Amici — Restaurant in Carrollton

Enjoying a delicious, made-from-scratch meal in an intimate setting is near impossible during a pandemic. So my partner and I thought, at least. Like many, we are operating with caution and it’s really important to us that our restaurant of choice balances exquisite food and an intimate ambiance with a strong focus on social distancing and hygiene policies.

Amici delivered this experience and much more when my partner and I visited for dinner last weekend.

Let’s start with the food. This place is as far from chain Italian as you can get. The Bruschetta is rich in flavor but light and fresh, tasting like the tomatoes were picked an hour before out of a Tuscany garden. As for main courses, the Beef Medallion Peppered Streak was well marbled, fell apart in my mouth, and was served with a shallot green peppercorn brandy cream sauce that I a) cleaned off my plate and b) want the recipe for! All pasta dishes are made from scratch with authentic Italian sauces that showcase the bountiful flavors of locally-sourced produce.

Their take on simpler dishes is also exquisite. Try their hand-tossed eggplant pizza if you’re looking for something more casual without sacrificing the flavors and textures of a home made pie.

When it comes to desserts, Italian restaurants often have huge portions of bland, stodgy cheesecake slices or overly-sugary canolis. Not so at Amici. Everything feels a little more custom; from their chocolate bread pudding to the vanilla anglais that pairs with their decadent tiramisu, it’s all done with love and an attention to carefully balancing flavors. We find that the perfect way to top off the meal is with an espresso brewed on the gorgeous vintage Italian machine that they have. It makes darn good espressos and also gives the place an added air of authenticity.

These guys do curbside and catering, folks. So if you aren’t ready to dive back into date nights, you can’t go wrong taking it home with you. We couldn’t bring ourselves to do that though since they have a wonderfully eclectic wine list (bottle or glass) to pair with the meal, as well as a full bar should you wish to sample a signature cocktail or two like their lemon drop martini or signature margarita. Simply put, Amici has allowed us to get some fine dining back in our lives without ever feeling uncomfortable or unsafe, and we’re so thankful for that.

Speaking of safety, we were wondering how an Italian restaurant would handle the increased hygiene and procedural requirements resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. The ambiance of an Italian restaurant is paramount to a good experience, and the sleek yet cozy decor of Amici has always been a major draw to us, so we were unsure of what to expect. During a global pandemic, our concerns for safety and hygiene are understandably much higher than usual, so to see Chef Bartolini and his staff strictly adhere to social distancing and face covering policies was a huge relief. It didn’t stop Chef making us feel special, however. We’ve known Chef Bartolini for a while but that isn’t important; he personally greets all guests warmly whether friend or stranger, and checks in with them a few times throughout the meal to ensure everything is exceeding expectation. A class act.

In summary, we were immensely impressed. Like all small businesses, Amici needs our support right now and since our visit, we’re putting it right back on our date night schedule where it belongs. We might even start dropping in to get our caffeinated beverages too. Don’t get me started on their imported espresso machine and dedication to local coffee suppliers 😂 Thanks so much,...

Quick Summary: we just moved to Carrollton in the last year and have been told since we moved that we must try Amici. Needless to say, even during pandemic it did not dissapoint!!

I took my 8 year old daughter here as a Dad / daughter date. She and I both absolutely loved everything about the place from ambiance to service and especially to food! The setting was intimate and upscale but not so much that I felt out of place taking my 8 year old. The servers were spot on and super attentive and informative. They also took great care and sufficient precautions due to COVID-19. There were tons of amazing sounding daily specials to compliment an already nice menu. We went with garlic bread, my daughter got the lasagna, and I got a spicy seafood pasta special. Garlic bread was so tasty! Tons of love put into it and it flew off our plates. My seafood pasta special was really tasty and I would have loved it compared to anout 99% of all other dishes other places. The problem was that I had huge entree envy compared to my daughter's lasagna. This lasagna came with both a red sauce and a béchamel sauce. It was hands down one of the best lasagnas I've ever had and blew my dish out of the water!! Fortunately I was able to sneak bites when she wasn't looking! My 8 yr old had never had lasagna she liked before in her life. I'm now a little worried about how high the bar...

I just left the restaurant. I originally walked to the bar and couldn’t sit there because there was a couple in the waist standing up because it is a small bar, but that’s OK. The owner (I’m assuming) was talking to the couple there. I was less than a foot away from him. I waited maybe three minutes. He didn’t even acknowledge me until I asked him if I could have a menu. He then said oh sorry. I’m looking at the menu ready to order. He’s goes back to talking to these people again less that a fort away from me. There’s a gentleman at the register and I said can I order something to go and he’s like one second, still nothing so I put the menu on the side of the owner on the counter of the bar and just left, still no acknowledgment that I was there. It’s a very small establishment, looks very nice. I didn’t want have a Smashburger because of the Tex festival, I wanted something different. Based off of my interaction or interaction rather, I won’t be coming back because if that’s how people are being treated, I don’t want to support an establishment like that. Mind you, there was maybe eight people in the restaurant plus a couple outside. No reason to not be aware of...