Bellinis Italian Cafe and Pizza

Bellinis Italian Cafe is one of those restaurants you drive by and think, "That shopping center looks pretty sketchy, but I wonder if that restaurant is any good." So this week my friend Lindsay and I decided to try it out. It is just a couple blocks from my apartment in Oak Lawn, which made it a very convenient location for me. With all the great restaurants in the Uptown/Oak Lawn area, this one would be easy to miss. It is down a side street in a run down shopping center. Even the nail salon next door looked closed down.


Having only seen the outside, I was quite surprised when I walked in and saw an upscale Italian restaurant! I actually thought, maybe I should have checked out the menu pricing before I came in cause this place could be expensive. To my delight, Andrea Bocelli music was drifting through the restaurant. Who doesn't love being seated with Con Te Partiro softly playing in the background? I sure do! Lindsay and I could not help but giggle at the maitre d', who I sadly did not get a picture of, but he looked a little something like this (imagine worse hair, and not as cute)...Bellinis was pretty empty when we arrived at around 6:00pm, but it slowly filled up throughout the evening. It was a great atmosphere for a date, a business meeting, or a group of friends. All of which we saw dining there throughout our evening. Alright, now let's get to the important stuff... the food.


Our meal started with some breadsticks and an olive oil dipping sauce. This was no ordinary plate of olive oil. It had balsamic vinegar mixed in with spices (not sure which ones, possibly some basil in there) and more garlic than one person should probably eat in an evening. To say it was delicious is an understatement. Every meal in life should begin with this bread and dip. We also thought it only appropriate to order some Bellinis as well. Again, we were not disappointed. I was pleasantly surprised at the price of the Bellinis, only $5.25 each.


For an appetizer we ordered something called the Phyllo Basket ($8.95). It was a bowl made of phyllo dough, paper-thin sheets of unleavened flour dough (thank you Wikipedia), and filled with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, shrimp, Parmesan cheese, more garlic, and a light red sauce. It was not your normal appetizer, but it was light and delicious.

Lindsay and I decided to split an entree because, let's be honest, you are never all that hungry by the the time the main course arrives when the starter bread tastes so good. After much debate, we decided to go for the Chicken Piccatta ($12.95), which included a salad. There were lots of other chicken dish options, veal dishes, pasta dishes, pizzas, and more. So if Chicken Piccatta is not your thing, never fear, there is plenty more to choose from. The Chicken Piccatta was everything it should have been: tender chicken, angel hair pasta, light lemon sauce, capers, and of course more garlic. I would have to say that I enjoyed the Phyllo Bowl and the bread more than the entree, but it was still good. Maybe it just leaned a little more toward the bland side. I would definitely be willing to go back, but next time I would try a different entree.

Overall, I found Bellinis to be conveniently located, inexpensive, well run, and have decent food. It would not make it onto my list of best restaurants in Dallas, but the next time I am craving Italian and don't want to stray too far from home, this is probably where I will end up. There is just one final thing to keep in mind when eating dinner at Bellinis, two words... garlic breath.

Bellinis Italian Cafe and Pizza
3810 Congress Ave. Suite 109
Dallas, TX 75235
(214) 528-2844

Price: $$
Rating:

Little Bigs

If there is anything I love more than food, it's traveling. Lucky for me, traveling seems to go hand in hand with finding new restaurants. During a recent trip to Houston, Texas to visit my friend Erin, I discovered Little Bigs. Little Bigs is unique in that its menu items consist of only sliders (not full size burgers), fries, and milkshakes. What more could you want anyway? Little Bigs was recently voted "One of the Best New Burger Spots" by Bon Appetit. Based on my experience there, I would have to agree. If you are wondering where the name Little Bigs comes from, I'll give you the quick version, "little burgers with really big taste." There is also some story about two uncles, one little and one big, but you'll have to read the story on the website for that one. Little Bigs is a stand at the counter and order, then take your seat at the park bench on the patio kind of restaurant. Very casual, but perfect for a quick lunch or a happy hour with friends.


When you get to the counter to order, your first decision is picking which three sliders to try (trio $5.78, solo $2.08). There are four options to choose from: beef patty with caramelized onions, hand-breaded spicy chicken with a pickle, pulled pork with cole slaw, and spicy black bean with Harissa cream sauce. All of the sliders I had were delicious. I did not try the black bean, but of the three I did try, I think the spicy chicken was my favorite. All of the meat was tender and flavorful and each slider was unique. The french fries ($1.62) were fresh and tasty and we topped off the meal with some thick hand-spun ice cream shakes ($3.70).

If you are looking for a late night snack or an evening out with friends, Little Bigs serves beer and wine and is open until 3 am on the weekends. They also have a few "adult only" milkshakes. I am very intrigued by the White Russian Milkshake and the Big Pink (their Sangria Slushy). I will have to give them a try the next time I am in Houston! Overall, Little Bigs was a fun local experience, with good food at a great price. So next time you are in Houston, bring your family, your friends, or your dog, and sit on the patio and try out some sliders!


Little Bigs
2703 Montrose Boulevard
Houston, TX 77006-2732
(713) 521-2447

Price: $
Rating: