She Eats Antonio Ristorante 

It’s no secret that Dallas is a foodie mecca, but we have always felt that great Italian was an area that’s really lacking in this city. Little did we know, Addison (4985 Addison Circle) has been housing an Italian gem, Antonio Ristorante, for years that has the best authentic Italian food I’ve had to date in Texas. Antonio’s also boasts the most affordably priced wine menu I have seen in DFW. Most bottles on the menu would easily cost you between 50% – 100% more on any other wine list in town. Grab a date or a group of friends and head there soon!

We loved the vibe here. The atmosphere is both charming and welcoming, and the décor makes you feel like you’re in the Italian countryside.

There is a great patio as well for all my patio loving friends.

Executive Chef Antonio has been back at the restaurant fondly named after him since 2014, after a hiatus traveling the country and  working in other award winning kitchens. Chef Antonio hails from Italy, where he was raised cooking traditional Italian foods with his mother, and classically French trained as a chef later in life. His culinary experience and education makes for quite the foodie experience.

We joined the Tuesday Tasting this week, allowing us to sample three signature dishes along with three unique, Italian wine pairings. These tastings are only $20, so give Antonio’s a call to join the next one! You’ll get a nice introduction to the amazing food and wine that Antonio Ristorante offers.

The first course for the tasting we attended was Mozzarella Di Buffalo Campana (sliced tomatoes, topped with imported mozzarella, fresh basil, pesto and olive oil) paired with a 2014 bottle of Santa Margarita.

The second course for the Tasting was Chef Antonio’s famous Spaghetti All’ Amatricana, and he cooked it in front of us! This incredible spaghetti is tossed with olive oil and diced pancetta, chopped red onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a touch of tomato sauce. This dish was paired with a lovely bottle of Badiola from Tuscany.

The final course of Piccolo Ossi Bucco was amazing. The baby pork shank is wrapped in pancetta and fall off the bone tender. The mango sauce complimented the meat with a nice sweet and spicy touch. This tasting was paired with Mix 36, an incredible unique and rare Chianti Classico made froguym 36 biotypes of Sangiovese from Tuscany. This bottle is priced under $100, and it’s one of the best bottles I’ve had recently.

Being the foodies that we are, we lingered after the event and were fortunate enough to chat with the owner and sample more dishes.

We loved the Asparagus Fritti, lightly-breaded and fried, and topped with goat cheese and a white balsamic glaze. Absolutely delicious.

Make sure to grab an order of the Meatballs Della Casa when you visit. I’m picky with meatballs, and these are heavenly. They’re a blend of veal, pork and sirloin, and Chef Antonio uses only enough breadcrumbs to bind the meat together. They’re very hearty and topped with his zesty homemade marinara.

Stefanie loves her ravioli, so we tried the ravioli of the day, which featured spicy Italian sausage, that just so happens to be her favorite! These raviolis are BIG and do not skimp on the filling. Hands down, one of the best raviolis she has had. Thankfully, I managed to get at least one piece before she devoured the entire plate.

Of course, any great meal ends with dessert. We tried several dessert items, and none will disappoint. We were also told that if you make a reservation with a little notice for a birthday party, Chef Antonio will make you a custom cake at no charge to you! How neat is that?!

I’m not a huge cheesecake fan, but let me tell you about the Mascarpone Cheesecake… It’s served over English custard cream, then drizzled with a raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries. It’s light, and the mascarpone really makes the dish. I would order this again any day.

They have a delicious Crème Brulee, always one of our favorites.

We saw several people ordering the Banana Cream Pie, so we wanted to make sure to try that as well. It’s a tart with Parisian cream, bananas, whipped cream and both chocolate and caramel sauce. Divine!

We had such a wonderful experience at Antonio Ristorante. Not only is the food amazing, they have perfected true Italian hospitality. We’ve been searching for years for a great Italian restaurant, and we’ve finally found it. My only regret is we didn’t get here sooner.

Check them out for your next date night out, drinks after work, or outing with friends. You won’t regret it.