This Bistecca Alla Fiorentina (Porterhouse for Two) is Magnificent

When Dallas Observer food critic Chis Wolfgang was asked by a friend for a recommendation for an Italian restaurant with great ambiance and a full bar that wouldn’t necessarily break the bank, he responded with a full-fledged review that sang the praises of Via Triozzi on Greenville Avenue, and we took our little notes. After all, who isn’t always on the lookout for such a place in Dallas?

We recently visited and want to officially thank Mr. Wolfgang for his rec and chef and owner Leigh Hutchinson for her vision and skill in creating this must-visit spot, along with Sonia Mancillas who joined the team last fall as executive chef. All of our meal components were spot on, from the décor and ambiance to the cocktails, ricotta montata starter, our primi courses (cacio e pepe and tagliatelle al ragù) and the service.

The star of our evening, however, was the secondo course, listed all the way at the bottom of the menu: specialità della casa: bistecca alla Fiorentina. This is a large porterhouse for two at the dreaded “market price.” We inquired about this from our server who informed us it was a top-graded Texas wagyu from Rosewood and that they had one available at 26 ounces. The waitress quoted us about $150, which was cheaper than two steaks on the menu.

We were a bit worried about sharing a steak since one of us usually orders medium and the other (correct) one orders medium rare, but one of us decided to be magnanimous and go with medium while trying to subtly send non-verbal messages to the server that if it was closer to medium rare it would be our secret.
It arrived in all its glory, sliced with the strip and tenderloin portions separate, perfectly cooked (with a slight move towards medium rare… yes!) and with the bone proudly displayed as a sort of meaty centerpiece, along with a large still-smoldering sprig of rosemary.

So meaty, so well-marbled, so juicy, so good. Simply seasoned with salt (and the only slight dig might be perhaps a bit too much salt, but to each their own) and not weighed down by any sides or sauces. Considering the challenge of cooking both strip and tenderloin simultaneously and trying to create a medium rare/medium hybrid, it was perfectly cooked.

The centerbone part, however, was the chef’s kiss. The meat near the bone is always the best, and this was no exception in an exceptional steak. We tried to get as much off that bone as we could with a knife and fork, and it was all we could do to not pick it up and start gnawing on it like some kind of animal. Near the end of the meal, chef Hutchinson stopped by our table to ask us how the steak was. Unfortunately, we were apparently in a meat coma and could just offer up a shy thumbs up and nod, missing our chance to thank her with, you know, words. Oh well.

Helpful life hack: leftover steak cooked for just 3 minutes at 350 degrees in an air fryer the next day is pretty damn good eats, too.

Via Triozzi, 1806 Greenville Ave. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 5 –10 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 5–11 p.m.; Sunday, 5–9 p.m. Closed Tuesday