Part of the nature of the job of a restaurant critic is to get pinged for recommendations. Call it an occupational hazard. Innocuous as it seems, this particular message from my friend asks for a lot. Let’s put aside the requests for parking and price point because nothing seems to inflame the opinions of Dallas diners more than our city’s apparent deficiency in great Italian restaurants.
Contrary to popular belief, Dallas does offer some gems, but not all of them fit my friend’s requirements. Lucia is a winner, but even if a last-minute reservation existed, easy parking would not. Spots like The Charles, Nonna or La Stella Cucina Verace might blow the budget. Barsotti’s or Partenope are excellent but skew to the casual end of the spectrum. Fortunately, I had just visited a new Italian place in Dallas that checks all the boxes.
The pasta-making room faces the sidewalk, enticing passersby.
Alison McLean
Via Triozzi recently opened on Greenville Avenue, but for chef and owner Leigh Hutchinson, the restaurant was 17 years in the making. Hutchinson may not have specifically had my friend in mind, but with Via Triozzi, she has created the Italian restaurant that many in Dallas have long craved.
Via Triozzi is named for a street in Scandicci, Italy, a town in the hills near Florence, where Hutchinson lived in a 15th-century villa while completing a culinary program. Inspired by Hutchinson’s time abroad, Via Triozzi oozes veritable charm. From the sidewalk, large windows offer a view into a small room where pasta is made on marble counters and left to hang from racks above. Step inside past the host stand and take in the space. Soaring ceilings are adorned with tin pressings. The bar is finished in light wood tones, backed by sage green shelves that feel like a stylistic homage to an olive orchard. The dining room is just as welcoming, with cozy booths along each wall, the mood set in a blend of stucco and exposed brick that feels as if you’ve been teleported to the Old Country.
Of course, there are wines, and Via Triozzi’s wine list is generous with offerings by the glass or the bottle, as well as a trio of house wines that are served by the glass, half or full carafe. Reds rightfully outnumber whites almost two to one, with a modest selection of rosé and sparkling wines, should the mood strike. Via Triozzi’s full bar also creates a selection of cocktails. We tried the Signoro Fico ($14), a unique blend of bourbon, Galliano, lemon and balsamic-infused fig that was so delicious we ordered a second one without hesitation.
Coccoli is bite-sized fried dough served with a side of prosciutto.
Alison McLean
Parts of Hutchinson’s menu changes seasonally, and jewels abound in both classic dishes and modern takes. Open with the coccoli, bite-sized fried bread dough that literally means “cuddles” in Italian, to make a small prosciutto sandwich with aged ham and creamy stracchino.
Whipped ricotta with zucchini and squash.
Alison McLean
Whipped ricotta is having a trendy moment in Dallas, and Via Triozzi’s ($16) doesn’t disappoint. Perhaps the brilliance lies in the herb-infused oil or the chilled chunks of zucchini and yellow squash. Or maybe it’s because it’s paired with a textbook focaccia, perfectly baked with a light crust hiding the airy crumb underneath.
Fried risotto balls served with a marinara and herb sauce.
Alison McLean
Arancini ($18) were new to the menu during our first visit. Visually, the dish wows, as the fried balls of risotto were ringed by marinara and herb sauces. The risotto balls were overcooked on our first visit, causing the tiny globes of mozzarella within to melt away, but vastly better at a follow-up meal. We also partook of the insalata mista ($14), a romaine and escarole salad dressed with a light vinaigrette and festooned with crisped shallots.
Often, great Italian is equated with great pasta, and here, Via Triozzi excels. On one visit, a seasonal ravioli ($25) was filled with butternut squash and served in a rich brown butter sauce that was everything you could desire in a fall pasta dish. For another entree option, cacio e pepe ($22) is brilliantly simple, the thick strands of spaghetti perfectly cooked, pepper and cheese equally balanced.
Lasagna with a Bolognese sauce.
Alison McLean
Tagliatelle Bolognese ($28) is another Italian comfort dish although it felt like some depth of flavor was missing. It’s odd, because the sauce also makes its way into Hutchinson’s lasagna ($35), and here, it sings. There’s an extra zing of red pepper that plays off the percorina besciamella; the delicate layers of pasta and sauce are a treat for the eyes as much as the mouth.
We ended one of our meals with a marvelous tiramisu ($12), sized for two. It’s an iconic Italian dessert, and Via Triozzi nails the compulsory portion of the program with style. On a second visit we wanted to try the cannoli but at the end of our meal, our server deposited our check, never to be seen again. After waiting several minutes, we reluctantly put our credit card on the table, and another server appeared shortly to settle our bill.
That service misstep was an outlier, however, as almost every other interaction with staff was more than pleasant — helpful and attentive when needed. And on most evenings, you can find Hutchinson herself mingling at the bar and in the dining room, answering questions and delivering dishes.
Dinner at Via Triozzi feels like you’ve been invited into the home of your long-lost Italian family. The plates are adorned with subtle decorations that feel hand-painted, and the silverware has an appreciable heft. Cocktail glasses sport delicate etchings, as if they’ve been passed down for generations. The black and white pictures that dot the walls aren’t just generic photos, but members of Hutchinson’s family. Even details that are restaurant-specific are handled with care, like the complimentary valets who summon your car with a quick text as you get up from the table.
It feels on theme that Hutchinson herself is everywhere in the restaurant during service, overseeing every detail to make sure her guests are doted upon, as an Italian mother would tend to her own family. Via Triozzi is her passion, almost two decades in the making, so it’s only natural that she wants every detail to be tended to, her pride in ownership on full display. It’s that attention to detail that’s given Dallas an Italian restaurant that we can all be proud of, too.
Via Triozzi, 1806 Greenville Ave. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 5 –10 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 5–11 p.m.; Sunday, 5–9 p.m. Closed Tuesday
