Monday, May 29, 2023 May 29, 2023
88° F Dallas, TX
Italian

Neighborhood Find: Roman Cucina in North Dallas

The food here is "Dallas Italian."
By Nancy Nichols |
Image

My sister-in-law Sarah eats at Roman Cucina in North Dallas at least once a week. She knows most of the staff, particularly the bartender who makes her favorite Tito’s Vodka martini. Sarah has been trying to get me to eat there for years. I joined her last Saturday. I left with a smile on my face and not just because of the food.

Roman Cucina is a true neighborhood restaurant. It’s not slick or trendy. Roman Cucina and other restaurants like it are the workhorses of our dining community. They are the places that serve food and drinks that satisfy their customers, not James Beard Award scouts.

The food is Dallas Italian.  They offer classic pasta dishes and a variety of housemade sauces. The simple marinara is slightly sweet. The diablo is big on garlic. Red sauce thick with ground beef tops a hearty plate of spaghetti decorated with meatballs. I loved my plate of sausage and peppers on gluten-free fusilli (pictured above).

The wine list will not win any awards, but the choices are inexpensive ($7). You leave with enough food for a lunch and a light dinner. But most of all, you will leave with the feeling that you’ve just shared food with a happy group of neighbors and made friends with a waiter working his way through UTD. It’s a cherished experience that only comes naturally to a restaurant that beats with the heart of a real community.

Related Articles

Image
Events

This Weekend’s Food & Drink Events in Dallas: Aug. 27–29

Test your ‘cue skills at Pitmaster University. Sip fine whiskeys.
Anthony Bourdain mural at Niwa BBQ in Deep Ellum.
Food & Drink

Remembering Anthony Bourdain’s Texas Ties

Today, June 25, is Anthony Bourdain Day, which is the late chef and world traveler’s birthday. Let’s look back at some of ways the beloved culinary thinker touched Texas.
picture of tacos
Food & Drink

Instagram Is Killing Food Pictures

Our dining critic is a simple man. He just wants to look at mouthwatering photos. But a certain social media behemoth wants to change his ways.