This newly opened Italian restaurant is a bit out of the way but should be a good addition to the area and a good replacement for the Mexican restaurant that occupied the space before.
My wife and I decided to celebrate her birthday by going out to discover new places, as we have just moved to the Northern Suburbs of Dallas.
As we pulled in for our 6:00 reservation (I called to verify BYOB due to others' comments and we were told that we were the first being allowed to make a reservation) this past Saturday night, it seemed like a convoy of cars was following up into the parking lot. From the parking lot, one other guest asked me "Is it still BYOB?" I told him that that was what I was told.
Entering the front door, the reception area had a couple of customers there picking up takeout. One server asked me how many and we said two, but we had a reservation. Another server came to us and said "Yes. I know who you are. Your table is over there with 2 menus." We walked over to the lovely table in the window, with a view of the I-35 retainer wall.
Faux white tablecloths, a lovely glass bowl decorative arrangement, 2 bread plates, each with a rolled red napkin on top. One server came to us and asked if they could bring us something to drink. We brought our own wine and requested water with lemon. As the bottle was being opened, the server asked if we would like to start with an appetizer. We ordered the calamari and were served a basket of homemade dinner rolls.
When the calamari was served, we were both sadly disappointed. I am not sure if there was some serious mistake, but this was the very worst calamari I have ever had ever attempted to eat. Each ring was crunchy from the inside. All the moisture had been cooked out of each piece. The breading on each piece was way too thick and crunchy. The plate was accompanied by a lemon half and a nice red sauce. Anytime I go to a new restaurant, it is the calamari that I start my judgment to expect what the rest of the meal will be like. I was now asking myself if I had made a huge mistake bringing my wife there for her birthday.
We ordered eggplant parm 2 Caesar salads and shrimp scampi, both entrees would be shared at the table (see pictures below).
When the eggplant arrived, we served each other and were very happy. The three very thick medium-sized medallions were properly battered with bread crumbs and baked perfectly, topped with mozzarella cheese, which was all served on a bed of spaghetti with a delightful red sauce that had perfectly cooked pits of tomato, filling the sauce with a wonderful richness.
A server assistant who spoke no English motioned to us if we would like to take the third median and the rest of the past home with us. She brought us a standard styrofoam entree-sized box.
When our salads arrived, the dressing was an industrial brand that had a sweetness to it that hid any flavoring of anchovies, had any been added at all. The croutons were industrial packaged as well. And the romaine lettuce was bright green, yet wilted by being out too long. Score 0 for the salad course.
When the scampi arrived (5 jumbo shrimp, served with a pink sauce on a bed of linguini), again we served each other and found the "scampi" flavorful, although not tasting like any scampi I had ever experienced.
Our server then came to us and told us that we should choose any one dessert item on the menu. We chose the limoncello cake. When presented, there was an artistic drizzle of caramel sauce (bottled?) and a small slice of the cake with a birthday candle on top. Lovely. The cake was memorable, yet again I question if it came out of a box from Sysco.
We saw a couple of tables eating pizza, we saw families with small WELL BEHAVED children and by 8:00 pm most of the diners had finished and were leaving.
The half-owner, our server, told us that she also had an auto repair shop and acclaimed that the restaurant business was the hardest business in the world. After having opened 33 myself, and most of those requiring 75-85 hours a week, I agreed.
Now, I am one who is 95% of the time pulling for the unique, one-of-a-kind eatery and I truly hope this "Lady and the Tramp" Italian bistro makes it.
Our total bill was $59 and I left a 25% tip for all of the specialized attention we received. Our server also introduced her daughter, telling us that her cousin was the other half-owner.
As you can see, I only gave a 3 star rating, but if I was in the mood for another BYOB, Lady and the Tramps Italian dinner, I wouldn't mind revisiting to see if they had found ways to tweak the operation. But do not order the calamari. read more