Wood-fired pizzas at Doppio Zero are prepared following the rigorous standards for authentic Neapolitan-style pies.
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Another Italian restaurant? The question has to be asked, as downtown Walnut Creek is home to more than its fair share. There are family favorites (Melo’s Italian Table, Tomatina), old-school classics (Montecatini Ristorante and Bar, Massimo Ristorante), and hidden gems (Montesacro, Benvenuti Ristorante) among the dozen-plus options—without even getting to the big dog in town, Original Joe’s. Does it really need another? Perhaps not need, but once you visit the newest option, Doppio Zero, there’s a good chance that you’ll want to return. Because the food and drinks are great, and together with the lively atmosphere, Doppio Zero brings a welcome jolt of energy to a stretch of North Main Street that, just a year ago, was littered with vacancies and in danger of being left behind amid the broader downtown revival.
This marks the sixth location of Doppio Zero, a small Bay Area chain of casually upscale restaurants from native Italian partners Angelo Sannino and Gianni Chiloiro. The pair opened their first eatery 12 years ago in Mountain View and have since expanded throughout the Bay Area, including including a location in Concord’s Veranda shopping center and another opening soon in Livermore.
In Walnut Creek, Doppio Zero is taking over hallowed grounds that housed Prima for 40-plus years before acclaimed chef Nora Haron took over the site in 2023. The space ultimately proved too big and expensive for her contemporary California-Indonesian-Singaporean concept SanDai, which shuttered last year. Haron cited high rent and low weekday foot traffic as reasons for the closure, but the latter wasn’t an issue during our midweek dinner visit. The street was buzzing with activity thanks to Doppio Zero and a host of other recent openings that include Ruby Lou’s Boujee Bites and Games, Mensho Ramen, and even the popular new ice cream shop, Milky Flakes.
The menu includes red and white pizzas.
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Doppio is the biggest of the bunch, occupying a deceptively large space that would be tricky for even the most seasoned restaurateur. Fortunately, Sannino and Chiloiro are up to the task, giving it a smart contemporary makeover with a lovely marble-lined central bar breaking the interior into a back dining area by the open kitchen and an airy front section with windowed doors that open onto the street, plus a private side dining room.
One of the first things you’ll likely notice upon entering is the large wood-fired pizza oven in the back. Doppio Zero takes its pizza seriously. The restaurant’s name comes from the ultra-fine grade 00 flour milled in Italy that’s the gold standard for Neapolitan-style pies. In fact, there’s a laundry list of rules governing ingredients, preparation, and cooking methods for a pie to be officially deemed authentic Neapolitan pizza in the eyes of culinary authorities.
Doppio Zero checks all those boxes, and the first bite of pizza reveals why. Fired at high heat, the dough has a char-flecked crispy base and a springy, flavorful chew that will leave you polishing off every last piece of crust.
We tried the margarita dappled with delish San Marzano tomato sauce and melted pools of fior di latte mozzarella, a classic combo that passed with flying colors, particularly with the addition of briny anchovies. We also loved the Diavoletta, another red pie featuring cupped slices of soppressata that add a spicy-smoky punch balanced (a bit) by a sprinkle of fresh arugula. Dig in as soon as it hits the table. When done right, Neapolitan pizza is an ephemeral marvel that degrades with each passing second out of the oven.
House-made pasta offers a taste of Southern Italy.
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You can get away with just a pizza or two, but the kitchen has much more to offer. The starters deliver a greatest-hits collection of Italian favorites, executed with skill and enough twists to keep things interesting.
Fried cauliflower is a terrific vegetarian option. Delicately battered florets have an uncommonly light texture punched up by an addictively spicy Calabrian chili aioli. Even better is the polpo. A meaty, smoky seared octopus anchors the dish, complemented by candy-sweet confit cherry tomatoes, a garbanzo bean puree, and baby arugula flavored by a tangy anchovy vinaigrette. A simple little gem salad with marinated anchovies and anchovy-avocado dressing was our least favorite, perhaps because it mimicked a Caesar without achieving the same comfort appeal (plus, the croutons were too hard).
Doppio Zero also makes its own pasta, a section worth exploring. We thoroughly enjoyed the fettuccine oxtail, which delivers an indulgent meat sauce braised for 24 hours in Chianti that’s worth the $25 by itself, even if the pasta came off as a tad thick and gummy. Other house-made offerings include squid ink tagliolini with scallops and clams; gnocchi potato dumplings with eggplant, cherry tomato sauce, and Stracciatella cheese; and ravioli filled with wild mushrooms and ricotta.
Artfully presented craft cocktails match the Walnut Creek restaurant’s cheerful vibe.
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A compact entrée list offers grilled rib eye bistecca, roasted half chicken, and several seafood options. We chose the branzino, and it was the star of the meal. The moist sea bass fillet is served skin-side up, perfectly crisped on a thin blanket of braised chard, fava bean puree, and small balls of fregola pasta. The multiple layers and flavors meld into an invitingly satisfying bite that doesn’t overpower the flavorful fish.
Make sure to try the cocktails. The house list leans light and tropical. The Bourbon Tower, for example, combines passion fruit, lime juice, and hibiscus into an elixir akin to an adult juice box, perfectly matching the restaurant’s fun, breezy atmosphere. Service is attentive and personable, contributing to a spirited mood inside and out even on an early Wednesday evening.
So, yes, Doppio Zero is technically another Italian restaurant in a city full of them. It also seems to be just what that section of downtown needs. doppiozerogroup.com.
Dining and Cooking