Chef Marco Wiles of Da Marco is taking pizza to new heights at his Dolce Vita Pizzeria & Enoteca (500 Westheimer, 713-520-8222) with authentic ingredients and a no-compromise approach. His Taleggio pizza ($14) is “bianca” because it has no tomato sauce. The Taleggio cheese, from the Lombardy region in northern Italy, has a pronounced flavor created by immersing its rind in brine. It melts over the thin, handmade crust, and slices of pear counteract it with their sweetness; a lattice of bitter arugula covers the top, hiding everything from view. But it’s the final ingredient, truffle oil, drizzled on top of everything, that gives the pizza a jolt into the gastronomic stratosphere.
This article appears in Jan 25-31, 2007.