Dove Vivi

NE Glisan and NE 27th Ave

Bordering hip NE 28th Ave on the busy Glisan St intersection is a small restaurant called Dove Vivi.  Walking in with a small child, I immediately felt as though I had brought the bull to the China shop.

The dim candles glowing on the table offered illumination to the soft glow lighting.  The restaurant boasts some features found at Portland's most elegant late night destinations.  Polished cement floors, wooden tables, and duct work hanging from the wood ceiling seems to populate most Portland area  dining experiences and they were all present here.

However I was able to spot a few high chairs in the back so bringing a little boy was obviously not a social crime at this place.

 I was intrigued at Dove Vivi's signature crust.  At most [izza restaurants, apart from the standard whole wheat crust cooked in the pizza oven, you might be fortunate enough to land a place with a wood-fired brick oven which slightly chars the crust to perfection.

However at Dove Vivi they make a deep dish cornmeal crust which I wondered if the consistency would elevate it's status to unique, or be a short lived fad which would not be special enough to keep the doors open and the restaurant space from becoming another mediocre Thai restaurant.

We were able to order half a pizzas, slices, and whole pizzas.  They ask for no substitutions but their menu boasts quite a variety and there are specials.  There is a vegan selection, several meat pies, and pesto sauces.  A few salads and some dessert make this dining experience perfect for either a date or a nice place to take someone celebrating some grand life milestone.

I respected Dove Vivi's boldness to try a new style of crust and center their entire menu around it.  My one and only caution with cornmeal is if a chunk of hard cornmeal lands just right when I bite, it feels like a just bit into a rock.  This can happen with muffins or the cornmeal used on pizza stones, I just feel sensitive to it.

That aside, all I can say is wow.  The staff were great, takeout is an option, and the pizza was amazing.  We will be coming back and by the looks of filled tables, others agreed with us.