Cane Rosso

Cane Rosso serves as a sort of hybrid Vera Pizza Napoletana shop, offering pies ranging from impeccably classic to spicy Texan-friendly riffs that pile on more toppings than the style usually warrants. Sometimes — as with a spicy dealer’s choice che cazzo consisting of hot soppressata, Calabrian chiles, sausage, mushrooms and sambal — the effect is bright and evocative, each additional player supporting and augmenting both the one before and the one after. Of course, if you’re looking for a more elemental thrill, Cane Rosso can definitely provide it. Try the bianca, cacio e pepe in pizza form. With its base of buttery cheese and fine bloom of floral black pepper, it’s a finely tuned delivery system for a very pure kind of pleasure. Similarly, the milky sweetness of house mozzarella plays perfectly against a sprightly tomato sauce with just a kiss of basil in the well-heeled margherita. All pies come atop a delightfully chewy crust, offering just the right tension of tug and snap. The mid-rise crowns come speckled with an array of oven-kissed shades, erupting in the occasional char-burst bubble along the perimeter. The dough itself has a well-developed flavor with a delightfully surprising edge of salt. There are a few worthy appetizers — the burrata is all creamy richness with a slick of olive oil and prick of salt and pepper to wake things up — and a surprisingly user-friendly cocktail list focused on dressed-up and mature versions of crowd-pleasing classics like the Lemon Drop and the Bellini. As a general rule, steer clear of pies that sound overwrought, and don’t bother with dessert.