Of which, more later. It's a compact size, handily tacked on to the rear of Crafty Devil's tap room, and the pizzas are made and cooked in their familiar wood-burning oven in front of you.
For me, there's a pleasing arc here, because we went to Dusty Knuckle's inaugural event in Pentyrch, set up outside a tiny pub, the pizzas brought in to diners. So to see them with a permanent home is exciting. The pizzas that night were damn fine: mine had the fiery thwack of 'nduja sausage and though they were still experimenting with their dough, I easily impressed enough to become intrigued as to where they would take this.
In classic Dusty Knuckle style the menu is small- small but honed by their popup experience, so effectively they are playing their greatest hits. And they have their own beer, too- a witbier called 'The Devil's Knuckle', with a hit of hops and lemongrass.
Their signature Blas y Môr, with laverbread and cockles, is superb. If Wales lacks a single internationally recognisable dish to represent its food culture, this could be it: to eat this is to be transported to a Cardiganshire beach. You can almost see the rock pools and the sun on your face, the sand between your toes, the ozone-rich air. It's a Welsh childhood conjured in food and fully deserving of its name- 'taste of the sea'. And yes, I wolfed it down too quickly to take a picture. You would, too: it's superb.
Local producers are championed, too. Charcutier Ltd (newly-crowned Best Producer winners in the BBC Food Awards) lardons feature among the Penclawdd cockles and samphire on the pizza above; but it's on another pizza that the quality of the meat shines.
A sausage, rough-torn, gives an unexpected fennelly (not a word..?) kick among the oozing cheese and the pillowy dough. And it's that dough that makes Dusty Knuckle pizza so memorable- thick and pillowy, but eminently soft and comforting, somehow. A far cry from the currently fashionable sourdough base, it's a lovely thing.
Local producers are championed, too. Charcutier Ltd (newly-crowned Best Producer winners in the BBC Food Awards) lardons feature among the Penclawdd cockles and samphire on the pizza above; but it's on another pizza that the quality of the meat shines.
A sausage, rough-torn, gives an unexpected fennelly (not a word..?) kick among the oozing cheese and the pillowy dough. And it's that dough that makes Dusty Knuckle pizza so memorable- thick and pillowy, but eminently soft and comforting, somehow. A far cry from the currently fashionable sourdough base, it's a lovely thing.
The desserts punch well above their weight. A pot of chocolate, shot through with rosemary is as rich and thick and decadent it should be something in line to the throne; a bergamot-scented pannacotta is all wobble and shimmy.
And to add yet another success story to the mix- they are serving ice cream from Gwynne's, a still-young enterprise from blogger 'Munchies and Munchkins' and her husband.
This has everything it needs to become an absolute gem of a place. Canton continues to impress.
You will find Dusty Knuckle at the rear of Crafty Devil, 5-10pm on Thursdays, 12-10pm Fridays and Saturdays and 12-9pm on Sunday.
www.dustyknucklepizza.co.uk
16 Llandaff Road
Canton
Cardiff
CF11 9NJ
You will find Dusty Knuckle at the rear of Crafty Devil, 5-10pm on Thursdays, 12-10pm Fridays and Saturdays and 12-9pm on Sunday.
www.dustyknucklepizza.co.uk
16 Llandaff Road
Canton
Cardiff
CF11 9NJ
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