The Best in DFW

Arcodoro and Pomodoro 

Efisio and Francesco Farris have been in the Dallas restaurant game for nearly two decades, and the Sardinian and Italian offerings at this Uptown stalwart maintain their classic, robust appeal. Straightforwardly Italian dishes like pizza or pappardelle with sausage, tomatoes and peas hit the mark, but the most tempting draws here have origins in Sardinia, an island territory of Italy. Look for less common pleasures such as risotto al nero (colored with squid ink), semolina dumplings served with a ragu of braised lamb and, for dessert, seadas al miele (funnel-cake-like puff pastry filled with sweetened cheese and glazed with Sardinian honey).

2708 Routh St. 214-871-1924. www.arcodoro.com. $$$-$$$$. Full bar.

Daniele Osteria 

The small menu at this subterranean Oak Lawn restaurant offers a handful of simple, rustic dishes reflecting chef-owner Daniele Puleo's roots in Palermo, Sicily. Highlights from two recent review meals include classic Sicilian caponata (diced eggplant with celery, tomato, onions, olives and capers in a warm olive oil bath), gnocchi with Gorgonzola, beautifully cooked veal scaloppine with baby artichokes and slow-roasted lamb shank. Servers happily guide customers through the modest selection of lesser-known Italian wine varietals.

3300 Oak Lawn Ave. 214-443-9420. www.danieleosteria.com. $$$. Full bar.

Ferrari's Italian Villa 

Bread service at the beginning of any Italian restaurant meal is standard, but the crackery, hot-from-the-oven focaccia served at Ferrari's two locations (Grapevine and Addison) transcends custom or gimmickry: It is powerfully satisfying. Ferrari's celebrates known and loved Italian-American dishes. Caesar salad, lasagna, spaghetti Bolognese, steak pizzaiola and stuffed bone-in veal chop are all here. Orecchiette with fennel sausage and pleasantly bitter rapini is one standout pasta dish. The Grapevine location includes a wine bar called Flight, which serves pizzas fashioned from that marvelous focaccia.

1200 William D. Tate Ave., Grapevine. 817-251-2525. Also at 14831 Midway Road, Addison. 972-980-9898. www.ferrarisrestaurant.com. $$$-$$$$. Full bar.

Mi Piaci 

Food-loving Dallas natives and longtime residents can spin some zesty yarns about memorable meals at Mi Piaci when it was the height of trendiness in the '80s. This Far North Dallas survivor may no longer hog the limelight, but a recent meal there proved it still has gumption in the kitchen. Risotto was cooked to order and sidestepped the gummy quality too often found in restaurants. The Bolognese sauce, tossed with freshly house-made tagliatelle, was disarmingly soulful. It's rewarding to find that Brian Black, who took over the restaurant from founder Janet Cobb (his mother), has kept Mi Piaci's romance with Italian cooking alive.

14854 Montfort Drive. 972-934-8424. www.mipiaci-dallas.com. $$$-$$$$. Full bar.

Nonna 

It is not hyperbole to say that chef Julian Barsotti has raised the bar for Italian food in Dallas with his recently opened Highland Park restaurant. A veteran of acclaimed Oliveto in Oakland, Calif. (not to mention his mother's local catering business, the Food Company), Mr. Barsotti offers a near-nightly-changing menu of salads, pastas, pizzas and entrees. He doesn't focus on one region, and sometimes his inspirations are clearly American, but his food honors the simple, seasonal- ingredient- driven essence of Italian cuisine. The pastas and pizzas are the true heart of his cooking. If the white pizza with clams is available, order two.

4115 Lomo Alto (near Lemmon, across from Whole Foods), Highland Park. 214-521-1800. www.nonnadallas.com. $$-$$$. Full bar.

Nonna Tata 

Cowtown's Nonna Tata has many quirks: Only 21 seats; no reservations; no liquor license; cash or checks only; open only Tuesdays through Fridays. It also has chef-owner Donatella Trotti, a native of Italy's northwestern lake country who cooks food that can break your heart with its sincerity. If you stick to a simple meal, prices here can be quite affordable. But do come resigned to stuff yourself, starting with the antipasto platter and fresh stuffed pastas, perhaps sharing a protein-centric entree and then finishing with a homey dessert. P.S.: Ms. Trotti will soon be opening a second Cowtown restaurant, tentatively called Tata, Too.

1400 W. Magnolia Ave., Fort Worth. 817-332-0250. $$-$$$. BYOB.

Villa-O 

The latest effort from restaurateur Robert Colombo makes the list for its pasta program, which is a reflection of the culinary times through the lens of Italian-American cooking. Seven shapes of long and short pastas, from spaghetti and bucatini to rigatoni and fusili, are made fresh daily using organic ingredients. They are paired with sauces (including a rich Bolognese and a lush vodka-tomato-cream number) and cooked in woks to intensify the flavors. Considering all that elbow grease, and the yachtlike digs, the costs are reasonable. Nicely tangy Caesar salad and a great all-Italian by-the-glass wine list round out the experience.

4514 Travis St. (in Travis Walk). 214-780-1880. www.villaorestaurant.com. $$-$$$. Full bar.

How we choose

Selections are based on recent reviews and dining experiences by Dallas Morning News restaurant critic Bill Addison and other regular reviewers, including Kim Harwell, Michael Hiller, Kim Pierce and Lawson Taitte.

When you see this symbol in on GuideLive.com, you'll know that location is a critics' pick. Critics' picks are presented alphabetically, without ranking. For more details on our price key and star ratings, check GuideLive.com's Restaurant Frequently Asked Questions. To join in and view other dining features, check the Restaurants page at GuideLive.com.