By Olivia Shumaker
Review Intern
Italian favorites have arrived in Lake Orion, in the form of Pizzeria Dolce at 325 Broadway Street.
The eatery came to Lake Orion by way of Clarkston, where owner Dan Nestorovski established the original Pizzeria Dolce about a year ago. Expanding to a second restaurant in Lake Orion was a simple choice because, according to Nestorovski, Pizza Dolce is a family oriented place.
‘We like to deal with families? Nestorovski said. ?(Lake Orion) is a family community just like Clarkston.?
Unlike other pizza chains in the area, Pizzeria Dolce is a dine-in/carry out eatery which also caters on a 24 hour notice. They offer gourmet-style pizzas, such as the smokehouse pizza (consisting of smoked prosciutto, roasted garlic cloves, mozzarella, smoked gouda and ricotta cheeses, finished off with fresh parsley) or the margarita pizza (made with marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella, plum tomatoes, and an olive oil drizzle topped with fresh basil.) All pizzas are ‘more New York style,? according to Nestorovski, which means the crust is thinner than most other pizzerias. There are a wider variety of toppings as well, which can include anything from zucchini to bell peppers or bacon to pineapple. Everything on the pizzas is handmade, from sauce to crust.
‘The highest, the greatest, the freshest,? Nestorovski said.
Aside from gourmet pizzas, Pizzeria Dolce also offers various Italian standbys, including Stromboli, calzones, grilled Panini’s and pasta. Calzone offerings vary from the garden fresco calzone (containing black olives, tomato, onions, green peppers, and mushrooms) to the simpler mozzaball calzone (containing meatballs, mozzarella cheese, and marinara sauce.) Panini lovers can enjoy sandwiches like Santa Fe chicken panini (offering chicken bacon, avocado, red onion, tomatoes, provolone cheese and chipotle spread) or the pesto bello (holding fresh pesto, roma tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, baby spinach, and provolone cheese.) For those who just enjoy a good plate of pasta, there are offerings like linguine aglio (consisting of fresh garlic and parsley linguine tossed in garlic olive oil) or for the less adventurous there are the ever reliable classic ravioli or spaghetti dishes.
In short, they have something for everyone.
Though Pizzeria Dolce is new to Lake Orion, owner Nestorovski is hardly new to pizza. He has worked in the business for fifteen years, working primarily as a franchiser for larger pizza companies.
‘It came to me in a business offer when I was 20,? Nestorovski said.
Now, he’s bringing a unique spin on pizza to the Lake Orion community, through the food offered by Pizzeria Dolce and the venue itself, styled in a contemporary fashion and occasionally offering live music.
‘We just try to make it fun for people,? Nestorovski said.
Pizzeria Dolce has been advertising mainly through social media, mail ads and word of mouth, but if you have not tried them out yet, visit them on their website, www.pizzeriadolce.com, or give them a call at their Lake Orion location at 248-814-7505.