Nonna | Tabu — Restaurant in Highland Park

May 14, 2016

A week and half ago, my wife and I decided to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary by having a romantic dinner at Nonna’s restaurant. I, personally, have never been there before last night, but my wife has heard so much about Nonna restaurant that we’ve decided to make reservations and give it a try. So, last night we arrived at Nonna’s and we checked in with the hostess, which to her credit they proceeded to sit us immediately. But, there was something out of place, the table. Keep in mind that this is a romantic anniversary dinner, so we were looking for a quiet in the corner type of table. The table that the hostess had reserved for us seemed like the extension that unites two small tables for a bigger group. The table was tiny. There were other two person tables that were more suited for our needs, but were all taken. There was no way I was going to sit in the middle of two groups and have a romantic dinner with my wife, so I requested, to the hostess, a better table and her reply was “that is the only table we have available” when clearly there were several four person tables that were empty. I do understand that those tables have probably been reserved, but if I, the customer, is not satisfied with the table arrangement there should be a contingency plan available to the hostess to accommodate the customer’s needs. The hostess flat out told us that the only table they had available was the one they had reserved for us. In addition, she also said that if we wanted a romantic dinner we should had told them at the time we’ve made the reservation. It’s preposterous that when one makes a reservation for two we have to explain that we need a reasonable quiet and intimate table for two. In the restaurant all of the tables for two are set up that way with the exception of the one they had reserved for us. The hostess did not even try to make other arrangements for us. She flat out said that she did not have anything else for us and that everything has been reserved, even the bar sitting area. Bottom line is that a restaurant like Nonna’s should take a little more pride in the type of service they provide, starting with the hostess. Needless to say, we ended up cancelling the reservation. This was a very negative experience and I’ve been to many places in the world, but it’s unbelievable that a place of supposedly at a high caliber as Nonna’s doesn’t have the right etiquette to treat...

Let me start with: wow, Wow, WOW! This was sold to me as a cosy neighborhood Italian joint in a tiny strip mall. While the neighborhood piece was somewhat true, this couldn't have been more undersold! This place knocked my socks off for my expectations! The cozy vibe was sort of true, but more acutely described as bustlingly intimate. I sat at the bar and heard plenty of regulars and ones comers alike. I went on a Monday and sat at the bar. I was delighted to be treated with David behind bar (normally serving on most other nights). He gave an expert take on wines, food, and the vibe of the whole place. As he and all the other servers, front of house, and kitchen interacted I felt like I had the best seat in the house.

Beyond the atmosphere, the food was truly fantastic! The costs aren neighborhood Italian joint cheap but the food is way above my standard for neighborhood Italian joint fare! I will come back here in a heartbeat, but I know the challenge will be getting a spot with everyone else who has the same idea!

Foods for the night: Grilled baby octopus with guanciale, potatoes wedges, and this freaking amazing saffron aoili

Take: killer way to start the meal. I could have had 3 orders of this and been happy! Octopus was grilled well (minus 1 piece) but the saffron aioli was the show stopper mixed with everything else.

Sformato (aka somewhat between a souffle and savory panna cota) of spinach with a cream sauce of toasted pine nuts

Take: this reminded me of a dish my grandmother made, but taken about about 3 notches. It wasn't nearly as substantial as the octopus but the flavors were knock out quality. It was rich enough that the amount was perfect but it did make me want this served at every dinner party I have!

spaghetti with gulf shrimp, cardons, onions, in basil / red pepper olive oil sauce.

Take: the gulf shrimp.was perfectly cooked, the sauce and pasta was luscious with a kick. While this was probably the most straight forward dish I had all evening, I couldn't stop eating it. Initially it seemed basic but the more I ate the more I realized it was the chef highlighting the ingredients and flavors of home made pasta, the shrimp and underlying flavors. I had hoped to save leftovers but I ate the while thing without a second thought

What a place to find as someone new to Dallas. I can't wait...

Where do I begin? One thing that comes to mind is indulgent. Our meal was absolutely indulgent. We sat at the bar and David was our server/bartender for the evening. David is one cool person and a dang good server. Very polite and very knowledgeable of their product. He made my first Nonna experience a good one. Now the menu changes seasonally, so the same items may not be available but I was informed that there is always something like the product just a bit different with the seasons. I can dig it. So, with that being said....we began our experience with the beet salad. I wanted more. I could just eat the beet salad every day and be happy with my eating life. It was prepared perfectly! Next on the list was the lobster ravioli (served in a clear broth and not a cream sauce or marinara like most places) and the Quail. Both were winners in my mouth. You get quite a bit of Quail, by the way. I even took one home and our son was able to enjoy it as well...and he loved it. The ravioli you actually get a choice on how many you want....6 or 10, I believe. I could be wrong on those numbers but it is close to that range. We chose the lower amount and that was satisfying. Then the dessert. Dear lord.....the dessert. I mean....everyone loves a good dessert and it has to be something to follow an exsquisite meal like this. It was. We had the molten chocolate cake and the in-house made ice cream ( the ice cream is actually called something else but my husband and I were so food drunk we cannot remember 😂). Both worth it and both wonderful. I will say though....that molten chocolate cake....well, you may want to marry it. All in all....the foods, drinks, service.....so great. We will be back!!! Oh...before I forget!!! Get a reservation! You will need it. Apparently my husband and I were able to land some very coveted...