domenica

fantastic pizza, go forhappyhour. while the dinner menu is a bit intimidating in terms of price, i have found great success having lunch orhappyhour at domenica. each time, i ordered an unusual and delightful pizza, which was more than enough food for one. the cocktails available forhappyhour are decent, even if they lean a bit towards over-sweet. location in the roosevelt is beautiful, of course. service was a little bonkers both times, but they were also exceptionally busy, so i can see how delays and mix-ups occur.

went with kids athappyhour -- 3-6pm -- on a saturday for half off pizza. place was full of people. great food. good service. definitely going back.

i tried domenica forhappyhour which meant half priced pizzas and select cocktails. i split the pizza with a friend (white clam for me and smoked pork for him). both were delicious. the crust is thin enough that the pizza doesn't feel heavy. i also ordered a bellini which was good. for entrees we split the maltagliati (braised beef) and squid ink tagliolini. both had great flavors. the maltagliati was hearty and rich. the squid ink was a bit lighter with a great mint twist that truly made the dish. the atmosphere is great and we had good service.

much improved.... they are finally really gettin' goin' in the kitchen at domenica. when it first opened, i wasn't overly impressed and probably wouldn't have given a like or a dislike.

but they have really improved a lot since they opened. thehappyhour really is one of the best deals in town. it is a little pricey at my price point for dinner. lunch is a much better option, in my opinion.

i would also note that most of the menu (pizza being a notable exception) is really inspired by northern italy rather than southern italy. i see some people on here saying "oh this isn't italian," well, this is not the place for southern italian red sauce dishes. if you want those, go to impastato's or somewhere like that....

impressed by alon shaya’s eponymous restaurant, enough to move the john besh protégée’s beard award winning italian concept from “maybe” to “must” during a trip to new orleans, it was obvious from the moment i walked in the doors that something was awry at domenica in the roosevelt hotel – the hostess seeming completely lost when a table was requested instead of a bar seat…odd considering the fact that the space was less than 10% filled.

greeted soon by a twenty-something server who seemed pleasant enough, water filled and recommendations made including somehappyhour specials, the decision was made to begin with a platter of housemade charcuterie, warm bread soon to arrive with a bottle of unnecessarily spicy olive oil.

with perhaps a dozen total patrons present at ten past four, one table clearly having a good time though not so much as to distract others overall enjoyment, it was with minutes creeping by that i sat wondering just how long it could take to slice three meats, the answer just short of half an hour which was clearly deemed inappropriate, apologies and “a bottle of water” suggested as an apology, neither of them necessary and truly an odd offer.

eventually getting to taste the goods, all three meats defiantly funky with the chunky blood sausage truly memorable alongside airy poofs of fried dough, it was out of the restaurant and down a long hallway that i was directed to the lavatory, returning only to find the table completely cleared despite leaving behind my camera and a souvenir from the saints game on the empty seat opposing – the server claiming he had “gone looking for me,” though seeming to imply that dining and dashing is what he had feared.

stating disappointment that the three remaining torta frita had beem removed, that generous bottle of the mountain valley spring water now arriving along with the manager who suggested that she would ‘take care of’ the charcuterie, dining progressed with a half-pricedhappyhour margherita that was decent, albeit undersauced while ribbons of tagliatelle were far more memorable amidst tender rabbit and mushroom ragu.

never offered more fried bread, at this point a non-issue as a dessert menu offered several intriguing choices, the decision between banana zuppa inglese and gianduja budino proved far too difficult, the banana cake-in-a-jar served like trifle amidst cream cheese mousse topped in peanut brittle while the thick pudding was similarly presented beneath a layer of whip, hazelnuts and toffee.

i was told they do a half price pizza duringhappyhour which would be a good choice. pizzas i was coming up looked rustic and tasty.

had a nice high end bourbon with proper ice cube, octopus carpaccio and a three selection meat and cheese board wth the most delectable bread pillows you could imagine.

also had a nice brewfist italian beer and ended with a relaxing shot of sambuca.

the highlight was the pate and the bread but it was all come back tomorrow good. i will and the wife will be with me.

service was also very good in the har area. have my eye on the squid ink pasta with blue crab next time in. pricey but worth every penny.

i came here as part of a 14-person bachelorette group. the wait staff was extremely kind and patient with us, and the food was amazing! the half-pricehappyhour was just an added bonus!! great place--highly recommended!!

definitely get the pizza. if you come forhappyhour (2-5 i believe) the pizza is half off. also the cauliflower head was huge and good. definitely a more than two people appetizer.

i must confess something...i'm a bit of a novice when it comes to fine dining. my family is middle-class and therefore i've never really been exposed to restaurant menus devoid of prices, multi-page wine lists, etc. so when i made reservations for domenica this past sunday, i didn't know what to expect. and for those of you who don't consider this true "fine dining", then excuse me while you resume polishing your monocle and adjusting your top hat.

domenica is located next door to the roosevelt hotel, just around the corner from the hustle and bustle of canal street. as soon as you walk through the glass doors you know you're in for a treat. the high ceilings and wide-open space is conducive for individuals who don't particularly prefer to be crammed together like sardines while dining out. the lengthy bar on the left-hand side of the restaurant is quite impressive and remained busy throughout our meal.

i made sure to capitalize on the 2-5happyhour deal which domenica offers (half-off on all pizzas and half-off on all alcoholic beverages) so we arrived shortly after 4 o'clock. we were immediately seated and realized that we were one of the few tables dining at that particular hour. this made for a particularly intimate and enjoyable meal, though i can't speak for how the restaurant compares during its peak hours.

we were immediately provided with an order of bread and a bottle of olive oil for dipping. the olive oil contained traces of what tasted like red pepper, but it might have had a touch more of an additional spice. the bread was fresh, fluffy, and the perfect way to start an italian meal. speaking of italian, my girlfriend, who studied in italy and minored in italian in college, could not stop complimenting the authenticity of the menu's arrangement (i.e. classification of dishes, separating wines based on region of origin, etc.). 

our server quickly attended to us and we put in a request for the roasted cauliflower which so many people seem to rave about. the cauliflower arrived shortly after and was quite a surprise for the both of us. we were served an entire head of cauliflower, rather than what i assumed would be a few pieces. if you are dining out with a large party then this dish is a perfect appetizer to rev up the metabolism. the cauliflower was adorned with sea salt and was accompanied by a plate of whipped feta. the feta was one of the richest-tasting things i have ever tasted. while i might not agree that this is an "essential new orleans dish" like some publications and websites have asserted, i will admit that john besh and his team managed to do more with the relatively unheralded cauliflower than just about anyone around.

the next dish was the squid tagliolini topped with blue crab and herbs. it was absolutely fantastic. the rich butter sauce can be a bit overpowering, especially if you have spent the entire day eating (guilty), but its richness is well-suited for any pasta lover.

finally, we ordered a half smoked pork and a half prosciutto pizza. the smoked pork half came with a white sauce while the prosciutto half was covered in a red sauce. both halves were very tasty and i can only imagine what my impression would have been if a) i had not eaten so much prior to the pizza's arrival and b) i had not already indulged in the rich whipped feta and tagliolini. the thin crust is as italian as it gets and the toppings are just subtle enough not to overpower your taste buds. my girlfriend was enamored with the prosciutto and i found the smoked pork to be quite tasty. 

throw in a glass of penot grigio and our bill came out to $56. considering how much food we had remaining and how full we were, i'd say the bill wasn't very steep at all.

the service throughout the entire meal was top notch. domenica really knows how to assemble a good crew. if you are in the cbd or on the edge of the french quarter, stop in if you have the time. there are plenty of drinks to choose from, affordable and delicious pizza options, and an upscale environment that is perfect for a special occasion. 

taste: 9.5/10

cost: 5/10; 9/10 (if you partake in thehappyhour and order a pizza)

dining area/decor: 10/10

customer service: 10/10

location: 7/10

we had domenica on our radar but were on the fence about coming here because we had so many other places to try.  our friend recommended only coming here forhappyhour (2pm-5pm) since all their pizzas are 50% off! we’re in! we ordered: margherita pizza – tomato, basil, fresh mozzarella tutto carne pizza – bacon, fennel sausage, salumi, prosciutto cutto all wines by the glass, beers and certain cocktails are also half-priced. pizzas are pretty big and with 50% off, they run about $6-8! we ordered two for the four of us and it was plenty!  awesome deal, right? the pizzas are tasty!  the crust could be a little crispier but still good.  we liked the marg but liked the fennel sausage even more! atmosphere:  beautiful, modern space.  high ceilings, dark accents with great light fixtures. service:  our waitress was great! extremely friendly and helpful! overall:   come here forhappyhour and eat a ton of pizza and drink a lot of bellinis!

"good" pizza... decent prices.. the only gripe i have is they recently changed theirhappyhour from 3pm-6pm... who goes to hh at 3pm?! oh, and really good mango bellinis. i'd stay away from the prosciutto pizza... it was rather dry.

great food. terrible service.. everyone should definitely try domenica. however, everyone should also be aware that service is definitely subpar. the hostesses are almost always snotty, whether you have a reservation or not, just slightly less so if you actually have one. "it's going to be twenty minutes" seems to be a mantra despite how many people are actually in restaurant. the last time i was there, literally no employee seemedhappyto be there. no one smiled, no one said hello. food was literally plopped on the table. our waiter took over 20 minutes to come to the table, then he only gave us water and walked away. i specifically ordered a pizza without bacon and when the pizza came out, there was bacon. the waiter never brought us bread and when we asked, a very sullen looking cook brought us a bag (?) of bread. we were also told would get salads for our wait and trouble. they never came out until we were nearly done with the pizza. that night was just a comedy of errors in terms of service. however, the food is amazing and the pizza is to die for, so definitely try it.

one reason why this restaurant succeeds is theirhappyhour special. they offer 1/2 prices pizzas and drinks for 2 hours each day, including weekends

after the saints season opener this past sunday, we went to domenica, john besh’s casual, contemporary restaurant in the roosevelt hotel.  this was my second visit to domenica and it surely won’t be my last.  on my first visit, my birthday dinner, we ordered the roasted cauliflower with whipped goat feta appetizer, and i got the squid ink tagliolini with blue crab as an entrée.  the cauliflower was amazing, so much so that i’ve tried recreating it at home a couple of times.  (that’s a post for another day.)   the squid ink pasta with crab was beautiful, an ethereal looking black pasta with contrasting chunks of white crab meat.  and it was every bit as yummy as it was pretty.  on sunday, we arrived during domenica’shappyhour, when pizzas and drinks are half price.  (a pizza costs $6.50 duringhappyhour, an incredible bargain.)  we ordered two pizzas, clam and garlic and pizza enzo, with anchovies, garlic, tomatoes and mortadella.   (we like garlic. a lot.)   i tried the enzo first. 

love it.. great place for a casual meal and drinks. not for people who want a quiet meal. service is very good and thehappyhour is a steal.