[DFW] Mi Piaci

[Kent Wang]

I had lunch on Friday at Mi Piaci.

Caprese Classica. Imported Bufala mozzarella with vine ripened tomatoes, basil and extra virgin olive oil ($9).

Torta di Granchio. Risotto crab cakes with a roasted red pepper sauce over mixed greens in a balsamic vinegar ($11). I've had risotto cakes and I've had crab cakes but never a risotto crab cake. They were very good.

Zuppa di Mare. Adriatic style seafood and vegetable chowder ($7).

Fonduta di Tortelloni con Granchino. Fontina cheese filled Tortelloni with king crab, shitake mushrooms, Roma tomatoes and asparagus in a white wine truffle butter sauce ($17).

Salmone alla Griglia. Grilled Pacific salmon with king crab, soft polenta and grilled radicchio in a saffron lemon butter sauce ($14). Great cut of salmon, very fatty. The grilling job was a little light on the searing.

White chocolate mousse.

Macedonia di Frutta. Seasonal berries with homemade zabaglione ($10).

Mi Piaci reminds a lot of Siena in Austin. Both are similarly priced except Siena is Tuscan while Mi Piaci feels pan-Italian. Everything was skillfully cooked to my expectations. There were a lot of excellent values for lunch, especially the seafood chowder and grilled salmon. I would certainly return.

[Kevin72]

The fonduta tortellini variations that they do there are always a standout; they had another one one time that was spicy eggplant and veal that was amazing.

I find, particularly since their original Chef Kevin Ascolese left several years ago, the quality to be frustratingly and wildly inconsistent. Last time we went a year ago it was all very bland and underseasoned; the time before that it was one of the best experiences there and the service in particular was notable.

I always like their salumi platters and particularly the semolina and cheese wafers that come with them.

[Kent Wang]

Kevin, you know a lot about Italian cuisine. How authentic Italian do you think Mi Piaci is? How many of those dishes would I find in a restaurant in Italy? Dishes like the salmon seem very New World to me.

[BigboyDan]

Grilled Pacific salmon, king crab, shitake mushrooms: I would not think very Italian Italian, Kent. Sorta' like San Francisco Italian, which is fine. Also, as always, thanks for the photos...

As far as Kevin Ascolese, he's making burgers in Colorado ski country with a couple of former Brinker alumni: Where are they now?; third item.

Edited June 28, 2006 by BigboyDan (log)

[Kevin72]

The antipasto and the dessert are pretty authentic and you'd find them for the most part in Italy, just not in the same region. Mi Piaci uses alot of traditional Italian ingredients and techniques and give them an American spin. The grilled the grilled radicchio and polenta, for example, are a common pairing in the Veneto area of Italy. Yeah, you probably wouldn't normally find salmon there, but a grilled local fish of some kind would be a natural accompaniment. Though polenta is often served by itself as a first course. Something I part way with Italian tradition on myself.

Good as the tortelloni are, however, most self-respecting Italians would faint at seeing their beloved pasta dish so gussied up: totelloni are invariably served with either just butter and sage or in a broth.

[Kevin72]

We decided to head here Saturday night. Service continues to be a standout here: very helpful, professional, and attentive.

I had the carpaccio antipasto and the tortellini with crab for the main; my wife had an artichoke salad and pork chop for her main. Good, solid, reliable food, though again maybe just a little on the underseasoned side, particularly my wife's chop. I think Nikola's in Plano gives it a run for it's money, food-wise. Still a pleasant evening and I always love the design of the room.