Pizzeria and bakery needs to up its dough game

Casa Bakery Pizzeria uses some tasty cheese, but a very bland crust will make you head inside the bakery sooner than you think.

When it comes to late-night food rendezvous, there aren’t many options except for breakfast diners and some fast food joints. A 24-hour pizzeria and bakery on 8th Street waited to hopefully change my mind about eating after 10 p.m.

For a Friday night, Casa Bakery Pizzeria was very empty. I guess the club heads weren’t done dancing, or weren’t hungry yet, because the waiter sure was happy to see some life. The place looked pretty, with a tad bit of tacky thrown in, like a slightly over-the-top quinceañera salon.

Garlic bread seemed about right for a starter at a pizza place. Six came with just too many dry seasonings that disguised the taste of garlic. The bread just fell flat. It tasted kind of stale, almost as if the baker had forgotten to use some salt in the dough. Better could be done at home with canned Pillsbury dough and fresh garlic and butter.

I’m used to cheese soups with an abundance of cheese that leave the broth tasting like a rich Alfredo sauce.  That is not the case here. This cheese soup was perfectly creamy, with just the right amount of oozy, gooey cheese. This was the first glimpse of the cheese magic going on at Casa Bakery Pizzeria.

Waiting to try the tempting chorizo pizza, I kept looking to the right in the direction of all the desserts lined up in the lonely bakery. It was such a shame that none of those treats were being enjoyed by anyone. I had to get a closer look and taste soon.

Cheese soup is like macaroni and cheese, without the macaroni.

The pizza came with that tasty cheese again. The chorizo was nice and crispy, imitating the look and feel of the classic pepperoni pizza. But to my utmost disappointment, the crust beneath tasted like it was comprised of the same doubtful dough used for the garlic bread. The crust was so bad it left no sort of want for a next bite. Thankfully, that cheese was there to save the night.

Finally, it was time for dessert. A waitress led us to the bakery where she turned the light on and I was able to get that closer glimpse I was yearning for. Everything looked so enticing. Maybe if these beauties were playing a more prominent role at this establishment, people would be lined up for them. People can’t get enough of Cuban desserts. For assurance just visit the Versailles bakery, or head to La Palma for churros and giant elephant ear-sized guava empanadas.  Instead of serving up dull pizza at night, Casa Bakery Pizzeria should highlight the first part of its name more.

It was very hard to choose just one, but dulce de leche eclairs were screaming “try us,” so I went with two. That dark, lip-smacking caramel-like milk inside a flaky chocolate eclair made me walk out of there pretty happy about finding a new dessert spot. To try some of your favorite bakery essentials head to Casa Bakery Pizzeria on 8100 SW 8 Street. Open anytime, jut ask for the sweet stuff!

Eclairs, and cheesecakes and buñuelos, oh my!