Italian in Dallas Observer
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Jimmy’s is an East Dallas institution, a grocery store with a deli counter that pulls double duty cranking out the best sandwiches in the city. The Italian Stallion sandwich is one of the biggest, baddest sandwiches around, loaded with just about every meat this superb shop has in its cases. The other sandwiches are formidable, […]
This highly anticipated new restaurant from chef John Tesar is now open at the Ritz Carlton at Las Colinas. Tesar, whose Knife & Spoon restaurant in Orlando was awarded a Michelin star in 2022 and 2023, has turned his gaze to Italian cuisine, and all eyes are on Knife Italian to meet the expectations set […]
At the helm of La Stella is Chef Luigi Iannuario, who was born and raised in Italy, and whose career has spanned everywhere from private chef to Michelin-starred restaurants. “Verace” means “authentic” in Italian, and La Stella Cucina Verace interprets “verace” as “a way of life and an appreciation for good food, good wine, and […]
Walking into Lucia is much like walking into a home. The hostess (who is the chef’s wife) is genuinely gleeful you’ve arrived; perhaps that makes it better than home. Anyhoo. You’ll definitely want to make reservation. And if the long wait seems daunting, click that box for alerts, which will notify you when there’s a […]
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Mac’s is more grill than bar, but the pub side of this American-style eatery draws a local crowd for preparty weekend dinners or early nightcaps during the week. Since 1987, a black stone-top bar, ornate dark wooden shelving and a few tall round tables have afforded the neighborhood regulars a spot to catch the game […]
The menu is an homage to chef Junior Borges’ Brazilian roots like the piri piri chicken, a blue prawn moqueca and calabresa sausage. Barter for a seat in the center of the dining room with a clear view of the open kitchen to watch Borges and his team at work. Top Pick: If a ramekin […]
Mi Piaci is so old-fashioned it still offers logo-bearing matchbooks — and a bar in which to use them. Classic Italian dishes that have kept the upscale restaurant, a North Dallas staple, busy for more than 20 years. The handmade pastas pairs beautifully with a traditional Bolognese, but fresh pizza dough may be the winner […]
One of Dallas’ most underrated restaurants, Mille Lire occupies an opulent corner of the Oak Lawn neighborhood, with a spectacularly designed dining room, but still manages not to get the attention it deserves. The biggest headline it’s garnered so far hasn’t been for chef Giuliano Matarese’s generally superb Italian food and wonderful house-made pastas, but […]
Just across the street from the American Airlines Center, this family-owned spot has great pasta, pizza, salads and bread (do NOT sleep on the focaccia) along with a big bar for any pre-concert or game nourishment. Heck, we’d go here without tickets to an event.
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A guided tour of regional Italian cuisine.
Monarch, a modern Italian restaurant created by Michelin-starred chef Danny Grant, lives on the 49th floor of the National in downtown Dallas. It has great views of the city and a menu that takes advantage of its wood-fired hearth, as well its patrons’ willingness to spend a bit of cash for these spectacular vistas and […]
Chef Akira Imamura had more than 20 years of restaurant experience in his native Japan but always dreamed of coming to the US. He wanted to present his own vision of a fusion cuisine that combines elements of Japanese, Italian and French cooking, and he wanted to do it in an elegant and refined setting. […]
The Northern Italian food here is fresh and well-prepared. We recommend starting with the gnocchi. It’s the lightest, tastiest little potato and flour dumpling-like creations you’ll find anywhere in Texas. The minestrone soup is also up to snuff. It’s thick with a good sharp flavor, and the cook breaks crumbs in the soup just like […]
Nonna is one of the best Italian restaurants in Dallas. The menu shifts constantly with the seasons, accommodating fresh produce, new cuts of meat or seafood and the culinary team’s latest pasta inspirations. Some of the pastas, made in-house, are unique to Dallas (no, cavateddhi is not a typo; it’s a smaller cavatelli from Calabria). […]
Since 2001, this downtown slurp castle has been at the confluence of Asian and Italian pasta dishes. Spaghetti Bolognese, anyone? Why not cheesy ravioli? The d
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There’s a time and place for fancy gourmet thin-crusts or pricey wood-fired pies with goat cheese and pine nuts. But when you just want a simple, New York-style big, floppy, chewy slice with house-made sauce and fresh high-quality toppings, Oak Cliff Pizza is the place to go. Be sure to get sausage, as the place […]
This tiny University Park outpost serves genuine Neapolitan pizza pies smoldered in a brick oven fueled by split oak. Housemade tomato sauce (secret process) is simmered from tomatoes imported from Italy. Housemade mozzarella too. Crust is thin, crackly, moist and pillowy in all the right places. When the ovens and cooks are riding on the […]
Everyone knows Olivella’s for their pizza. The Dallas-based franchise has been serving up Neapolitan and Roman-style pies since 2006. Since then, it has branched out from its original location across from Southern Methodist University. Its newest locale offers something a bit different, though. For their new Deep Ellum spot, a pivot was in order. Here […]
This plush bistro is a survivor from the days when the Crescent Court was the It Location. And it has weathered very well: steady service, strong drinks and a menu that sometimes shows signs of chain-age (it is, in fact, part of a Seattle-based restaurant chain), but most times ranks with the city’s top destinations. […]