Carcassonne Chapter: Le Dome Pizza

Don't let its size fool you--the pizza is big in taste

We all have our favorite purveyors here in Carcassonne--everyone knows Michel Rabat is the best butcher in town. M Bimas is the best place to find a lovely dessert or to get chocolates. Even the Le Fruitier proudly bears the sign Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Worker in France). I am happy to patronize all three establishments.

My favorite pizza place

I don't eat pizza often, maybe once every six or seven weeks. For my money, the best pizza comes from the Kiosque du Dome, conveniently located right around the corner. It is a tiny kiosk, like a child's playhouse, maybe 9 feet long and 9 feet wide . There is enough room for his oven, two counters, a glass front refrigerator that holds some sodas. There are no seats, and scarcely room for one customer to stand at the counter to place an order.

The young man who owns this turns out a consistently good pizza. And turn them out he does. Most of his clients have learned that to be assured of getting fed, they need to call in advance and let him know what time they would like to pick up their pizzas. It is a pretty efficient system that leads to minimal waste.

Taking Friday night orders

His crusts are cracker thin, just like I like them. I feel like I can splurge once in a while because it is so thin, and therefore not as carb-laden as some deep dish dough ball from some other establishment. He cooks the pizzas directly on the oven floor, which can sometimes lead to charring, which only adds to the flavor. One thing is certain--the crust has never been limp or soggy.

What a personable young man. He remembered me from my original stay here, two years ago. He remembers the kind of pizza what I want--mushrooms. He is unfailingly cheerful, even when he is pulling-his-hair-out busy. He is one of the hardest working young men I have ever met and I want for all the world to recognize his talent, his dedication to his craft and I want him to succeed.