Surely you've heard of Patrizio, the small-chain Italian restaurant focused on traditional fare, but have you heard of their new brunch menu? I can say that as an avid bruncher myself, Dallas has some competitive menus, patios, and drink specials. That being said, I was certainly curious about what to expect at their newest location next door to Del Frisco Grille, taking over the spot Barter previously held on McKinney Avenue.
Hosting a beautiful patio and a plethora of leather seating with elegantly gilded Italian touches, this location is almost divided into two atmospheres. The inside is clean, sterile, with everything perfectly in its place and feels more like a hotel restaurant than a McKinney bar. Given that it was half empty on a sunny Sunday brunch, it was an understated and quiet atmosphere. Out on the patio was a completely different feel, with cars whizzing by on the street separated from seating by flowers and bushes. Light pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk kept the energy flowing, yet wasn't overwhelming. If you come here on a beautiful day, sit outside and you won't be disappointed.
Now, for the drinks and the food, the most important part of brunch. First of all, the pricing on the entire brunch menu was much lower than what you would expect for this restaurant. Brunch entrees ranged from 7 to 15 dollars, and drinks went from 2.85 (SERIOUSLY) per mimosa to 15 for the loaded Bloody Italian. In and between that some Italian takes on classic cocktails were about 5 a pop, still fairly low for Uptown.
Of course, we started with the Bloody Italian, because it made us a deal we couldn't refuse. From the first sip, it was anything but a boring cocktail, loaded with spices and intense flavors. The plethora of Italian meats and sausages stacked up was just a bonus, but their glazes and combinations, like prosciutto asparagus, were a welcome break from the intense cocktail. If you like loaded Bloody Marys, you'll like this.
The other starting cocktail was the Limoncello Campari Spritz, which was the equivalent of sinking your teeth into a citrus superfruit. Expertly blending orange juice with Campari and soda, Patrizio made a lovely boozy morning drink.
Short Rib Hash
I have had dreams about this dish for the past 2 weeks, but then again I'm a big fan of meat and variations on Eggs Benedict. A lovely twist on the classic dish, this had balsamic glazed onions, fingerling potato, provolone stuffed peppers topped with braised short rib and poached eggs. Perfectly cheesy with the eggs perfectly cooked, the ratio of rib to egg and potato was very well done.
Patrizio Breakfast Skewer
The perfect mix of sweet and savoury, this dish satisfied pretty much any craving I had. It featured pineapple syrup glazed Italian sausage, herb potatoes, red bell pepper with a pecorino cake and house greens. The pecorino cake was heavy in the best way possible, soaking up all the spices and semi-sweet pineapple syrup. The house greens were exactly what you'd expect, but the skewers themselves were perfectly cooked and came out scorching hot.
Fire Roasted Eggs
The equivalent in intensity and Italian sausage flavors to the Bloody Italian, this dish was almost like a brunch lasagna, substituting the pasta for eggs. It features spanish chorizo, roasted peppers, caramelized onions and tomato sauce, topped with three eggs and grilled "Mama Mia" bread. If you like chorizo or any spicy Italian sausage, this dish is a good pick, and comes in under $15.
Florentine French Toast with Spinach
A twist on the traditionally sweet French toast, this was full of spinach and cheese, although it's not the right choice for a big fan of meat. After all of the other intensely flavored, meat-packed dishes, this fell flat. I would have preferred to have more spinach inside, as the neutral flavor of the French toast itself overpowered the filling inside. It was cooked well and the spinach was delicious, but it didn't have a memorable flavor. If you get this, be sure to ask for extra spinach and maybe even a little chorizo inside.
Blueberry Bourbon Ice Tea
This should honestly be the first thing on your list to get when you go here. It is INCREDIBLE. This was the ideal blend of bourbon muddled blueberries, mint and strong black tea. It wasn't too strong but still refreshing, a great drink to have out on their patio in beautiful weather.
Cucumber Raspberry Mojito
A lovely after-brunch drink, this mix of regular Bacardi, muddled cucumber and raspberries is sweet yet deceivingly strong. Cucumber and raspberries sound like a strange combination, but the flavors worked together well. This isn't on the menu, so you'll have to ask their lovely bartender Charisse to make it for you.
Overall, I had a lovely experience and will definitely be back here before everyone discovers their patio and fills it up! Delicious brunch with an Italian twist and cheap drinks, how can you go wrong?