John Besh is a food god in New Orleans. Although he has several restaurants to his name, he has proven with each one that he can master any type of food even though he is best known for his Cajun and southern food. Clay and I have been poring over Besh’s new cook book, My New Orleans, but alas, we still can’t afford to spend $24 for shaved truffles or heirloom tomatoes for some of the recipes. So, we were perhaps overly excited when we heard that Besh had recently opened an Italian restaurant within our poor college student price range.

New Orleans has a strong Italian heritage and there are many good Italian restaurants, but I think Domenica may be the best Italian place in the city. The pizzas are true Italian style- with crispy paper thin crusts, a flavorful tomato sauce, and light on the cheese. We had the Calabrese Pizza- spicy salami, mozzarella, capers and olives- and it was one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had. However, the pizza selection was quite exotic and I would probably go to The Slice or The Boot if I wanted a plain cheese or pepperoni pizza.

They also have an extensive wine list that is divided up by the region of Italy where the wines were made, and included maps highlighting each region in Italy. The Spinach and ricotta gnocchi was heavenly, like little green clouds in a nutty brown butter sauce perfectly complemented by the sliced almonds. Dessert was a rich chocolate pudding with candied hazelnuts that reminded us of Christmas dessert.

The menu features pastas, pizzas, salumi and cheese plates, as well as some unique appetizers and desserts. The lunch menu features Panini’s which are replaced by a wider selection of pasta dishes for dinner. Each entrée and appetizer comes in either a small or large plate which allows flexibility in tasting options.

Service was prompt and we were even surprised that our food made it to the table so quickly. Our waiter was extremely knowledgeable and truly enthusiastic about the quality of the food.

Although Domenica is inside the ritzy Roosevelt Hotel, the atmosphere is casual and there were quite a few Saints Jerseys at nearby tables- we went for lunch before a Saints game one Sunday. The décor is very modern and intimate but also good for groups from what we saw.

I was slightly skeptical about a chef known for Cajun food could have great Italian food but I was happily proven wrong. We would definitely return to Domenica when we want high quality and unique Italian food rather than the typical pizza and pasta fare around New Orleans.