Try It: Pizza Di Paolo

When Breadico closed its retail storefront and restaurant in downtown Sioux Falls, it was depressing. Not only was it depressing because I didn’t eat there nearly as often as I should have (I only had one of Breadico’s beautiful sandwiches once and never tried the pasta… whyyy), but no one thought they would ever get to eat their pizza ever again. 

But wait! Owner David Napolitano must have felt the pure sadness in the air, because Pizza di Paolo opened on Minnesota Avenue in October. The family business is run by his parents, Dennis and Linda, and offers unique pizzas made fresh daily.

605’s multimedia designer Yany Avelar and I went on a brisk afternoon to warm up with some Italian wood-fired pizza. 

The bright, intimate space smelled of burning wood. I noticed a woman enjoying her meal in a winter cap, and I looked at Yany and asked, “I don’t know if it’s the smell or her winter attire, but this is giving me ski lodge vibes. Is that weird?” 

I would have gone into full apres ski mode if I didn’t have too much to do, because I noticed they serve beer (including local taps like Remedy Brewing Company) and wine. 

The branding was adorable, including custom signs hanging above each booth in retro Italian style. Also, someone was wearing a red Pizza di Paolo sweatshirt and I wanted to steal it.

What’s really cool is that the business is a grab-and-go eatery where you can get pizza by the slice or you can sit down and dine. Whoever did the layout and design did a great job because, while it’s very casual, you wouldn’t feel weird grabbing a glass of vino and having a date night there. 

PIZZA

› COSA NOSTRA
Mozzarella, gorgonzola, bel paese, and parmesan. 

› DONATO
Fig sauce, pistachios, taleggio, coppa, and arugula. 

› HEY GOOMBAH
Spinach, mushrooms, vodka sauce, and gorgonzola. 

› PEPINELLE
Potatoes, olive oil, garlic, onion fontina, parmesan, and oregano. 

› PRIMO CARNERA
Arrabiata sauce, sausage, finocchiona pepperoni, cherry peppers, and fontina.

› SUPREMO
Red sauce, green peppers, black olives, mushrooms, mozzarella, spinach, and sausage. 

DESSERT

› ICE CREAM
Vanilla, chocolate, and Spumoni.

› PROFITEROLE
Ice cream with cherry, cream puffs, and hot fudge.

First up were salads. 

Here’s the deal. I don’t mean this in a rude way, but sometimes at pizza places there’s what I call a bulls— salad. Essentially it’s iceberg lettuce, shredded cheese you could get out of a plastic bag, and ranch or Italian dressing out of a packet. 

These were not that. There was the Caesar with romaine, tomatoes, parmesan, and croutons. I don’t have confirmation, but I’m pretty sure the croutons were house made, which wouldn’t shock me coming from the people of Breadico. They were fresh and soft, yet with a crunch. 

Then there was the Italian. This had romaine, pepperoncini, olives, parmesan, and tomatoes. 

“When you get a bite of the tomato it almost tastes like marinara,” said Yany. 

I’m that person at Olive Garden that turns savage when it comes to the black olives. I’ll sidetrack someone with conversation and eat all two or three of the black olives that come in the salad bowl. I know, I suck. 

This salad had all of the black olives and was glorious. Also, both dressings were delicious. I would legit come in for the salad. What is wrong with me? Someone take my temperature.

Then the pizzas arrived. The Willie Pepperoni was a classic pizza with red sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni. 

“The pepperonis are big, which is awesome,” said Yany. 

We both made satisfied noises when we got to the crust. So good. 

Next was the Santa Lucia with onion, apple, pancetta, bel paese, pine nuts, arugula, and maple syrup. I’ve never seen an apple on a pizza in my life, and I appreciate new things. Also, I got scared and used a fork when I read “maple syrup.” I hate getting sticky.

This was an experience, and was a sweet dish. My favorite part was the pine nuts, giving it that extra texture. 

Last was the highlight for the table, the Vito Bruno. This had arrabiata sauce, burrata, spicy soppressata, and arugula. 

The spicy kick made it, and the dough for this pizza seemed thicker and was the winner in our hearts. 

“This crust is definitely thicker,” said Yany, taking a bite of more sourdough goodness.

BOTTOM LINE

I’m obsessed. The restaurant has several flavors available for “pizza by the slice,” or you can get a full pizza to stay or go. There are a lot of different flavors, and it would be a lot of fun to go with friends and order a couple to share. Also, I never knew what a Profiterole was (a cream puff with ice cream and hot fudge), and now I need to have one. 

2300 S. Minnesota Ave. Ste. B, Sioux Falls // (605) 271-3935 // Facebook