It started innocently enough, we met on Twitter. (Isn’t that how all great relationships begin in 2017?)
http://www.versalette.com?rfsn=727961.a39aa9&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=influencers&utm_campaign=727961.a39aa9
I was a sitting duck and they had me pegged, they had checked me out and started using my weaknesses against me and I was weak indeed.
I had never heard of this Associazione but given our shared interest in Making Pizza Great Again, I wanted to dig deeper. #MPGA
I hit the interwebs and you wont believe this ish.
There is a legit board of food geniuses from Naples that (basically) come into a pizza place and “Certify” your food and establishment as straight up Neapolitan… or not.
Restaurants pay thousands of dollars to have these Saints Among Men train their chefs and cooks. The Associazione insists that only the finest ingredients and methods be used. They insist on only the finest flour imported straight from Italy.
They decide if your pizza is officially poppin’ and they had certified Cavalli. I’ve never had CERTIFIED pizza before… have YOU?
While my health was on a bit of an upswing and I was hungry as all get out, I still hadn’t left the house in a while. I’ll be real with y’all, I hadn’t washed my hair in days. DAYS!
And do you have any idea how long it takes to get from DeSoto to McKinney on a Friday night? 34 hours by car.
But then they hit me with this…
I washed my hair and Jonathan and I made the four- day voyage by ship to McKinney.
6851 Virginia Parkway
McKinney, TX 75071
Marcus was our server and he couldn’t have been kinder or more knowledgeable. He gave us a quick re-education of what I had already read online and suggested we start with their house Sangria. I got the white and Jonathan got the red. I’m not a liquor fan but the Sangria just tasted like a bomb punch so I really enjoyed it.
When critiquing an Italian spot for the first time, I consider three basic categories:
- Fried Cheese
- Salad
- Pizza
The entire 7 hour plane ride from DeSoto to McKinney I was dreaming about what Cavalli’s fried cheese might be like. I hadn’t had any in a while and the last place I’d had my favorite Italian appetizer was a few months back at a certain lackluster chain known for it’s garden of olives. I was dying from the anticipation. I had no idea Cavalli was going to literally going flip my universe upside down and ruin the appetizer for me in every other restaurant, forever.
Cavalli’s fried cheese is that good.
All the worlds Fried Cheese aspires to be the fried cheese from Cavalli.
It is not greasy nor is it over fried. It is crisp perfection on the outside and gooey, cheesy heaven on the inside. Cheesy heaven I might add, that is made in house, fresh daily.
I typically use fried cheese as more of a ranch dressing delivery service but I didn’t even bother Marcus for the dressing.
It would have been an insult. Best Fried Cheese In Dallas.
My usual salad litmus test is the Caesar but following the suggestion of my new bestie Marcus, I went for the Cavalli Salad. Jonathan had the House.
They make their own dressing in house (naturally). Served with a rosemary garlic breadstick, both salads were fresh and delish. I love a balsamic vinaigrette man. Cavalli’s dressing is really bright and full of flavor, we both loved it.
We also couldn’t resist the Jalapeno Artichoke Dip.
The dip was amazing, it was very spicy, at least to me, I’m kind of a lightweight when it comes to heat. But it was so creamy and cheesey, served with this amazing toasted bread that tasted like it was dripping in olive oil, omgaah.
That bread y’all.
I brought our leftovers home and served the dip cold on crackers and the heat seemed easier to deal with. It was delicious.
Now let us discuss the pizza… First watch the following video and try not to drool on your nice clean clothes.
In their 900 degree brick oven Cavalli Makes Pizza Great Again every single day Folks, that I can tell you.
We ordered the Margherita. Cavalli’s sauce is made with the most delicious tomatoes you’ve ever tasted. They are San Marzano’s, named for the region were the little beauties are grown in Italy.
I can’t stand sweet sauce in Italian food, it totally ruins the dish IMO. All I want to taste is tomatoes. Seriously, this was one of the best if not the best Margherita pizza ever made. And it was all mine. (Ok, half mine.)
Our homage video to this pizza.
You see that cheese melt? Is that to die for??
The answer is YES. Yes it is.
The establishment is lovely, the staff was professional but friendly. The food was amazing and well worth the prices on the menu. Most of all, the meal was well worth the trip from South Dallas. So much so, that I can’t wait to go back.
I will hold the memory of this visit to Cavalli deep in my heart all the years of my life.
*whispers… “I’ll never love another…”
Obligatory disclaimer-
Did I eat some free food? Yes.
Are the above opinions genuinely my own? Yes.
Do I sell my soul in print for free cheese sticks? No.
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