Battuto: Round 2!

I went back to Battuto last weekend with another friend. She said it was on her list to try so I said I'd totally join her! 

We went on a Friday night and this time the place was packed! It's good to see that business is going well. :) We were seated immediately and our waiter was very welcoming when he greeted us. 

Battuto Italian Kitchen
18101 Preston Rd
Dallas, TX 75252
(972) 930-0558
http://www.battuto.com
Price: $$

I already knew what I wanted going in. I wanted to try their Chilled Pea Soup. Now, I'm normally not a cold soup person, but it's hot and I recently watched an episode of Master Chef where Graham Elliot made the most beautiful pea soup. haha. So it's been on my mind ever since. :P 

I chose the pea soup and also the Caesar Salad $6~ I was then informed by our waiter that the pea soup was not available that night. Boooo... I'm so sad. :( So I asked him if I could do the Half Sandwich and Soup $13~ but sub the soup for the Caesar. He had to check with the kitchen and they said yes. I chose half of the Veggie Panini (roasted zucchini, squash and red peppers with fontina and pesto on grilled Tuscan bread). 

For a half sandwich I thought the portion size was very good. It was nicely pressed with the ridges on top and golden. I loved it. The flavors of all the veggies with the fontina were surprisingly bold. I did not miss not having meat! The bread was great too. I believe they salted the bread which made a huge difference. Very tasty. I'd order it again. The waiter told me that the Caesar dressing was made from scratch, with the egg yolk and anchovies and all that. Awesome. Fresh Caesar dressing is nothing like the stuff from the bottle. Even though I like both. hehe. I asked for it to be lightly dressed but it was still a bit too much for me. I found it too salty. But other than that the veggies were fresh. It was a big portion too. 

My friend got the Spaghetti and Meatballs (house blend of beef and veal meatballs on spaghetti) $12~ 

The spaghetti came with 4 pretty large meatballs. The meatball flavors were good, not too many fillers so they were very hearty. The pasta was cooked great. Al dente! Had great texture. And the marinara wasn't too sour, which I hate in some place. Oh.. and it wasn't too saucy, which I like. I prefer less sauce because I like the flavors of the pasta. :) 

It was a good meal. My friend seemed to enjoy it. Our waiter was nice but had to check on everything when I'd ask him a question... Maybe he's fairly new? Dunno. At least he was friendly and pretty attentive. Also, I saw Gene Gates, the owner, and he remembered me! :) We chatted for a little bit. Super nice guy! I hope business continues to grow for them. And I still need to go back and try the pea soup! hahaha. 

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~