Dragon Pizza Breathes Fire Into Davis Square Tonight

A new pizza place with a promising slogan opens tonight in Somerville, taking over — at least for now — the former Cristo’s Pizzeria space. Dragon Pizza comes to 233 Elm St. from a dynamic duo: chefs Charlie Redd (formerly of Redd’s in Rozzie) and Keenan Langlois (formerly of Publico Street Bistro and the Sinclair), longtime friends who start slinging pizzas with “lots of firepower, very little direction” at 5 p.m. on Friday, September 7.

Early details of Dragon Pizza emerged in June, with indications that it would be a pop-up of sorts, focusing on pizza. Around the same time, Redd announced that he would close down his seven-year-old Roslindale restaurant, Redd’s in Rozzie, over the summer. He blamed proposed changes to the city’s liquor licenses, saying that they would have zeroed out his investment in his own license, valued around $350,000. The restaurant formally closed in mid-July, and since then, Redd has focused on moving into the Elm Street space to kickstart Dragon Pizza.

Potential pizza toppings including pepperoni, basil, and piles of greens, per a recipe testing photo on Langlois’ Instagram page. Plus, in June, Dragon Pizza participated in the city’s Taste of Somerville event, where it served pizza dough buns stuffed with sausage and topped with creamy sauce. A job posting for the restaurant suggests that Dragon Pizza may also serve ice cream and coffee in addition to pizza.

Dragon Pizza is open from 5 p.m. to midnight, starting tonight. Keep an eye on Instagram for updates.

• Redd’s in Rozzie to Close Next Month [EBOS]
• Dragon Pizza [IG]