First Look: Lombardi Cucina Italiana Opens in the Ever-Growing Star in Frisco

The city of Frisco's biggest source of pride might be The Star, a 91-acre commercial development that is also the home of the Dallas Cowboys. Since its blueprint stage in 2013, the commercial development has opened more than 15 restaurants, six bars and the Cowboys’ practice football facility. But tf you thought The Star was finished expanding, think again.
The Star recently opened Lombardi Italian Cucina, a fine-dining Italian restaurant that’s a part of Lombardi Family Concepts, which also owns other Dallas favorites like KAI, Penne Pomodoro and Lounge 31. According to Alberto Lombardi, the Italian restaurant is the company’s newest attempt to “combine the creativity of contemporary cuisine with the powerful draw of classic recipes.”

All of Lombardi Cucina’s dishes are made from scratch, including pastas and desserts. Each table gets a basket of bread; other starters include soups, which the kitchen rotates daily, along with standards like a creamy lobster bisque ($12). There's also a fresh buffalo mozzarella salad ($18).
Order one of Lombardi’s shareable plates for the table, like a classic foie gras ($28) that comes topped with roasted pear slices and pistachio crumble. Another appealing item is the egg tortello al tartufo ($24), a traditional Italian ravioli dish with a soft poached egg hidden inside. The dish is slathered in a rich truffle oil.

The star of the show here is the house-made pasta, which you can watch being made through the large kitchen window. A trip here merits a taste of the generously spiced rigatoni alla vodka ($25), which is sprinkled with rolled pancetta and basil leaves.

Another popular option is the cacio e pepe ($24), which comes soaked in flavorful cream and is topped with ground pepper. The dish is small, so if you come hungry you'll quickly finish this off. Maybe too quickly.
Meat-heavy entrées include the popular Ora King salmone arrosto ($34), a roasted salmon dish served with an Italian white sauce. The tagliata Toscana ($55) is a steak dish that comes topped with glazed pearl onions, sweet peppers and a creamy truffle sauce.
Finish off with a traditional Italian dessert like the limoncello, a lemon-shaped dessert with an outer layer made of hardened white chocolate. The dessert is stuffed with sweetened ricotta cheese and tangy lemon meringue for some nice flavor contrast. If you’re a coffee lover, go for the classic tiramisu. The spongy coffee cake is coated in a thick layer of mascarpone cream.

Once you’re done with dessert, take a stroll around The Star’s busy shopping district to digest it all. And after you're done with that, come back and do it all again in two weeks. The Star will probably have something else new open by then.

Lombardi Cucina Italiana, 6655 Winning Drive, Frisco, 4 - 10 p.m. Monday - Thursday; 4 - 11 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday