by Ken Kucwaj
The big surprise in Las Colinas is the major revamp of the menu from the original Sfuzzi in Uptown. Brad Woy, Carey Edmund and the rest of the team have done a bang up job in creating a concise menu that makes you want to try every dish.
First of all the restaurant is huge. Over 10,000 square feet huge. It is well laid out, with a beautifully appointed main dining room, killer bar, private rooms for corporate events and some really nice patios. It’s all first class
Growing up in New York and eating the best Italian food in the world (sorry Boston and Philly) I have had a tough time, a really tough time, finding an Italian place I want to go back to.
I think I found my place. The tempura like batter on the deep fried portabella mushrooms and asparagus blew me away. The star of the show was the tuna tartar. Normally that dish is like wake me up when it’s over. This one was different. Presentation a ten, taste an eleven, fagetaboutit. One bite was better than the next. The tuna was really fresh, mixed with diced fennel, onion, pine nuts, avocado and a harissa made from pureed Calabrian peppers.
Then my entrees came out. First was the dish they call Egg Noodle, a three meat ragu with a light San Marzano marinara. Nothing fancy but the pasta was homemade, sauce light and the dish would have been perfect if I had a brunello to wash it down with. This was followed by the trout, with the pureed parsnips, summer market vegetables. Honestly I am not a big fan of trout, but this was a version I would order on the next visit. The veggies were fresh and well seasoned and the parsnip puree killed it. Then we get to the pizza. Always a tough topic for me. Brooklyn pizza, baby, capisce? This crust was the closest thing I have had to a real Brooklyn pizza. We had the Ninth Pie which had Mission figs, gorgonzola, mozzarella, prosciutto, and grilled chicken. Unreal. I would make a special trip just for this pizza.
By this time I had to meet the chef. Out comes Hector Hernandez who cut his teeth at Neighborhood Services. You can see the training he received under Nick, and obviously has a ton of pride regarding the quality of the food I had that day for lunch. Just goes to show you that you don’t need a fancy culinary degree to make great food. Hector and Sfuzzi Las Colinas delivers.
