This place has panache in a way that I didn't expect, thinking I'd be walking into something…read moreSister-esque or even The Charles-esque. Scilla has PRESENCE, starting from the nicely landscaped circular drive that makes you feel like you're pulling up to someone's summer mansion. (Valet is complimentary, and essential given the location.) The prominent awning, pushing the restaurant's logo far away from the office building that looms behind it, was so effective that I literally didn't even notice the office windows. I was too taken in by the greenery, the expansive patio off to the side, and those stunning double doors. Open those doors, and it's hard not to stare at the gorgeous bar. FYI for anyone hoping to grab a drink at the bar, all seats were full at 4:55 pm on a Thursday. The place filled up quickly after 5, and by the time we left around 7:30 (don't judge our granny dinner hour), there were people sitting in little corners by the entrance that I hadn't even noticed when I first walked in.
Our waitress seemed a bit inexperienced. First, our table was set up so that the three of us would have been staring directly at a tree in the corner of the restaurant. Super weird. We switched the place settings around so that we were looking out at the dining room. Next, after asking about any allergies and writing down my shellfish allergy, the waitress proceeded to recommend the frutti di mare, which is basically a shellfish bomb. She described the Dirty Sister cocktail as a dirty martini with pink peppercorn, which is exactly what it looks like on the menu, so I ordered that and was startled when it arrived with aquafaba foam (inexplicably NOT listed on the menu). Moreover, it tasted like drinking salt water. I'd been told that substitutions to the cocktails (I'd asked for it to be made with gin instead of vodka) weren't allowed "to respect the integrity of the cocktail" (we got a kick out of that), but I'm not sure this drink has any integrity, masquerading around like a dirty martini (which I would have loved). Have some respect, Dirty Sister. To her credit, the waitress asked me how I liked it, and when I hesitated, she was very insistent on making me send it back, which I appreciated, because I NEVER send food or drinks back. I always feel so bad about it. But yeah, that one...woof. Just order an off-menu dirty martini if that's what you're looking for.
Also, my replacement drink -- a simple glass of wine -- didn't arrive until after our second course was already on the table. That one I really can't wrap my head around.
A few comments on the food menu:
- Skip the caviar bite ($19 each). The toast was bland, and the lemon verbena ricotta -- mildly sweet, and well done in itself -- overpowered the flavor of the caviar.
- Frankly, I'd also skip the hamachi crudo, but that's mostly because Hugo's has ruined me for all other hamachi crudo in Dallas. Also, why is this dish on EVERY menu in Dallas right now?? Do it right or not at all, guys. And "right" doesn't mean doused in sweet juices and apple slices and jalapenos. The fish should be good enough to speak for itself, and this fish just wasn't the quality I'd expect from Duro.
- We had a gluten-free friend with us, so all the pastas got subbed to be gluten-free, which (to our surprise) meant that they all came out as the exact same pasta, just with different sauces. Didn't love that, but I also can't fault them for it.
- The branzino was fine but a bit dry.
- Beets and beans? We all had envisioned cannellini beans and were startled when it came out as a pile of green beans. As with the Dirty Sister not mentioning that it's a frothy aquafaba drink, this is another instance of the menu being a bit misleading/confusing.
- Don't let the idea of the most foul dessert pairing known to man, chocolate and cherry, dissuade you from ordering the spumoni tart. The tart is DIVINE (if you love pistachio), and the cherry sorbet is placed off to the side, where you can either eat it separately or ignore it. This dessert knocked my socks off.
- Shoutout to the waitress for sending a free panna cotta for our gluten-free friend. It was lovely.
TL;DR: The Dirty Sister is not a dirty martini (nor is it a good drink in its own right). Didn't love the starters we chose (skip the caviar bites and the hamachi crudo, unless you're *Dallas*). I need to go back to try the regular versions of the pastas. The branzino was fine but a bit dry. I could be talked into swinging by for the spumoni tart alone.
I have enough faith in Duro to trust that there are some delicious items on the menu and that we just didn't order well, mostly due to the constraints of a shellfish allergy and a gluten-free diet, plus my companions inexplicably not liking lamb. 3 stars for ambiance, dessert, and optimism (mine). -1 for some food misses (not counting the pastas), and -1 for service being a little spotty. I think these things can be remedied.