| CITY OF ATE | ▼ Dish Get What You Pay For Baonecci Ristorante’s Lucchese-style dishes are worth the price, whatever social media grumblers say. BY HANK VAUGHN T he Gambaccini family hails from Lucca, Italy, that beautiful city in Tuscany famous for its Renaissance walls and tordelli lucchesi, a bright yellow pasta made with eggs that is similar to ravioli but always filled with a mixture of meat, usually beef and/or pork, and sauced with a rich meat ragu. After originally emigrating to San Francisco in 2005 and opening their Luc- chese-inspired restaurant, Caffe Baonecci, the family decided this year to move the en- tire operation and family to Frisco and had their opening in June. Chef Stefania Gambaccini learned her craft at the apron strings of her “mommy grandmothers” and slowly transitioned from cooking for friends’ parties to joining her family in presenting typical dishes from Lucca that one usually only finds in Italian homes. The pasta is freshly made each day from scratch, and the chef rolls out each pizza herself. Now, there’s been a fair amount of grumbling on social media about the cost and servings sizes at Baonecci Ris- torante, and the Gambaccinis address this on their website: “We know… our fare is not inexpensive, due to high-quality ingredients used for each dish, plus for the love of an Italian woman that puts her heart in every dish that she cooks for you... As we say in Italian, ‘non si può avere la botte piena e la moglie ubri- aca’ : ‘you can’t have both a full carafe of wine and a drunken wife.’” Indeed. We decided to see for ourselves, and we’re glad we did. It was a trek out there to be sure, but once we arrived we were warmly greeted by the Gambaccini patri- arch, a bearded gentleman whose Italian accent and mannerisms were almost straight out of a Fellini movie, in the best possible way. After we were seated, we were brought our own water bottle, some- thing we always appreciate. We ordered a couple of glasses of Chianti at the very rea- sonable cost of $13 each and decided on our courses. We opted for a starter, a pasta, a pizza and a dessert, all of which we in- tended to share. The starter selection was fagioli all’uccelletto. We weren’t sure if this was a soup or not, since in our Italian household Jacob Vaughn “pasta fagioli” was always a soup. This was not a soup but was instead a beautifully pre- pared warm bowl of cannellini beans, to- mato sauce, sausage, garlic and sage. The tomato sauce was rich and robust but not overpowering, the sausage meaty with a perfect texture. We could have made a meal of this with a larger bowl and a few chunks of crusty bread. (Side note: they do not serve bread here as many typically American-Ital- ian restaurants do.) Of course our pasta choice was tordelli lucchesi. This is described on the menu as meat ravioli with house made pork and beef Bolognese sauce and parsley. There were six rather large pieces (about three inches in di- ameter) to the order, which was just enough for the two of us. These were extremely good, probably better than the ones we had in Lucca proper a few years ago in a now-de- funct spot hidden within that city’s walls. The pasta was perfectly cooked, the meat sauce full of flavor. Our pizza selection was the Maremma diavola, which is described as having a very spicy tomato sauce, garlic, olive oil and Ital- ian parsley. (The eagle eyed will notice no cheese is mentioned.) This was an ex- tremely thin pizza a little bigger than 12 inches in diameter that was probably some of the best pizza we’ve had in ages. It was spicy, yes, but it was something else as well: fresh, crispy, chewy, bold and crunchy. Each bite reminded me of my Italian great-grand- mother’s kitchen. We were looking forward to cannoli for dessert, but since they were out, we ordered the tiramisu, which arrived at our table in a glass coffee cup and liberally topped with chocolate powder. With two spoons we fin- ished this nicely done dessert in probably under three minutes. In short, this was wonderful food served up by a warm and friendly family that could have been stand-ins for my Italian relatives. The patriarch asked how our meal was and shook our hands as we left. Yes, it is expen- sive. The pasta dish was $35, which of course is high for a pasta serving. Perhaps they need to readjust a bit and realize that Frisco is not San Francisco … or perhaps not. After all, remember, you can’t have both a full carafe of wine and a drunken wife. 7151 Preston Road, Unit 451 (Frisco), 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. Monday - Saturday ▼ EAT THIS SOUL FOOD SUNDAY W MOTHER’S BASKET IN DESOTO IS WORTH THE TREK. BY MOLLY WOLCHANSKY hen Jackie Johnson was just 12 years old, her mother, Jackie Mitchell, started teaching her how to cook all different types of soul food. Mitchell was taught by “Mother” Vernie Brown, who is the namesake of Mother’s Basket, a restaurant in DeSoto. Johnson passed these dishes onto her husband, son and daughter, who run the restaurant with her, making this a true generational estab- lishment. The best day to try Mother’s Basket is Soul Food Sunday, when people come from all around North Texas arrive to get the daily special. The restaurant is about 25 minutes from downtown Dallas, but that doesn’t stop patrons from making the weekly drive. There isn’t a set menu on Sundays, and that’s because Johnson “likes to cook from the heart.” The wait isn’t ever too bad, but they sometimes sell out as early as 2 p.m., so be sure to arrive early. Soul Food Sunday serves staples like baked pork chops, oxtail, neck bones, fried Tordelli lucchesi at Caffe Baonecci. fish, chicken leg quarters and a variety of classic sides like macaroni and cheese, green beans, black-eyed peas, cornbread dressing, yams and cabbage. We tried the tender baked chicken that falls right off the bone and is blanketed with crispy, lightly peppered skin. A scoop each of dressing, macaroni and cheese and green beans with a side of cornbread were all perfect. We also tried the fried catfish, which is coated with thin and crunchy breading. Combined with the sautéed, buttery cab- bage and thick cornbread, it makes for a fond tastebud trip back in time. The Sun- day specials start at $14, and the servings are plentiful, so be sure to arrive hungry. Mother’s Basket is open only Thursday through Sunday. The regular menu is avail- able when it’s not Soul Food Sunday, and it boasts dishes like Smokey Denmark Hot Links, which come with fries, bread, pickles and peppers and starts at $6. There are other dishes to choose from like the pork chop basket, which comes with the same sides and starts at $9. If you’re not a fan of pork, try the chicken wing basket and the chicken tender basket that starts at $6, and be sure not to pass on the sugar-filled peach mango tea. The restaurant is takeout only. While waiting for your to-go order, be sure to check out the family photos displayed on each wall. Everything is served in styrofoam containers and the food is packed so that it stays warm for a while. Mother’s Basket, 208 North Hampton Road, Suite C, DeSoto. 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Thursday – Saturday and Sunday 12 p.m. to sell out – closed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. >> p18 17 17 dallasobserver.com dallasobserver.com | CONTENTS | UNFAIR PARK | SCHUTZE | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | MOVIES | DISH | MUSIC | CLASSIFIED | CLASSIFIED | MUSIC | DISH | CULTURE | UNFAIR PARK | CONTENTS DALLAS OBSERVER DALLAS OBSERVER MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2014 AUGUST 11–17, 2022
