Ristorante Pizzeria Doria in Orsago, Italy, offers a different approach to lunch in Italy. (Jason Duhr/Stars and Stripes)
Ristorante Pizzeria Doria in Orsago, Italy, offers a different approach to lunch in Italy. (Jason Duhr/Stars and Stripes)
Modern decor and a spacious seating area fill the interior of Ristorante Pizzeria Doria in Orsago, Italy. (Jason Duhr/Stars and Stripes)
Ristorante Pizzeria Doria's children's play area, although small, will appeal to parents. (Jason Duhr/Stars and Stripes)
Modern decor and a spacious seating area offer a pleasant dining atmosphere at Ristorante Pizzeria Doria in Orsago, Italy. (Jason Duhr/Stars and Stripes)
The bar inside Ristorante Pizzeria Doria in Orsago, Italy, where you can order a pizza, get a drink or enjoy a quick sandwich. (Jason Duhr/Stars and Stripes)
Bowls of fresh fruit are among the offerings at Ristorante Pizzeria Doria in Orsago, Italy. (Jason Duhr/Stars and Stripes)
Bowls of freshly made salads fill shelves at the self-serve area at Ristorante Pizzeria Doria in Orsago, Italy. (Jason Duhr/Stars and Stripes)
Take your pick from among a variety of drinks at the Ristorante Pizzeria Doria in Orsago, Italy. (Jason Duhr/Stars and Stripes)
A "diavola pizza," shown topped with spicy salami and mozzarella, is accompanied by a "quattro formaggi" pizza topped with a light covering of tomato sauce, mozzarella, blue cheese, brie, an Italian soft cheese and oregano. The pizzas made for a filling lunch for two at Ristorante Pizzeria Doria in Orsago, Italy. (Jason Duhr/Stars and Stripes)
Freshly made salads don't sit long on the shelves at Ristorante Pizzeria Doria in Orsago, Italy. (Jason Duhr/Stars and Stripes)
Plates of thinly cut prosciutto accompany a plate of sliced mozzarella on a bed of tomato slices at Ristorante Pizzeria Doria in Orsago, Italy. (Jason Duhr/Stars and Stripes)
Not far from the well-traveled paths around Aviano Air Base is a restaurant offering a pleasant twist on lunches usually found at trattorias and osterias that seem to be around every corner.
Ristorante Pizzeria Doria sits less than 30 minutes’ drive from the air base off Highway SS-13, nestled against the Doria factory in Orsago.
If you’ve ventured beyond the commissary and shopped at any local grocery stores, then you’ve surely seen Doria’s products: salty snacks and sweet shortbread delights. The delicious smells from the factory hit you as soon as you step out of the car and into the parking lot. Your mouth will be watering by the time you enter the restaurant.
Working through a slight language barrier, I discovered that getting your food and enjoying it was a simple process.
With an ample number of seats to choose from, deciding where I wanted to sit was easier than deciding what I wanted to eat.
Doria offers 30 kinds of pizza, allowing you to enjoy tastes ranging from diavola, a spicy salami-and-tomato pizza covered in rich mozzarella cheese, to a quattro formaggi pizza, which has enough cheese on it to please any cheese lover.
Order pizza at the bar, but for all other food, just grab a tray and head for the self-serve area or choose from the grilled items listed in the Italian-only menus, which vary every day.
Various salads can be found on an island in the self-serve area, along with plates of sliced mozzarella on a bed of tomato slices and plates of thinly shaved prosciutto. Large bowls of salad cost 7 euros, and the smaller bowls are 3 euros. You’ll find bowls of fruit and perfectly cut watermelon on the island, too.
Doria offers a combo deal that includes the first and second course with a side for 12.50 euros. The options change daily. While I was there, the choices included eggplant parmigiana, linguine with zucchini and shrimp, and pasta with tomato sauce or meat sauce.
The menu wasn’t long, but there were enough selections to satisfy many different tastes. A liter of water is included in the price of the combo.
The prices ranged from 3 euros for baked zucchini to 8 euros for a cuttlefish salad if you choose to buy items separately.
Drink selections are numerous, from coffee, tea and water, to juice, soda and beer. Fill your tray with as much as you think you’ll drink while you’re there. If you return for seconds, you’ll have to pay again.
After seeing all the food choices and eating my pizza, dessert didn’t even cross my mind. But to make things a little easier, the restaurant shares the building with a small grocery shop, which stocks mainly sweets, some of them made by the Doria company. It’s easy to grab a few treats on the go for when that sweet tooth comes into play after your food has settled.
Ristorante Pizzeria DoriaLocation: Via Pontebbana 34 A, 31010 Orsago, Treviso.
