Thursday, March 28, 2024 Mar 28, 2024
46° F Dallas, TX
Advertisement
Publications

Review: Nonna

By Teresa Gubbins |
Image
photography by Kevin Hunter Marple

At Nonna, a charming, authentic italian restaurant at the gateway of Highland Park, chef/owner Julian Barsotti pushes all the right foodie buttons: local, organic, and sustainable ingredients; a menu changed often; and a fancy wood-burning oven that spits out thin-crust Neapolitan pizzas with rarefied toppings such as prosciutto and arugula. He comes from a food family (his mother Shelley co-owns local caterer The Food Company), and he paid his dues cooking on the West Coast with, among others, cured-meat maestro Paul Bertolli.

Penne pasta with lamb and tomato boasted a Bolognese-style chunkiness and an earthy, mellow flavor. Sausage made on the premises, served on a pillow of parsnip puree, had an assertive presence and nicely processed texture. Butternut squash soup distilled the essence of fall, with a texture so smooth and refined, it seemed pearlescent.

Desserts were deliberately less sugared than usual—true to Italy, perhaps, but disappointing if you like your rice pudding sweet rather than savory. The wine list was well stocked with Italian labels such as the reliable fruity red Allegrini La Grola, with plenty of bottles under $40.

Located in what used to be Alessio’s, the space is divided down the middle into bar and dining room. It has warm, subtle lighting and lots of natural materials, and the staff seems uniformly thrilled to be on board.

Get contact information for Nonna.

Related Articles

Image
Travel

Is Fort Worth Really ‘The New Austin’?

The Times of London tells us it's now the coolest city in Texas.
Image
Dallas 500

Meet the Dallas 500: Chakri Gottemukkala, o9 Solutions

The o9 solutions leader talks about garnering a $3.7 billion valuation, growing 10x over the next few years, and how the company is innovating.
Image
Local News

An Early Look at 2026 FIFA World Cup Logistics

The World Cup matches will be held in Arlington, but Dallas will be home to a great deal of team and fan experiences. We're getting an early look at what that will look like.
Advertisement