Osteria il Muro — Restaurant in Denton

I've been hearing about Osteria Il Muro from so many different friends & online publications over the past few years and finally got a chance to try it last night with my husband and two friends. Denton is certainly a bit of a trek for us, but all that travel was worth it for the excellent dinner experience. From the very beginning when we parked and checked in all the way through the night, service was amazing and we felt super cared for. We arrived about 20 minutes early for our 7:30 reservation and at the door we were greeted by James, who brought out a couple of wine menus and let us know that they were wrapping up the last cover and would probably be able to seat us early!

We waited outside for about five minutes before being brought inside to our table. The vibe inside was super cozy; we loved the wall tiles and ceiling detail and the family photos hung around the house, and it was neat to be able to peek across the room and see the chefs hard at work. Our server Belen was so helpful explaining the menu in full detail to us throughout the evening and providing great recommendations when we asked about various dishes.

Our group started with the focaccia which was incredible! All the reviews that mention how delicious it is truly didn't steer us wrong. We loved the sweet tinge of honey on the bread and the cultured butter was so smooth and flavorful. Amazing first bite, which then led into our antipasti. We went with the fried squash blossoms, the duck liver mousse, the heirloom tomato and nectarine salad, and the peppadew peppers, which was a good combination of lighter and heavier dishes. Our favorite was the duck liver mousse, spread across perfectly toasted bread and paired so well with the apricot preserves and crunchy pistachios. I also really enjoyed the salad; the fruit and dressing had such a lovely brightness! And the squash blossoms came with this sweet basil crema and orange honey, super fun flavor combination.

For primis, we ordered the off-menu special of the evening, a sous vide coppa with pan-fried gnocchi, as well as the leek top fettuccine, tortelli, and the risotto of the day. All of these items were incredible and we thoroughly enjoyed sharing them family-style. The risotto of the day was Mexican-inspired, super creamy and bright with a nice little kick from the chili crunch. The leek top fettuccine was an amazing carbonara-esque dish, and the tortelli came in this incredible creamy tomato sauce that we loved. The coppa was probably the world's best version of a holiday ham, so tender and moist with a lovely sweet glaze. All the flavors of each dish worked so well together and I wish I'd had room for more!

We ended with a couple of desserts: the gelati flight which came with three delicious flavors (my favorite was the cherry!) and the best cannoli we've ever had. Shells were super thin and shatteringly crisp, and the filling was lovely with the crumbled pistachios at the ends for crunch and some amarena cherry drizzle. A delightful end to our meal!

On our way out we saw the little garden out back where a lot of the herbs and vegetables are sourced, which was super lovely. Denton is far but if we're able to snag another reservation we'd love to come back and try more of the delicious creations the team at Osteria Il Muro...

We got our reservations two days before. I had just gotten home from work so was not in the best frame of mind but we were seated as we arrived and I was impressed at the efficiency of the manager and staff. The ambience itself is very relaxing since the dining area is quite small (think of your grandmothers house at Thanksgiving) but the tables are spaced well. You can hear the murmur and buzz of conversation but not the conversation itself. Where we were sat was a two top table by what looks to be an antique prep top and hanging on the wall next to it were several pasta dyes or cutters. I quickly realized doing the mental calculations that these were very likely not decor but actual working tools for prep work and probably for the pasta that I am about to consume. This excites me! I definitely understand the inner workings of restaurants and also understand limited prep area means a delicate dance that must ensue for each and every service. Our server, Sydney comes over introduces herself. She is very personable and she asks if we have ever dined there before, to which we respond that this is our first time in. She tells us some background and then asks us if we would like to look at the wine list and asks us what if any preferences we might have. After some helpful back and forth we settled on a delicious Italian white that should lend itself to the experience, it did! She also told us about the special that night which was a fresh focaccia bread that was baked in house and served with a hand churned butter! My wife and I love to eat and travel and from what she was describing I knew that this wouldn't be just bread and butter! When the bread came it was piping hot and the butter was lovingly shaped into a perfect canella. The bread was dense and soft with a perfectly baked buttered out shell, in a word it was magnificent! The butter itself had a faint grassy funk that added to the luxuriously fatty sweetness. It took me to mountainsides and verdant green valleys, mind you this is just the bread! With Sydney's help we decided on two appetizers because.. Yes. We shared the Dates, very nice and stuffed with a pureed duck and pan fried with caul fat. Sweet, savory, perfectly done. We also had a frisee salad with a wonderful Blue Cheese and candied nectarine? peels. It was a wonderful bite and with the vinaigrette everything played delightfully well together. For Our main course I tried something that was new for the menu, a delectable capo, mortadella Casoncelli. Perfectly al dente pasta pillows filled with fatty delectable goodness and a pasta water and butter sauce with parmesan that danced perfectly while not overpowering the delicate dish. My wife ordered the leg of lamb and it was perfectly done. Meaty and with just a hint of the gaminess that quality lamb brings, it absolutely fell off the bone! it was served over a cheesy polenta and had a wonderful Jus reduction. For dessert we chose the semi fredo it was a perfect ending for a damn near perfect meal! We will be back as soon as we can and we will bring friends.. if we can get in lol! Btw the music selection was fire as well a great mix of yacht rock and progressive 80's gems. Just wanted to share that...

We were back in the DFW area over the weekend and had one of the best dining experiences of our lives.

Sharon and Marty know how to pick great places for us to try. We are up in the Denton area north of Dallas.

The night started with a visit to Miss Angeline’s for some cocktails. Stephen and I ordered the Airplane cocktail while Sharon chose the Aviation cocktail and Marty the Negroni Cocktail. All very good! Left with a nice pre-dinner buzz. Ha.

The next stop was Osteria il Muro. Italian. This establishment is super exclusive. There are only a handful of tables that can seat a total of around 24 people. It’s packed every evening and has about a two-month waiting list. It’s well worth it! Chef Scott Girling’s vision is absolutely amazing. Every ounce of this place is well thought out. The service and food are impeccable—One of a kind.

Our server Benjamin Mott, has family in New Iberia and was very knowledgeable about the menu and, more specifically, how to pair the wines. They have recently moved to 100% Italian wines. He recommended two bottles that paired perfectly with our dinner. Thank you, Benjamin!

Our Antipasti dishes:

Chicken Liver Mousse with apricot conserva, pistachio, and pane carasau. We were skeptical about this one, but it was one of our favorites. So happy we went outside our comfort zone.

Peppadew Peppers stuffed with fresh ricotta and fine herbs and garnished with green garlic and parsley oil. It was, again, freaking amazing.

Heirloom Wheat Sourdough Focaccia with Cultured Butter—everything you love about focaccia but fluffier. The hand-churned butter was delicious—a lovely touch.

FRIED SQUASH BLOSSOMS!! —stuffed with Fontina Val D’ Aosta. Tempura battered and topped with Texas honey. —never in my life have I heard of or tasted squash blossoms. This dish was beautiful and delicious. What a treat!

On to Primi:

Our only rule was simple. Everyone had to get something different so that we could share.

Tortelli stuffed with goat cheese and served with Campari tomatoes and topped with thyme and sourdough breadcrumbs.

Gramigna with chanterelle mushrooms in a crema di noci sauce and topped with parmigiano reggiano.

Cappelletti with veal cheek, sweet corn, summer truffle, and chives.

And the special—Spicy Coppa Steak with Fregola pasta, grilled zucchini, eggplant, golden raisins, and tomato sugo. Ricotta Salata, basil oil, and fresh basil.

It was not possible to choose a favorite here. All these entrees were out of this world—again, spot-on flavor. Perfectly delicious. Wow!

Dolci

We could not choose just one dessert.

Chocolate Panna Cotta topped with blackberries, nocciola cream, and topped with cookie crumble.

Grilled Vanilla Cake with vanilla cream, strawberries, and candied pistachio. Omgosh—Grill white cake works for a different take on strawberry shortcake.

Affogato with fresh espresso.

Check out these pics and links. This place is well beyond excellent. — eating dinner with Stephen Rogers at...