Dolce Vita Italian Bistro Pizzeria in Anderson, SC

Basic Information:

Pizza: Dolce Vita Italian Bistro Pizzeria

Number of Locations: 1

Location Reviewed: 3823 SR 81 in Anderson, SC (2 miles south of I-85 exit 27)

Website: https://www.dolcevitasc.com/

Date of Review Visit: October 2018

What I Ordered: Three Little Pigs Pizza (14” pepperoni, sausage, and bacon pizza); Dr. Pepper to drink

Price: $18.73 (includes drink and tax but not tip)

Photo:

Summary Review: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: The crust at Dolce Vita has medium thickness, but what really steals the show is the crust’s texture.  It is thin and crispy underneath, while it is crispy on the outside but chewy on the inside around the edges.  The pizza looks underbaked due to the white sauce described in the next criterion, but in fact my pizza was baked to perfection.  Score: 10/10.

Sauce: Dolce Vita uses an odd white garlic sauce rather than the usual red tomato-based sauce.  The sauce did not taste the least bit garlicy, which for me is a plus: I do not like the taste of garlic.  The flavor was zesty for the most part, but occasionally I got a bite that was too spicy for my taste palette, probably due to spices in the sauce.  Score: 8/10.

Cheese: This pizza’s tasty cheddar and mozzarella blend appears in great quantity but does not produce much grease.  What’s not to like?  Score: 10/10.

Toppings: All toppings have a fresh taste, but none of them are even slightly spicy.  The sausage even had a little pink in it.  The bacon was not too crispy or salty, which is rare.  Score: 9/10.

Overall Taste: The overall taste is quite different due to the sauce but also quite good.  The occasional over-spicing in the sauce is all that holds this score back.  Score: 9.5/10.

Pizza Appearance: The pizza has a very white appearance due to the white sauce and the large amount of cheese.

Dining Atmosphere: The dining atmosphere has a touch of upscale class: real metal silverware and Italian music playing through the speakers.  Alcoholic beverages are a main feature on the menu, so the dining room might get loud later in the evening.

Customer Service: Note that Dolce Vita is only open 4-10pm on most days.  The service was a little slow to refill my Dr. Pepper but fairly attentive overall.

Monetary Value: The quality is excellent, but it is expensive even for a 14” pizza.  They only make one size of pizza (14”), so bring a friend or be prepared for leftovers.

The Final Judgment:

Anderson just got a nice new entry in the upscale pizza space.  I may not come here weekly due to the price, but Dolce Vita is an excellent if slightly different choice for those special pizza occasions.  Score: 89/100.