When Food Network Magazine named the Pizzaletta from Cascio’s Market Bistro in Bossier City the “Best Pizza in Louisiana,” I immediately put it on my list of must-try local restaurant specialties. However, on a recent trip to Cascio’s, I couldn’t spot the Pizzaletta on their menu board and ordered the traditional muffuletta ($8.29) instead. As it turns out, you’ve got to know to ask for the Pizzaletta, but if you find yourself stuck with the muffuletta, you’re still in good hands. The Cascio’s muffuletta is prepared on Focaccia bread so thin it’s almost crispy. Ham, Genoa salami, provolone cheese, and house-made olive mix are layered between two slices of the thin, airy bread. The end result almost seems healthy compared to some oilier, more indulgent muffulettas. Oh, and it tastes great.
I picked up a slice of the Pizzaletta to go for a friend, and it looked like a whole different ball of wax – or cheese, rather. All of the makings of a muffuletta are stuffed between Focaccia slices and covered in cheese. While I didn’t end up getting to taste it, it certainly looks like it could earn the title of “Best Pizza in Louisiana.” The Pizzaletta is $5.95 a slice, and at $35 per whole pie, it has the distinction of being the most expensive of the 50 pizza pies highlighted in Food Network Magazine’s “50 States, 50 Pizzas” article.
Cascio’s dessert case looks amazing, offering up beautiful treats like these chocolate cakes. Their cooler is stocked with deli items like Boar’s Head deli meats, fresh cheeses, and house-made sausage.
One more element of Cascio’s that deserves to be acknowledged is the outstanding service. My friendly server knew the menu extremely well and was able to rattle off top-of-mind comparisons of items, make suggestions, and recommended things to try on future visits. But I’m pretty certain I know what I’ll be having on my next stop by Cascio’s: I’ve got to rendezvous with a Pizzaletta.
