Stellini Trattoria — Restaurant in Grapevine

The experience was nothing short of breathtaking—marvelous in every conceivable way, and enchanted almost, as though I had stepped into a world where every sense was heightened, every flavor amplified, and every moment suspended in time. From the moment I arrived, the atmosphere enveloped me with its warm, inviting charm, effortlessly blending rustic elegance with a cozy, welcoming ambiance. The soft hum of conversation, the subtle glow of ambient lighting, and the tantalizing aromas wafting from the kitchen all hinted that something extraordinary awaited.

And then, the food arrived, transforming an already delightful evening into something truly unforgettable. The pizza was a work of art—each element meticulously crafted to perfection. The crust was the ideal balance of crispness and chew, kissed by the flames of the oven just enough to impart a smoky depth that lingered on the palate. The tomato sauce, vibrant and rich, tasted like the essence of sun-ripened tomatoes distilled into a single, harmonious note. Every topping was a testament to quality, from the creamy mozzarella that melted into luxurious pools to the fresh basil that added a fragrant, herbaceous lift with every bite.

But the rustic focaccia—oh, the rustic focaccia—was an experience in itself. Its golden-brown exterior, kissed with just the right amount of olive oil, crackled ever so slightly under the gentle pressure of my fingers before yielding to a pillowy-soft interior. Each bite was a perfect harmony of textures and flavors, a delicate dance between simplicity and sophistication that left me craving more even as I savored every morsel.

And then came the crowning jewel of the evening: the vanilla bean dessert. At $13.99, it might seem like a simple indulgence, but from the very first spoonful, it became clear that its value far exceeded its price. Smooth and velvety, with the unmistakable richness of real vanilla beans speckled throughout, it was a dessert that transcended mere culinary delight. In that moment, it felt like it deserved to be priced at $112.62 billion dollars—not because of any arbitrary number, but because it offered an experience so profound, so exquisitely pleasurable, that it felt priceless. Each bite was a symphony of flavor, a delicate balance of sweetness and depth that lingered on my tongue long after the last spoonful was gone.

This wasn’t just a meal—it was a journey, a memory etched into my mind, a testament to the magic that happens when passion, skill, and creativity come together on a plate. Even now, as I reflect on the experience, I find myself longing to relive it, knowing that it wasn’t merely about the food, but about the feelings it evoked, the moments it created, and the pure, unadulterated joy...

It's a mixed bag honestly, here we go:

I've been here a few times in the past years and each time the quality of the entrees got a little worse. During my most recent visit I got to try a few things: (apps) rustic focaccia and calamari steak, both were great - no notes, a caesar salad - again no notes, (entrees) agnolotti and the scallops Stellini, details below, and the zeppole for dessert - these were great (they're very similar to a doughnut hole so who can dislike that).

First the agnolotti, this dish is little pastas stuffed with tenderloin and parmesan, not unlike a ravioli, covered with a demi-glace sauce. It's not great. And as of writing certainly not $34 great. Given that tenderloin has such a mild flavor you'd expect the parmesan, the pasta of the agnolotto, and the sauce to be responsible for the dish's flavor, and they are, and they fail at that I'm sorry to say. The pasta the dish is made from should be flavorful on its own to the point were not even much sauce is needed, but it wasn't. On the demi - glace sauce, it's F-tier. Very disappointing. One can't expect the Italian cuisine interpretation of a French sauce to be identical in all ways, but this was abysmal. No hyperbole. It's so, so close to a packet of instant brown gravy. Please do better, this restaurant gets so many things right that aren't easily done. To fail this badly at something like a demi - glace is trivial and so fixable.

The scallops Stellini, it's a simpler dish and it was the entree I ordered for myself so I got to try more of it. The size of each scallop was okay, ~20/30, but very oddly my dish was served with only 3, not the 4 as depicted on the menu. Just, why? Our meal was early in the night so I doubt they were trying to stretch inventory. Their done-ess was fine, minorly over cooked but not enough to recommend a change. They're served with a paprika butter sauce containg bits of pancetta fond. Somehow , the flavor of the dish was plain and dissappointing, with the polenta underneath the scallops being forgettable and irrelevant.

Appetizers and dessert 9/10. Entrees 2/10 and 3/10 respectively.

Please Stellini, the entrees are addressable, you're excelling at everything else. I want this...

We were a group of 6 and had a reservation. We were seated right away. They took our drink order and that's where everything stopped being good. It took over 10 mins to get our drinks(only two alcoholic ones). Then it was another 15-20 mins after getting our drinks before the server came back to get our order. The wait time for food was longer than it should have been, given that it was a little busy, but nothing that should have caused increased wait times(I've worked many restaurants for years) and the fact that it was a limited menu(Mother's day). Food finally arrives and what a disappointment. Two of the orders were Margherita pizzas. They were cheese pizzas with basil on them. They didn't have tomatoes or mozzarella medallions(you know the other two ingredients on a margherita pizza) on them. It was a thin crust, but the crust was floppy. One order got the Lasagna and the sauce tasted so bland that it was like they just poured a can of crushed tomatoes on it. None of the food was "bad", but it was very disappointing, especially for the price. The only food that was good was the ONE appetizer they had. It was orange pieces and goat cheese on bruschetta. However, each order only came with two pieces of bruschetta. We got two orders and still had to cut the bruschetta in half for everyone to get some. Also, it seems that if you have a party of 6 or more, they add preset gratuity to the bill. Which we didn't know about until the bill came. That's not a big deal and understandable, but it makes me wonder if the service was so bad because they knew they'd get a default amount from us. I doubt we will...