Dallas

(From January 2012)

If you're a fan of Neapolitan-style pizza, this no-frills San Antonio import should be your next stop. We made a fine Italian lunch out of spiedini of warm mozzerella wrapped in prosciutto di Parma and a pizza swathed with fontina cheese, oak-roasted mushrooms, and carmelized onion. The thereal polenta cake was delectable, as were the Nutella panini, and the silky panna cotta ringed with balsamic sauce and macerated berries was dessert indulgence to the hilt. Bar.

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(From January 2011) An eclectic group of diners, live music on some nights, and a rather magical setting (think lighted faux trees) add up to a unique experience. Pizza, as one would expect, is the centerpiece of the menu, and we loved a micro-thin-crusted version with garlic, basil, anchovy, tomato, ricotta, and mozzarella. But we reserved our highest praise for an orzo dish with local sausage, Parmesan, and a flavorful fennel broth lightly binding all of it together. Opting out of ordering a gooey dessert, we chose fresh figs stuffed with goat cheese and candied pecans. Bar.

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(From July 2011)

As far as we’re concerned, “Café” could be left out of the name, because the food here is mainly deli. Never would we have guessed that stuffed cabbage could be such a delight: The tender leaves were crammed with beef and rice and served in a tomato broth studded with raisins, onions, and celery. The beef stroganoff was surprisingly bland, but we did like the flavorful side of carrot and zucchini slivers. The cheesecake seems to be the dessert of choice, but chocolate cannoli come in a close second. 

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(From January 2012)

Gone is the fast-food section of this NorthPark restaurant, leaving just the quiet, full-service room overlooking the charming interior courtyard of the mall. Wild mushroom pizza with thyme, scattered bits of pancetta, truffle oil (a bit too heavy), and fontina cheese was very Neapolitan with its thin, crispy crust, and there was surely a bit of Italian genius in the house-made gelato; three flavors per serving allow for all partakers to be satisfied. Thank goodness the beautiful orange Murano chandeliers are still gracing the place. When weather permits, the patio is lovely.

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(From July 2011)

We don’t recall being so satisfied with a dinner in a long time. Chef David Uygur and his lovely wife, Jennifer, have transformed this small, casual spot into a must-visit place for lovers of authentic Italian food (make a reservation a month ahead). Arancine, little balls of fried risotto stuffed with Taleggio cheese, were made all the more delightful with a silky lemon aioli. And we tasted fava beans that were Hannibal Lecter–worthy: tender green gems encased in agnolotti pasta sprinkled with chives. We would have loved to try all four desserts but settled on superb lemon and pistachio cannoli. Beer & wine 

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(From January 2011) A first-course insalate combined baby spinach with shavings of pear, fennel, and Parmesan; a lemon-and-white-truffle vinaigrette was subtle but perky. Neatly folded tortelloni stuffed with creamy fontina cheese and strewn confetti-style with bits of crab, mushroom, and asparagus made a delightful lunch; we especially enjoyed the sauce of white wine, butter, and truffles. Classic tiramisu, moist and light, and dark-and-white-chocolate cake with hazelnut gelato were fine finishes. Appropriately, the wine list leans toward interesting Italians. Bar.

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(From June 2011) An Insalata Fantasia (red leaf lettuce, hearts of palm, artichokes, prosciutto, wal-nuts, and Gruyère) was a hefty appetizer, as you might well guess. But we fearlessly forged ahead with the risotto funghi, which we found lacking in depth, unfortunately (perhaps because the rice was cooked with vegetable broth instead of wine). But the chef’s heart is certainly in the right spot when it comes to pasta, with a firm resolve to serve no noodle before its time; a fif-teen-minute wait resulted in perfectly cooked penne. BYOB.

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(From May 2012)

The locals know and we know, but we’d almost like to keep secret the fact that Nonna, an urban space offering authentic Italian food, serves lunch on Fridays. House-made bread straight from the forno has the most addictive garlic and sea salt crust. Especially delightful was a salad of yellow and red beets with avocado, watercress, house-made ricotta, and red grapefruit. We followed that with a huge bowl of rich Maine lobster ravioli in seafood broth. The best part of our lunch was the ending, with a velvety smooth honey and tangerine panna cotta. Bar.

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(From February 2012)

The open, airy room (formerly Popolos) is no longer dominated by the bar, which has been moved to one side, and the mostly taupe color palette has benefited from the addition of pleasing blue banquettes. A little bit of heaven was an appetizer of bruschetta with a glorious fava bean purée and a splash of excellent balsamic; we could have ordered several of those for dinner and been happy. But no slouch either was an entrée of pan-seared scallops perched on lemon spinach risotto with a tomato-saffron-parsley sauce. Bar.

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(From October 2011)

We count ourselves among the loyal following of this minuscule Preston Hollow restaurant, and we always go straight to two of their iconic dishes: luscious cornmeal-crusted fried green tomatoes (our idea of food heaven) and the dish that put Suze on the map, porcini pappardelle with veal bolognese and grated manchego. A slice of blackberry buckle was graced with a scoop of Texas peach ice cream (we figured it was homemade because bits of skin clung to the irresistible hunks of peach). What a feast!

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