Review: DOCG Pizza, Cosmopolitan Hotel, Las Vegas NV

I would never choose Las Vegas as a destination. See it once, that is all you need. However, with a conference there in October, I thought I'd get out to try Dom DiMarco's, the Las Vegas pizzeria manned by the son of Brooklyn's legendary Dom DiMarco, who hand-crafts every pie at DiFara in Midwood. No such luck; the opening has been delayed several times and it was not yet ready during my visit, so I turned to the interwebs to see what Vegas pies held promise.

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Las Vegas is like Disney World in many ways. You mean full of sweaty ill-dressed people in frequently sweltering weather? Nah. Although Disney reaches out to your wholesome side and Vegas touches your naughty side, what they really have in common is that they are totally fake. They can be pretty good imitations (each even has an Eiffel Tower), but nothing is genuine. And though they seem to cater to crowds who value quantity over quality, both supply some reliably well-executed food choices.

France, Disney, or Vegas?

My research pointed me to D.O.C.G., a restaurant within the Cosmopolitan Hotel, just a few doors down from the smoke-filled rat hole where I was staying (Caesar's Palace). Exiting Caesar's en route to the Cosmo, a group of us scurried past the wheezing gamblers at the slot machines. Inside the Cosmo, a totally different world. Here, instead of fake grandeur of ancient times, was fake elegance. But a damn good fake! Big open spaces, tasteful (for Vegas) decor, and no requirement to wander through the smoky haze of the gambling floor in order to reach your destination.

DOCG Exterior

D.O.C.G. was pretty on the outside and inside. Nothing remarkable, but a comfortable space. We ordered some appetizers with guidance from the helpful staff. Figs and prosciutto were excellent, as was the salumi plate, and the others we chose. We were a group of seven and most of us ordered pizza of varying types.

DOCG interior

All the pizzas were Neapolitan style. That is, a puffy white crust, chewy but not crispy, but with lovely char spots on the cornicione and the underside. Neapolitan pies are frequently (and distressingly) wet in the center, but after the first bite, these were easy to pick up and eat. The cheese and sauce were both tasty and melded nicely to the crust. Very satisfying.

The lovely underside of the crust

I ate the prosciutto and arugula pie

It's great to see so many places, even outside NYC, executing a Neapolitan pie properly. I've had so many good ones that these did not stand out (thinking about Motorino, Forcella, and Osteria in comparison) but this was fine fare. Dare I say it, authentic. Even in Vegas!

The Margherita

The bar at DOCG

Ambiance at DOCG and the Cosmo in general gets a 9. Service was superb - a 10. The crust earns an 8.25 and so does the topping. Same for the appetizers. Overall. DOCG earns a 9 and that is way better than I expected to find in this plastic town.

Happy pizza chompers