Italian Lunch In Dallas

A great Italian restaurant is something every neighborhood should have. Lucky for North Dallas residents, Battuto Italian Kitchen came to town. Now we have a killer Italian bistro to call our own.

Battuto is the brainchild of Gene and Julie Gates of "Gene and Julie" radio show fame. After many years on the airwaves, the duo decided to put away their headphones and put their love for food to work. Hence, Battuto.

Famed Dallas chef Joel Harloff is at the helm and he is thrilling diners with his creations. Battuto recently rolled out its new lunch menu, and the only problem now is that the offerings make it near impossible to choose.

Not to be missed is the meat and cheese board, which is served with house-pickled vegetables, soft burrata cheese with roasted garlic, grilled Tuscan bread, and mostarda.  

I also could not get enough of the cauliflower soup with roasted garlic. It tasted like a creamy no-no, but I'm told it's basically all cauliflower and therefore a completely guilt-free choice. The roasted beet salad with golden beets, shaved fennel, arugula, and Texas pecans, as well as the grilled radicchio salad with pears, mixed greens, bacon, and dried cranberries are both fresh takes on the typical salad fare, and truly tickled my taste buds.

As for pasta, you can't miss with the bison pasta made with Comanche buffalo and pork ragù over handmade pappardelle noodles or the Gnocchi Modo Mio "My Way,"

an homage to chef Rino Brigliadori, complete with pesto tomato sauce. The ragù and pasta were beyond delicious and the gnocchi was to light and airy I could hardly believe I was eating potatoes.

If a sandwich is more your speed come lunch hour, the muffuletta with fennel salami, mortadella, bresaola, aged provolone, and olive spread or the short rib panini with a triple crème cheese, roasted red peppers, and house fries are both ideal picks. And the fries are not just a side — they are good enough to be more of a partner.

And in case you have room, the dessert choices at Battuto are just as impressive as the rest of the menu, including a red wine chocolate cake with dark chocolate mousse and house-made raspberry jam, finished with chocolate ganache and fresh raspberries, and the panna cotta, which is Meyer lemon and thyme served with an elderflower and fresh mixed berries salad.

And Battuto also boasts an impressive wine list and delightful cocktail list to boot.

Some Dallas food lovers say they won't go that far north, but I have only one thing to say to them: "Big mistake. Big. Huge."