“Looking for an Italian restaurant tonight with great ambiance with a full bar,” the message from my friend began. “Doesn't need to be the most expensive in town but we're totally willing to spend money tonight. Decent parking a plus!”Part of the nature of the job of a restaurant critic is to get pinged for recommendations. Call it an occupational...
The Muffuletta, born in New Orleans, is a massive sandwich overstuffed with simple ingredients, but it will forever deliver a big flavor. It is prepared on a 9-inch round Italian loaf of sesame bread, typically made fresh from one of two local bakeries. The sandwich is layered with marinated olive salad and piled high with thinly sliced Italian mea...
One of Rice Village’s staple restaurants will have a new home in 2024, but it isn’t going far. Prego, an Italian restaurant that’s been in business for more than 40 years, is moving from its current location due to redevelopment plans by Rice Village owner Rice Management Company. “After 40 years in the village, it was hard to imagine relocating to...
Lauded Holly Italian restaurant Intero is opening a new all-day Italian restaurant, Poeta, in Central East Austin. Poeta is slated to open within the Frances Modern Inn at 1123 East 11th Street on Friday, November 24. Poeta will serve Italian fare, including breakfast and brunch. That means dishes like eggs benedict with gnocco fritto, prosciutto a...
As 400 Gradi grows across Dallas-Fort Worth, its Italian partners want you to know: 400 Gradi is not just a pizza place. That’s how the world has known it since 2014, when 400 Gradi’s founder Johnny DiFrancesco’s Neapolitan pizza was named the best in the world by the Campionato Mondiale della Pizza (Pizza World Championship) in Italy. In an intere...
Downtown Fort Smith will soon have a new dining option with the planned Nov. 14 opening of Prima Italia at 720 Garrison Ave. – inside the building that was once the Fort Smith Town Club. The restaurant will be in the space that previously housed The Rialto restaurant. The Rialto closed with the early 2023 departure of Chef James Thomas. Zac Scarbor...
La Griglia, perhaps best known as a power lunch spot since opening in River Oaks more than three decades ago, is moving to Montrose just ahead of the holiday rush. The last dinner will be served on Saturday, Nov. 4 before La Griglia reopens at 2817 West Dallas on Nov. 20. Houstonians will find a modern, sleek dining room with a more upscale menu, w...
Many Austin residents like to venture out to the Hill Country for a much-needed break from city life. Beautiful oak trees, fields of bluebonnets (during bluebonnet season, of course), the occasional glimpse of livestock, clear and open skies–the region overflows with scenic beauty, which is why a sit-down dinner at a Hill Country winery feels inher...
Coppell has scored a hip new trattoria and lounge: Called San Daniele Italian Eatery & Bar, it's an upscale yet casual spot serving great Italian and Italian-American food, located in Coppell's downtown at 110 W. Sandy Lake Rd. #150, a space previously occupied by Kelly's Texican. San Daniele comes from a veteran restaurant team: husband-and-wife T...
Welcoming patrons to a fresh, invigorating dining experience, the newly rebranded Marcoza Trattoria located in the former Avanti Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar space opens its doors in the heart of Creekside Park. This transformation introduces an exciting new focus on Italian cuisine, ensuring our guests a captivating culinary journey. “The change to...
Trips to Italy may be pricey, but residents of Lakeway don't have to travel far to find authentic Italian cooking. Carmela's Pizza & Pasteria is a family-owned and -operated restaurant with a mission to make the owners’ big Italian family even bigger by sharing home-cooked recipes. While Carmela's Lakeway spot opened in 2021, the Dripping Springs l...
In 2021, Austinites lamented the closing of the eight-year-old pizzeria, one of the best spots to enjoy a pie in the city. What had felt like another devastating loss due to the pandemic turned out to be a logistics issue; the lease was up, and they needed to move. In November 2022, the eatery re-opened on East Cesar Chavez, returning a staple and...