Olivella’s Neo Pizza Napolitana
6333 Camp Bowie Blvd.
www.olivellas.com
Avanti Ristorante
150 Throckmorton St., Suite 140
www.avantirestaurants.com
Minibar Delivery
www.minibardelivery.com
Taverna Rossa
1151 Southlake Blvd.
www.tavernarossa.com
Courtney Dabney
cdabney@bizpress.net
April’s biggest openings definitely have an Italian theme. With three locations in Dallas, Olivella’s Neo Pizza has moved into its first Fort Worth location, the freshly renovated space in the Village at Camp Bowie that most recently housed Jake’s Hamburgers.
Its recipes go back generations to the family of co-owner Salvatore Olivella, whose family founded the third-oldest pizza restaurant in Naples, Italy − Trianon Pizzeria, which opened in the 1920’s. That makes eating at Olivella’s a slice of history. Co-owner Charlie Green said, “You will taste the difference in our house-made mozzarella and imported tomatoes.”
At the media opening on March 21, we sampled Momma’s meatballs, which are two large and tender meatballs resting in a bright-tasting marinara sauce. The metro pizza is a Roman-style cracker crust, while the original is the Southern Italian style. Some Neapolitan crusts have a reputation for being kind of soupy in the middle − this one is fluffy but cooked thoroughly. I highly suggest the tiramisu with its rich coffee and mascarpone custard.
Regular Neapolitan crust Margherita Pizza. Photo by Steven Visneau
Avanti comes to One City Place
The longtime Dallas favorite Avanti Ristorante just opened its newest location in One City Place. While the Dallas location has been a mainstay on McKinney Avenue since the 1990’s, this location will have convenient access via skybridge to the Worthington Hotel and is situated only one block from Sundance Square. Featuring complimentary valet service, wine on tap, patio seating and a large private dining room, Avanti is sure to dazzle with its posh interior and authentic Italian cuisine.
The menu is always enticing with many must-try specialties such as the finger crab claws sautéed in a chardonnay reduction with garlic, olive oil and lime juice, or the bone-in veal Milanese served with spicy arugula, roasted cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella and finished with an olive oil and fresh lemon juice dressing. The space is bright and clean with wire chandeliers overhead, black bistro chairs and tufted white banquette seating.
Avanti’s bright and neutral interior.
Minibar delivers liquor and beer
Minibar, the leading on-demand alcohol delivery service, now provides locals with wine, spirits or beer with the click of a button on Minibar’s app or website (Minibardelivery.com) in under an hour from a local store. With the same pricing as in the stores, Minibar offers a great selection, with no markup, at a great convenience.
Fort Worth is the 23rd city in Minibar’s growing empire and the 5th major Texas market since the company launched in 2014 in cities across the country. Service began in Fort Worth March 15. Minibar’s retail partner, AXO Liquor, is stocked with a vast assortment of wine, beer and spirits. Minibar is currently serving the greater Fort Worth area, with plans to expand further north and west.
“We’re thrilled to be expanding to Fort Worth, our third new market this year, and are excited to be the first company to provide its residents with an easier way to shop for wine, spirits, beer and more,” said co-founder Lindsey Andrews. “As the market leader, we look forward to continuing to grow our footprint throughout Texas.”
Minibar: Yes, there’s an app for that!
Taverna Rossa pizza add Southlake location
33 Restaurant Group partners Preston Lancaster and Tony Smith own and operate five restaurants including Taverna Rossa Craft Pizza and Beer in Plano, which opened in 2013. They just announced the opening of its second location in Southlake, joining the company’s other eateries – Palio’s Pizza Cafe (Little Elm and Frisco) and Cadillac Pizza Pub in McKinney.
Specializing in rustic thin-crust pizzas baked in a stone-fired oven and Texas-influenced Italian dishes including salads, pastas, sandwiches, Taverna Rossa offers handmade goodness and hometown flavors.
Taverna has a strong commitment to sourcing local ingredients whenever possible. They use Lemley’s tomatoes, Hamm’s Meat Market, Luscher’s Italian Sausage as well as, other local artisans. Taverna Rossa will feature 30 craft beers on draft, four wine taps and a selection of handcrafted cocktails and signature cocktails including the RossaRita, Rossa mule and the award-winning spicy bloody Rossa.