Mille Lire

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 for the sudden and heartbreaking death of owner Brian Ellard and his family in a plane crash in June. (That airy, bright, gorgeous dining room was designed by Ornella Ellard, who also died in the accident.) This town ought to talk more about Matarese’s wonderful fettuccine with lemon and crabmeat, or summery corn-and-bacon soup, or the way that Mille Lire flash-fries shishito peppers in a Parmesan batter.

Top pick: The made-from-scratch pastas here are champions, and, surprisingly, the subtler ones are best. There’s a good wine list with affordable Italian bottles, too.

The downside: Mille Lire’s ownership situation was thrown into a tumult by tragedy. They need the support of Dallas pasta lovers.