Former Domino’s franchise owner serves quality pizza at Dolcinea in Virginia Beach
I’m smitten with Dolcinea, the pizzeria in KempsRiver Crossing shopping center in Virginia Beach.
I’ve visited on several occasions, three times in one week on my first rotation.
Yes, I cook, but I’m hooked on the quality of food and the friendly customer service.
Dolcinea is a quaint place that seats about 30. The rustic-looking tables give it an old-world charm. Wall-mounted televisions hang in the corners of the room —a new edition for football season. The counter sits nearby with staff taking to-go orders.
The restaurant has a simple menu that includes appetizers such as garlic bread and mozzarella sticks, and entrees including salads, pizza, pasta and sandwiches. It recently added wine and hopes to provide beer soon.
But it’s the freshness of the ingredients that draws me back: Tomatoes taste as if they were just plucked from the vine; the basil picked from the garden; and grains from a field to make flour.
Owners Ernie and Kim Warner opened in March. Ernie owned and operated a Domino’s for 22 years in Gloucester. He always wanted to have an independent business. When he sold the franchise, he had to start anew 50 miles away. No competing.
He does the cooking and Kim handles the front of the house. The pizzas are prepared with natural ingredients such as flour made without potassium bromate, a food additive that’s used to whiten and strengthen dough. (It could have harmful effects if consumed in excessive amounts, according to a journal article in “Heliyon.” Some pizza crusts contain flour that uses the chemical.)
I’m convinced the crust for the Dolce Pie that I had on my first visit was the spoke that put the wheels in motion for my return. A golden bottom, crispy edges and a sturdiness to withstand what I call “clean” tomato sauce – the kind that granny let simmer for hours not the canned ones that sometimes have a metallic taste. It was fantastic and dressed with crumbled sausage and pepperoni. I liked the thin strips of onion; they gave the pizza an extra layer of flavor. I picked the mushrooms off; I don’t eat them. The pizza came with a choice of ranch, banana peppers or pineapple relish. I got the banana peppers for a little tang but I didn’t need them.
“It feels good that people like the food,” Ernie said. They want us succeed. I appreciate that.”
The bruschetta was a great starter on one of my visits. The crusty bread was topped with generous amounts of bright red cherry tomatoes, chunks of fresh mozzarella and slices of black olives. They tumbled onto the table when I took big bites. I’ve added the Italian dish to my Meatless Monday lineup.
The meatball plate was hearty and shareable. I think there were six; I ate them fast. They sat in a yummy pool of red sauce with creamy ricotta cheese. The meatballs weren’t too dense which I liked. They, however, needed something to give them a wow factor, perhaps salt.
The French fries were another good option for an appetizer. They were cooked to perfection: crunchy and seasoned with a touch of salt and noticeable amount of pepper, which gave them a pleasant warming sensation. I found myself eating them like a hot bag of McDonald’s fries on the car ride home. I munched on the spuds one after the other, occasionally dipping them in the homemade ranch dressing that was light and luscious.
That’s amore.
Rekaya Gibson, rekaya.gibson@virginiamedia.com, 757-295-8809; on X, formerly Twitter, @gibsonrekaya
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If you go
Where: 1255 Fordham Drive, Virginia Beach
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon to 8 p.m. Sunday
Prices: $5 to $17
Details: 757-222-0081; dolcineapizzeria.com
