Dallas | Italian

[C-Man 27262]

9 hours ago, DDD Dad said:

Was there last Monday for my birthday dinner. Pro tip, if you go in Resy you can set up a notification for a cancellation at a better hour on the night you want a table. 
 

our reservation originally was at 5:45. The night before I got an email around 8 pm that a 7 pm table opened up. Snatched it immediately. 

Lucia or Via Triozzi?

[DDD Dad 14351]

1 hour ago, C-Man said:

Lucia or Via Triozzi?

VT

[C-Man 27262]

4 hours ago, DDD Dad said:

VT

Thanks -- just went in to check on that and was able to bump up to 7:30 that evening. Perfect.

[C-Man 27262]

Via Triozzi tonight! I haz excite!

[C-Man 27262]

It was pretty good. The two starters we got (arancini and the whipped ricotta with grilled zucchini) were outstanding, my wife loved the salad (I enjoyed it but the dressing wasn’t my favorite) and she got the butternut squash ravioli in sage butter sauce. That was excellent. I was not overly happy with my bolognese tagliatelle. The server talked me out of the special that was clams with linguine in a butter sauce. Wish I’d gotten the special. The almond flour cake dessert was good as well. I did have two of the best Negronis that I’ve ever had anywhere. Fun spot. I’d like to go back with another couple to try more stuff.

Edited January 11 by C-Man

[DDD Dad 14351]

On 1/10/2024 at 11:27 PM, C-Man said:

It was pretty good. The two starters we got (arancini and the whipped ricotta with grilled zucchini) were outstanding, my wife loved the salad (I enjoyed it but the dressing wasn’t my favorite) and she got the butternut squash ravioli in sage butter sauce. That was excellent. I was not overly happy with my bolognese tagliatelle. The server talked me out of the special that was clams with linguine in a butter sauce. Wish I’d gotten the special. The almond flour cake dessert was good as well. I did have two of the best Negronis that I’ve ever had anywhere. Fun spot. I’d like to go back with another couple to try more stuff.

This was kind of my take on it.  Pretty good.  It's not Lucia, but represented a much better value than, say, Carbone (which is ridiculous and absolutely not worth the $).  I'd go back, and enjoyed the meal, but wasn't overwhelmed.  

[Texzilla58 4744]

It was pretty good. The two starters we got (arancini and the whipped ricotta with grilled zucchini) were outstanding, my wife loved the salad (I enjoyed it but the dressing wasn’t my favorite) and she got the butternut squash ravioli in sage butter sauce. That was excellent. I was not overly happy with my bolognese tagliatelle. The server talked me out of the special that was clams with linguine in a butter sauce. Wish I’d gotten the special. The almond flour cake dessert was good as well. I did have two of the best Negronis that I’ve ever had anywhere. Fun spot. I’d like to go back with another couple to try more stuff.

I really hate servers that have terrible recommendations. Most likely the waiter hates clams and has never eaten it.

[C-Man 27262]

14 hours ago, Texzilla58 said:

I really hate servers that have terrible recommendations. Most likely the waiter hates clams and has never eaten it.

Her reasoning made no sense. She said it was going to become a regular menu item in the next week or two so I should pick a regular dish that isn't going to be replaced? Confusing.

[HRSchenker 2274]

Wife saw some restaurant on TikTok called Casa Pollastro and wanted to give it a shot. Went there this Saturday and all I can say is fuck TikTok, fuck Keith Lee, and fuck getting any recommendations from that app. This place is billed as a Brazilian restaurant but they serve Italian food. It was the most underwhelming restaurant I've ever been to and at $35 a person you'd think there would be a dish worth ordering over and over and over again like you can do at Fogo. Nope. It was dogshit.

[C-Man 27262]

On 2/19/2024 at 11:46 AM, HRSchenker said:

Wife saw some restaurant on TikTok called Casa Pollastro and wanted to give it a shot. Went there this Saturday and all I can say is fuck TikTok, fuck Keith Lee, and fuck getting any recommendations from that app. This place is billed as a Brazilian restaurant but they serve Italian food. It was the most underwhelming restaurant I've ever been to and at $35 a person you'd think there would be a dish worth ordering over and over and over again like you can do at Fogo. Nope. It was dogshit.

I didn't know who Keith Lee was until a couple of weeks ago. Then I found out he's a MMA/UFC fighter of some sort who does food reviews now. I appreciate the hustle but why would I listen to anything this cat says about food?

[royiv 9359]

4 hours ago, C-Man said:

I didn't know who Keith Lee was until a couple of weeks ago. Then I found out he's a MMA/UFC fighter of some sort who does food reviews now. I appreciate the hustle but why would I listen to anything this cat says about food?

He was in Houston a month or two ago and I hadn’t heard of him until then. He seems like a nice enough guy with a message of supporting local businesses, but his actual reviews have almost zero substance.

[threesheets 1674]

I believe that's the spot on the Tollway that's been like 15 different restaurant over the years.

[Lidig8r 1874]

Gents, we went to La Stella Cucina Verace last night.

it is across the street from the Myerson on Flora in the Arts District.

Everything about the experience was incredible. Solo live music performer who understands she is background music. Smallish restaurant. Great atmosphere.

As we were talking with the waitress, the GM came over introduced himself. Engaged him in about a 10 minute conversation. He went into who the owner is, how the owner goes to Italy at least 3 times a year to take in different restaurants, how the owner took the managerial staff to other Italian restaurants in North Texas to continue to get ideas.

The food? Delicious.

We started with wha they call, PB&J. It is prosciutto di parma, with burrata and a fig jam. Great flavor that came together.

The entree we had was Agnolotti Pizzicati... a gnocchi filled with ossobuco, and a sage butter, veal reduction sauce.  Damn near perfection.

 Complimentary house made Limoncello.

Dessert was a Bundino Americano ... warm, white chocolate bread pudding with vanilla gelato.

Prices aren't too bad.

Exceptional food and service!

[Firemans4Horn 18123]

Leigh Hutchison, the owner/chef at Via Triozzi, was on the Chopped: Tuscan episode tonight. 

[C-Man 27262]

18 hours ago, Firemans4Horn said:

Leigh Hutchison, the owner/chef at Via Triozzi, was on the Chopped: Tuscan episode tonight. 

Ha, I haven't watched Chopped in forever but had it on last night and that was the episode. Wish I'd paid closer attention.

[C-Man 27262]

Went with a few friends to Miss Pasta in Richardson tonight. Bit of a haul for us. I have to say we were very impressed. A new fast casual offering from the chef who gave us Mille Lire, which you might remember some of the ownership were killed in a plane crash back in 2019. At any rate, pasta dishes at $15-$20 that are absolutely delightful. They've been open seven months or so. I asked if they had plans for closer to "town" and apparently there are. I would 100% love to be able to pop in and grab a dish to go some nights if it was closer to our house near Love Field.
Everything we got was terrific. Funny, but the D Mag review nails something -- the only red wine bottle on menu is not great. Everything else was fantastic. The foccacia that comes with the apps is really, really good.
https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2024/june/at-this-richardson-italian-spot-fresh-pasta-means-a-fresh-start/

[C-Man 27262]

Wife and I went to Barsotti's Fine Food & Liqueurs on Friday night. I always liked Carbone's but we hadn't been since the lawsuit with Carbone and re-brand/re-model. I used to enjoy Carbone's quite a bit, especially on half-price wine night on Mondays. It was standard American Italian fare and one of the few places in town that did toasted ravs.

Well, I come away less-than-impressed by the Barsotti's. I liked the re-model -- it looks great. Our server wasn't spectacular in that she let us order way to much fucking food. Started with toasted ravs. Wife ordered a salad and the bruschetta app for her main(s). I haven't had veal picatta in a long time and ordered that. I asked if that came with any veggies or anything. I was advised it came with a side of pasta but no veggies. She suggested the broccolini as a side to go with it. Great, sounds good.

The bruschetta is three slices of bread with a mountain of tomatoes and other shit on top. It could easily feed a table of six. The veal was OK but swimming in the sauce. Never seen so much sauce on veal piccata. The veal was overly-breaded and a tad greasy-tasting. I like the flour and pan-fry you normally see on veal. Wife wanted dessert so we went with the "light" choice and got the cannoli. It was fine. I had one aperol spritz and wife no longer drinks. Tab was $150+.

I really like Barsotti's places for the most part. We adored Sprezza and Fachini is damn good too if you're wanting to blow it out.

I'm sure we'll try it again at some point but I'm not in a rush. The fast-casual place I mentioned above (Miss Pasta) runs circles around Barsotti's at a fraction of the cost.

[Buzzrock 14941]

Took a valued client to Carbone this week and thought it was excellent.

[GreenspointTexas 9667]

Lucia may be one of the top 5 most overrated places in Texas

[DDD Dad 14351]

48 minutes ago, GreenspointTexas said:

Lucia may be one of the top 5 most overrated places in Texas

Ballgame!

[Jive Turkey 12644]

On 10/29/2024 at 8:28 AM, DDD Dad said:

Ballgame!

that pretty much guarantees a Michelin star.

we're going to Via Triozzi the night before Turkey Day.  we have family in town, so they can watch the kiddos.  looking forward to it.

 

[DDD Dad 14351]

10 hours ago, Jive Turkey said:

that pretty much guarantees a Michelin star.

we're going to Via Triozzi the night before Turkey Day.  we have family in town, so they can watch the kiddos.  looking forward to it.

 

Looks like they got a Bib Gourmand along with Gemma and a few other places. 

[C-Man 27262]

Next door neighbor texted earlier that they had a 6:30 reservation at Lucia tonight and wanted to know if we wanted to join them. Hell, yeah!

[DDD Dad 14351]

On 11/11/2024 at 9:38 PM, DDD Dad said:

Looks like they got a Bib Gourmand along with Gemma and a few other places. 

Wife just made a reservation for my 60th next month at Gemma. 

[C-Man 27262]

Wow, Lucia was pretty fucking awesome.

[DDD Dad 14351]

On 11/21/2024 at 9:44 PM, C-Man said:

Wow, Lucia was pretty fucking awesome.

Never had a bad meal there (actually it’s always been fantastic). Just like at Lola when David was the chef.  I was a regular there (friends with Van Roberts and his wife). 

Edited yesterday at 02:47 AM by DDD Dad

[C-Man 27262]

13 hours ago, DDD Dad said:

Never had a bad meal there (actually it’s always been fantastic). Just like at Lola when David was the chef.  I was a regular there (friends with Van Roberts and his wife). 

I've mentioned this before but one of my good friends is the chef who opened Al Biernat's with Al (RIP). Al was front of the house and James was the food guy. They had a falling out about 18 months into their relationship and James left and opened Tramontana and then Bistro Latino in Preston Center. Tramontana was a top DMN restaurant for the duration of its' existence. At any rate, James always told me if he was going out to eat anybody else's food in town on a big night out, he was going to Lola because of David. Then, I got to know David's wife Jennifer when she was the wine steward at Central Market on Lovers before Lucia.

Lucia was great all the way around. We will definitely be going back.