We had one last opportunity to eat something interesting before leaving Oakland and entering the sucking culinary void that is Interstate 5 between the Bay Area and Los Angeles. It was Monday, so options were somewhat limited, but were still excited to visit Dopo, an Italian restaurant from chef-owner Jon Smulewitz that’s built a strong reputation since opening in 2003.

The sister restaurant to nearby Adesso doubled in size over the years, to keep pace with increased demand. The space features mustard colored walls. high ceilings, wood tables and plenty of fresh flowers. Hearing Billie Holliday over the speakers further contributed to a relaxing lunch.

Escarole and Potato Soup ($8) was a good starter, involving a hearty bowl with a tomato based broth, a pork meat upgrade, shaved Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.

We kept things simple with the pizza, order the signature Dopo ($12), which featured tomato sauce and molten mozzarella. Fresh parsley, oregano and salty Parmesan shavings added depth of flavor and chile flakes contributed lingering heat. They cooked the pizza in gas deck oven, and the crust was a little limp in the middle, with crisp, chewy edges, solid but not dynamic.

Lasagnette alla Bolognese ($16) was an especially good slab, featuring a cazuela that cradled crispy sheets of pasta, browned, sharp bubbly cheese and rich, hearty layers of bechamel and a coarse mixture of ground pork and beef.

Dopo means “later” and is slang for “See you later” in Italian. It’s almost like Jon Smulewitz expects diners to return. Though there’s better pizza in the Bay Area and even in Oakland, he still should.