Dalsegno Pizza, Sapporo

Many years ago, wandering around downtown Sapporo, I was looking for some comfortable, inviting places for a meal. It was on one such afternoon that I came across Dalsegno, and discovered one of the best pizzas in Sapporo.

I am from California. In the United States, I have had a lot of pizza, and usually in one of two “styles;” In America, we get a lot of pizza delivered to our homes (think Domino’s Pizza, etc), which is good, or we stop in for “a slice” while we are out in the city (often after having a few drinks). When I think of pizza, that is what is what I am expecting. But in Sapporo, most pizza is what I would call “fancy” pizza.

What is fancy pizza? That is my own term, but by that I generally mean a more “light weight” pizza, with narrow range of ingredients, and a very thin crust. This “restaurant pizza,” the kind most Japanese eat with a knife and a fork.

So Dalsegno does “fancy pizza,” but does it very well.

The pizza at Dalsegno tastes good, and the experience of being here, is part of why this makes the list of best Sapporo pizza places.

Did we mention they cook the pizza in a giant wood-fired oven? Because they do.

And if you can get a seat at the counter, you can watch as the pizzas are pushed toward the flame, turned (to get the hear just right bin each section of the crust), and then pulled out and cut before they are served.

And to be perfectly honest, it is the crust on this pizza that makes it a winner. If I sound like I like the box-pizza and NY slice, it is because I do. And we have thin crust pizza in the US, but to to keep it real, that isn’t my favorite kind. And while Dalsegno doesn’t do Chicago style pizza or pan crust (which I love), the wood fired crust on their “fancy pizza” is a great alternative.

Tonight, as I write this review, I had the salami pizza with the red sauce (their menu is split between red sauce and other types of pizza). That pizza is 1600yen. I had a beer also, and tht total came to XXX. In the US I would never eat a whole pizza to myself, but with a thin, light, fancy pizza, that is easy enough to do. Tonight, yes, I ate the whole thing.

Dalsegno is a good spot for a good meal, and has a surprisingly real “Italian” vibe, which makes it a little special and good place for a date as well. I confess… I have taken a few dates here, and always a good time.