Founder and owner Jay Jerrier first began Cane Rosso as a mobile pizza catering company in Dallas in 2009. After receiving positive feedback and requests for more locations, Jerrier decided to open the first store in 2011 in Dallas. Seven years later the company has grown to open eight locations, including in the Austin area in 2016.
“We were looking for a while in Austin, and it’s a very sensitive area,” Jerrier said. “The last thing I wanted to do was open next to a beloved Austin pizza staple. We looked around the South Austin area and found this location. I fell in love with the space instantly, and we put a few personal touches on it to make it more Austin-like.”
Executive Chef Josh Healy said he wanted to keep true to Austin when he was creating the menu. Neapolitan-style pizzas call for mozzarella that is made and pulled in-house and housemade marinara, but the toppings are inspired by Austin.
“Every store has base pizzas, but we try to run specialty pizzas at each location,” Healy said. “Austin is the taco capital of the U.S., so we have a street taco pizza and a breakfast taco pizza.”
Healy said the eatery often collaborates with other local restaurants, which plays out on the menu as well. The local menu includes the Valentina Pizza, which includes Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ brisket.
A new menu, which will launch this summer, is being revamped to include more Austin-friendly options, including more appetizers, pasta choices and an improved vegetarian pizza. The store’s partnership with Cow Tipping Creamery, an ice cream parlor, will also show up on the new menu.
Cane Rosso also strives to give back to the community. In 2014 Jerrier formed the Cane Rosso Rescue, which has since rehabilitated, trained and adopted out 20 dogs. The pizzeria also hosts fundraising nights for local rescues.
“We’re lucky enough to be a reasonably busy, popular restaurant,” Jerrier said. “Our philosophy is that if we’re in a position to give back then we want to find a way to share that wealth.”
Can you taste the difference?
Neapolitan-style pizza originates from Naples, Italy. The recipe is strict and calls for specific ingredients: "OO" Flour, salt, water, and yeast. The softer, moisturized dough is meant to be folded in half or eaten with a fork and knife. Neapolitan-style pizzas also call for mozzarella that is made and pulled in-house and San Marzano tomato marinara.
The namesake
Cane Rosso, meaning “red dog” in Italian, was named after owner Jay Jerrier’s red-haired vizsla, Zoli. Jerrier said he loves dogs and has eight of his own. He said his love for pets influenced a lot of the names of the pizzas on the menu and is a main philosophy behind the business and the founding of the Cane Rosso Rescue.
Cane Rosso
4715 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. 103, Sunset Valley
512-904-0534 • www.canerosso.com
Hours: Mon. 5-10 p.m.; Tue.-Thu. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 5-10 p.m.; Fri. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 5-11 p.m.; Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
