2149 Twin Springs Road • Decorah, Iowa • 563.382.4723 • Catering Service Available
About the restaurant

Welcome to the Dolcé Vita!

McCaffrey's Dolce Vita is a family owned restaurant located in scenic Twin Springs Valley just west of Decorah, Iowa. The restaurant is built on land that has been the McCaffrey family farm since 1961. Leonard and Gerda McCaffrey raised five children on this farm, had huge gardens, and everyone who came there was treated as family and friends.

Great food is a family tradition.
Our philosophy is to carry on that tradition. Everyone who walks through our doors is considered family and friends as well. That in mind, we strive to provide the ultimate dining experience, yet maintain a casual atmosphere. Come on in and enjoy our made from scratch appetizers, salads, sauces, entrees and desserts. Experience the taste of our wood fired pizza. Made with organic flour, the sourdough crust is thin, the sauces homemade, and the ingredients fresh and unique.

In 2006, Jim and Brenda went to Rome and Naples, Italy to study pizza. While sitting in a small café on the Via Veneto in Rome, inspiration overtook us. "We can do this...we have the land. We can build an oven, and most importantly, we can work once again for ourselves as a team." Joining that team when we returned were our adult children, Shanon, Fawn, and Conor. In the summer of 2006 we built a 5' by 7' foot wood fired oven with the help of family and friends. Over the winter and spring we designed a building, and by the fall of 2007 we had footings and a slab poured. Over Thanksgiving weekend we erected the first floor walls. Then it snowed and we shoveled for the rest of the winter. We ended up having to hire a crew to help us get finished. We opened on October 1st, 2008. Our next agenda is to begin baking artisan sourdough breads in our wood fired oven for restaurant use and retail sales. We invite you to come and walk through our doors and join the family tradition!

– Jim, Brenda, Shanon, Fawn, Conor, and the entire Dolce Vita Staff