i Fratelli serves up a taste of Italy
Published: Mar 8, 2009
When people think about the best places to find good, authentic Italian food, New York and Chicago come to mind…and of course, Italy. However, many Italian families settled in Texas over the years bringing along their tasty cuisine.
One such family -- the clever Cole brothers of Irving, Texas -- drew from their Italian heritage and their recipe for a thin pizza crust to create i Fratelli. The restaurant name literally means "the brothers" in Italian; that family feeling translates into the restaurant’s warm and relaxed atmosphere.
The restaurant’s menu offers a variety of choices, from their popular rectangular thin-crust pizza and lasagna to seafood pastas like scampi alla piccata, scampi ravioli and pesce soffocato (Redfish "suffocated" with a spicy cream sauce of crayfish and shrimp) -- the latter a bargain at $15.99!
“Our hand-breaded tender calamari as an appetizer is big, as is the sausage and peppers,” said George Cole, restaurant co-founder. “Our tapas menu has really taken off for our bar patrons especially the lamb chops rosamarino, eggplant bruschetta and grilled bistecca cipolle (steak with onions). But then our frozen bellinis have always been a trademark, especially as spring heats up.”
The lovely faintly pink bellini is the peach-flavored wine drink invented in 1948 at the famous Harry Bar's in Venice.
i Fratelli experiences its biggest crowds during weekday lunch time and Friday nights. The restaurant’s happy hour (4 to 7 p.m., weekdays) pulls in the patrons with its half-price featured wine of the week. The Sunday lunch buffet from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. attracts a large number of family groups, as do Friday nights.
“We stay fairly busy, fortunately, but our tables generally turn quickly so the wait, even when there is one, is usually not long,” Cole said.
For those wanting a more leisurely visit with less hustle and bustle, Cole recommends coming in for a sip and a nibble weekdays before 11:45 a.m. and after 1:30 a.m. Even Sunday through Thursday afternoons and nights provide a slightly less crowed experience.
The restaurant also offers take-out and has expanded into several pizza delivery locations. The pizza menu offers numerous toppings for a decently priced pie.
i Fratelli also makes the most of its wine bar with wine tastings events every other Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m.
At the wine tastings, participants sit at tables, booths or the bar. There, they receive a tasting card listing each of the five featured wines on which they can make notes. The wine is served along with fruit, imported cheese and iFratelli’s homemade flatbread. The restaurant’s wine steward and a representative of the wine’s vineyard or distributor are on hand to circulate amongst the tables giving tasting notes, geography and history notes, and answering questions.
Coming up on March 30, iFratelli will host a wine dinner with Michael Phillips, owner of Michael~David Vineyards in Lodi, Calif. -- most famous for the 7 Deadly Zins, Earthquake and 6th Sense Syrah wine labels.
The restaurant offers an easily accessible location in north Irving on Mac Arthur Boulevard, just a quarter mile south of Interstate 635. Adequate parking is located around the restaurant and its topless glass patio feature.
To learn more about participating in the wine tasting events or to make a reservation, call (972) 501-9700.
- by Jenn Emerson, Dallas Reporter for HelloMetro
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