"Led by co-owner and master pizzaiolo Dino Santonicola, this Downtown restaurant is an AVPN-certified purveyor of authentic pizza Napoletana that emphasizes strict, traditional technique and ingredients. To meet the association's exacting standards it follows rules such as using Campania-sourced ingredients when possible, offering only the two true Neapolitan pies (marinara and Margherita), producing 35-centimeter personal pizzas with a soft, raised, slightly damp crust meant to be folded and eaten immediately, and adhering to precise specifications for flour, leavening, fermenting, tool choice and topping measurements. Though Napoletana is traditionally wood-fired, the historic building necessitates a gas oven and the restaurant documented this to retain certification. Beyond the pizzas, the menu features classic Italian dishes — from Parmesan-swathed meatballs to fettuccine alla Bolognese — and the original Downtown location gives diners prime views of the big oven and kitchen action, with a newer outpost in Richardson for wider access." - Courtney E. Smith