When I first heard about Dolce Vita and its selling point — offering Italian, Chinese and Jamaican food in the same restaurant — I was confused. How would those three even go together? I just had to go and see what it was all about.

Dolce Vita is in an easily accessible spot for students. It sits right near Syracuse Stage, a stop on the Connective Corridor bus line. After getting off the bus, all that’s required is crossing the street.

The storefront is painted olive green, and has a nicely framed mahogany door. Small awnings bear the restaurant’s name and titles “bar and kitchen” and “world bistro.” Given its placement next to slightly less attractive restaurant Franco’s Pizzeria and Deli, it’s evident the restaurant has been renovated to increase curb appeal, and I commend these efforts. It really does look nice.

The inside looks even nicer. Half of the floor space is dedicated to the bar, and the other half to restaurant tables. The bar area was nice and open, and had a dark and elegant feel that definitely would attract a more mature crowd — not college students. It feels like the more laid-back, less posh, younger sister of Phoebe’s Restaurant and Coffee Lounge just across the street.

I was most impressed by the ceiling, which was decorated with ornamented black tiles and LED Christmas lights. There was a stage in the corner, which Dolce Vita uses to host performers, especially for its Jazz Nights on Wednesdays featuring local musicians. The walls are painted red and are decorated with an eclectic selection of art, perhaps as eclectic as the menu itself.

Dolce Vita heavily advertises its world menu. Put together, these three types of food are really odd combinations, especially since there is little to no commonality in the spices typically used in preparing these cuisines.

Looking at the menu in person, I found this to be somewhat true. The appetizer selection offered some traditional favorites, like chicken wings, crab cakes and sliders. I admit that I was expecting fewer of these distinctly American dishes. However, there were also options for gyoza, the Japanese version of a Chinese pot sticker; calamari, Italian fried squid; and Artisan pizza. The pizza comes in several varieties including margarita, barbecue chicken and for the ultimate combination, Cajun.

Dolce Vita also served a varied selection of burgers, salads and sandwiches as well as a pesto dish. Again, it’s not entirely what I was expecting. So in order to truly experience Dolce Vita’s specialty, I ordered the gyoza, Cajun pizza and a side of the Cajun seasoned fries.

The gyoza bore a striking resemblance to Chinese pan fried dumplings that grace the take-out orders of Americans everywhere. However, the dough was much lighter, it was fried much crispier and the filling was less dense than the typical dumpling. I prefer the gyoza style of dumplings, but let’s be real, all dumplings are delicious.

I also really enjoyed the pizza. The crust was so light and crispy — it almost broke to bits in your hands. Usually, crusts that are too crispy end up having the consistency of cardboard, but the fact that this crust was so thin really made the difference.

The pizza was decorated in a creamy and spicy Cajun sauce. It hit my sinuses right away, but not too hard. Since it was on the hotter side of medium, the sauce was just spicy enough for me, though it’s definitely not a taste for everyone. There were also cheese and small chicken bits scattered on top, which paired well with the spicy sauce.

However, the pizza itself was difficult to eat simply because it was messy. As happens with thin-crust pizza, the toppings slid right off the slice. It didn’t help that the pie was fresh out of the oven. But it was still delicious, even when I had to eat some of it off my plate with a fork.

Finally, the Cajun fries were spiced well — definitely not a hot spicy — but enough to give them the slightest kick that traditionally-cooked fries lack. I was a fan, though I did encounter one or two that tasted a little over-cooked.

Published on April 10, 2016 at 7:31 pm

Contact: cmrussel@syr.edu | @caseymrussell