list.  The dinner service didn’t fare much better when our waiter forget my friend’s Lobster Ravioli order, but to be fair they were quickly able to get the order out when we reminded them.  In general the waiters seemed to buzz around frenziedly. What’s the hub bub, is somebody more important than me here? (oh wait that’s the fur vested lady in me talking)  However, when the waiters do stop to pay attention to you they give excellent recommendations on the wine.

Overall 
Winslow’s offers a lovely alternative to hanging out in a bar and drinking watered down mixed drinks or the throat stripping wines that are usually served in “bars” (hello, Corbett Canyon I’m talking about you).  If you’re looking for a spot to stop by and have a glass of wine or to gather with friends Winslow’s is the place, it’s even first date worthy.  The outdoor patio seems perfect for enjoying warm summer nights as well as crisp fall evenings. The dishes are creative yet without pretension while also being delicious.

Eat This
Yes! 3 out of 5 wine glass clinking panthers. Cin Cin!

I Eat This
Lobster Ravioli

Hours
5PM – 10PM Monday through Thursday
5PM – 11PM Friday and Saturday
* They offer a Happy Hour on Monday, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 5-7PM where wine and food are discounted
Closed Sunday

Winslow’s Wine Cafe
4109 Camp Bowie
Fort Worth, TX
817.546.6843

Check out Campania Pizza if you happen to be shopping in Southlake this weekend.  Campania Pizza is offering Brunch Friday through Sunday which sounds like a great way to begin your shopping excursions.  Opening at 10AM Campania will serve up fritattas that are finished off in the wood burning oven. Of course, their pizza options should also not be missed.

According to the SideDish blog, Campania recently received certification from the Associazone Verace Pizza Napoletana.  Only the second in Texas to be certified (the other one is Cavalli Pizza in Irving) and 26th in the US.  Campania has adhered to the strict rules set forth by the association that ensure you are getting a true Neopalitan pizza.  That means that Campania’s saves us the airfare to Italy if we want to get our hands on a real Italian pizza pie.

These rules require that pizzas be cooked in a wood burning oven.  Only fresh all natural non-processed ingredients are acceptable.  These ingredients include San Marzano plum tomatoes all natural fior-di-latte or bufala mozzarella, fresh basil, salt and yeast.  I believe that simple, fresh, and well-sourced ingredients always make any dish outstanding and really how can you go wrong with the buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil.

Campania Pizza and More
291 Grand Avenue
Southlake, TX 76092
(817) 310-3116

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