Grandma’s house. The words evoke a deep response with memories of family, food, laughter and love. In Italian, “Nonna” means grandmother and D’Nonna’s Italian Restaurant in Old Town Lewisville brings those feelings to life serving authentic Italian cuisine using generations of family recipes. D’Nonna’s is just about to celebrate their first anniversary. Watch for information about how they will celebrate because you’re invited.
After a warm welcome, and some light-as-air Zeppole topped with powdered sugar and some chocolate or caramel sauce — not on the menu but wow — we were treated to some fabulous dishes.
Chef Gemy’s take on fried calamari features artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, jalapenos, mixed peppers, lemon and white wine sauce with just the right amount of spice.
Authentic but hard-to-find Carbonara Pasta with smoked bacon, Pecorino Romano cheese is made here exactly the way it’s made in Italy with eggs: Gemy doesn’t stir it but tosses this dish like a pancake. It was fun to watch but even better to eat.
The sign just outside the front door says, “I love you with every pizza my heart,” and it’s clear that pizza is one of the D’Nonna family’s love languages. Their signature pizza was fabulous with a blend of flavors to delight and enough vegetables to make grandma happy.
As a bonus they prepared a plate of Four Cheese Gnochi with the creamiest cheese sauce ever, reminiscent of a comforting hug from grandma. We discovered the secret ingredient in every dish is love — Chef Gemy loves cooking, this family loves their restaurant, and they love their guests.
D’Nonna’s bar has 350 different types of liquors plus 55 different wines — French, Italian and American. The owner, Jemmy showed us some of the oldest and most impressive bottles. He is obviously very proud (and rightfully so) of his one-of-a-kind “Jemmy’s Flower.” Made with jasmine infused vodka, peach puree he makes himself along with lime juice, a touch of Triple Sec and then shaken just the right amount and topped with a beautiful blossom, this guest favorite is almost too pretty to drink.
While we were there, Chef Gemy held his weekly Wednesday pizza class where kids came and learned how to make real pizza. We talked with four of them afterwards who said D’Nonna’s is their favorite restaurant and even though they now know how to make pizza, they would rather come back for Gemy’s instead.
With happy hour from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, D’Nonna’s has half-priced wine on Wednesday and Thursday; Wednesday is Open Piano night; and Friday and Saturday have live music. Reservations are recommended for weekends.
D’Nonna’s is located at 233 West Church Street, Lewisville, TX and is open every day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and is open until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
To see the full menu and more, visit their website at www.dnonnaitalian.com.
With a warm and inviting atmosphere, Jemmy invites you to come to a place where you are treated as a guest, not as a customer and to share in the tradition of food, family, and love.
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