I suggest the restaurant, though I’ve never been, and I’m surprised to find it does not conjure the upscale atmosphere of what I had imagined the sister to a Michelen-rated Italian-American restaurant would. Perhaps I’m just not familiar enough with Italian culture, but the long tables and corresponding lack of individual tables surprises me. The layout is atmosphere is pleasant though, and modern, with a view of the kitchen.
I’m out with other vegans, and one person is raving about the salad —a plain Caesar at that. I blaspheme myself, as usual, revealing that I am a vegan who does not like salad.
So perhaps I am not the most suitable judge of a salad, but it seemed average at best, with its primary fault being its price. The croutons seemed disproportionately large —satisfying (and surprisingly herbless) flavor, but uncombinable with anything else.
The pasta — “cacio e pepe” — is pretty good, but I perceive it to be a fairly straightforward white sauce with some acidity to conjure up the taste of cheese. At first I was surprised that someone ordered two. Upon seeing the portions, I was still somewhat surprised, but not by their actions. There was probably about ¼ lb dry weight of pasta per dish.
But, in fairness, Double Zero is a pizza place, and the pizzas are indeed good. I found the truffle pizza is better than the bianca. I was impressed by the cheese denoted by “cashew cream”, though maybe only as a result of it mixing with the lemon vinaigrette — the blend of acidity and salt and umami seems perfectly balanced, and I can’t imagine much better for taste. To my mild surprise, I also enjoy the kale, which is charred and fits with the overall dish.
I am less impressed by the bianca, maybe because the acidity of the pepperoncini overpowers the cheeses and the rapini is, of course, just bitter. I’m happy eating it, but I have the sense that I’m eating some nut butters with pickles on pizza. I have no idea what the “plant yolk” imparts besides a yellow color.
Upon making an effort to sample the cheeses individually, I find that the macadamia ricotta is good. I just wish it was highlighted more — I would happily take it in a cannoli. There’s an appropriate amount of grit and separation, likely owing to the macadamia nuts over the usual cashew, that I appreciate. The cashew mozzarella, by contrast, seems unexciting and run of the mill, with the sweetness and inherent flavor to cashew being the only thing on my mind. The parmesan, while also run of the mill, at least has appreciable flavor and a satisfying texture. The rice mozzarella is somewhat lost in the pizza, and since it seems more sauce-like, it’s hard to separate it from the stronger flavors to sample alone.
For dessert, we have tiramisu is served in a bowl, which is interesting, and it proves somewhat difficult to break off and eat with a spoon — definitely a harder sharing experience than anticipated, and I don’t have a strong sense of mascarpone or coffee — just a vague sense of mild flavored shortbread floating in cream with a hint of coconut.
I’m charmed by the water being local, informative, and on the table. The menu is less informative, though perhaps I have just lost any familiarity I had with Italian cuisine post-veganism. Service is satisfactory. While the Double Zero scores high for uniqueness and taste, the overall relation to price and value don’t encourage a second visit, especially since restaurants are plentiful in the area, including other all-vegan and vegetarian ones.
from the menu SUNFLOWER CAESAR. ROMAINE. WOOD-FIRED CROUTONS. ALMOND PARMESAN. CACIO E PEPE. PARMESAN. BLACK PEPPER CASHEW CREAM. TRUFFLE. CASHEW CREAM. WILD MUSHROOMS. TUSCAN KALE. LEMON VINAIGRETTE. BIANCA. MACADAMIA RICOTTA. CASHEW MOZZARELLA. PARMESAN. RICE MOZZARELLA. PEPPERONCINI. RAPINI. PLANT YOLK. TIRAMISU.