A Piece of the Pie
Brazilian-style pizza chain brings unlimited slices to first Austin location
What if we told you you never have to face that last-piece-of-pizza feeling again? At Dallas-born Delucca Gaucho Pizza & Wine, servers operate in a Brazilian rodízo style, bringing slices to anyone who waves them down. (And don’t rush to gatekeep “authentic” pizza; Brazil’s Italian consulate claims 11 percent of Italians outside of Italy.) This Dallas treasure is opening an outpost in Austin on Monday, July 25, in the space that used to belong to Provision Dining House.
Delucca has been open since 2018, now with locations in Southlake, Dallas, Forth Worth, Plano, and, starting today, Austin. Brazilian owners Vanderleia "Dede" Mallmann and Evandro Caregnato have worked to make sure Delucca pizza is made with “traditional Italian processes” even within the Brazilian steakhouse model (the dough is fermented for 36 hours), resulting in some interesting flavor combinations.
“We have always wanted to create a pizzeria that captures the essence of our Brazilian roots while incorporating a high-end and sexy experience," said Mallmann in a press release. "We are grateful for the success we have had within the DFW area and are ecstatic to bring the same experience to the Austin community."
On the five-course prix fixe menu ($24.50 per person, including non-pizza items such as house-made fior di latte mozzarella and Kobe beef meatballs), diners have 18 choices of pizza — served in small slices even though it would still be a herculean effort to try all of them in one sitting. A Mexican elote slice comes with crema and cilantro, and a Turkish lamb slice is topped with sumac onions. A more classic hot sopressata slice is sweetened with honey, and a small selection of dessert pizzas rounds out the bunch (see: the “Romeo and Juliet” with sweet mascarpone and Brazilian guava).
The restaurant also boasts a hefty wine list of all the usual-suspect provenances, plus a few from Argentina. Like the pizzas, the cocktail list spans several cultures while remaining relatively traditional (the Brazilian caipirinha, not uncommon to see at bars in Italy, and the more Canadian maple old fashioned). And again, like the pizzas, there’s always room for boozy desserts.
The 200-person dining room and patio is open from 4:30 pm to 9 pm Sundays through Thursdays, and until 10 pm Fridays and Saturdays, starting July 25, at 4200 W. Braker Ln., Ste. B. Delucca strongly recommends reservations, which can be made at delucca.com.
