Dopo

Been a while since you've last heard from me. Summary of my life in 12 seconds: work has been reeeally busy, I *almost* lost my jacket last night, and Ngoc and I hosted an uber succeful poker night last Friday. Now that all that is out of the way...

Yesterday evening (a Tuesday, no less!), Ngoc and I not-so-randomly decided to venture out to Dopo in Piedmont. I say "not-so-randomly" because earlier in the evening I had discovered that I had left my jacket in the Ironworks spin room on Monday night, and, defeated and discouraged that I'd never see it again, decided I needed some comfort food.

Dopo, in case you've never heard of it, is Italian for "Awesome". Off-continent-only wine list, along with good firsts, seconds (pasta exclusively), and Neopolitan style pizza.

Ngoc and I rang up a bill that included (1) their Pork Trotter Terrine, thinly sliced pork pate that had been pickled for a few weeks and borderline dredged in straight olive oil, (2) Monterey Bay Squid stuffed with artichoke puree and served atop watercress drizzled with fabulously delicious aioli, (3) their Pancetta Pie w/ black olives, and finally (4) a dessert double-feature consisting of Espresso Panna Cotta and almond Cannoli.

I think Ngoc and I had a slight difference of opinions on the Terrine, suffice it to say that we're thankful it came first and not mid-meal. The Squid hit perfect scores for us both, combining creamy, savory, and bitter flavors quite well, not to mention cooked to perfection. The pie, well, we liked the pie. It was one of our only options w/ some sort of animal-based topping, which is really a necessity for us. Lets just say that Pizzaiolo edges Dopo out in this category ever so slightly. I could have wished for a slightly chewier and sweeter crust. The desserts did nothing less than firmly convince us that Italians know what the fuck they're doing when it comes to sweets. Oh that Cannoli!!!