Excellent restaurant in Dallas; very good one in Miami's South Beach

A couple of weeks ago, my family and I were visiting the Dallas/Forth Worth area and were lucky enough to score a late Monday night reservation at a terrific new (but small) Italian restaurant called NONNA. This is definitely in the "Top 5" of Italian restaurants I've eaten at in the US. The freshness and quality of the ingredients was superb, and the cooking was authentic, flavorful, and--best of all--not drowned in cooking fat to stretch the flavors. The pasta dishes and sauces were unique and well-executed, and the wood oven pizzas were true Neapolitan style, light and flavorful. And I could have made a meal of the astoundingly fresh olives brought to the table when we sat down.

Here are my daughter Rebecca's comments:

Nonna is such a fantastic restaurant. The food is outstanding and the service is good. I especially enjoyed the olives and the fried artichokes.

Nonna
4115 Lomo Alto Drive
Dallas
214-521-1800

And two nights ago in South Beach, Miami, I had a terrific Latin American fish meal at OLA. The seafood here is remarkably fresh, and they offer about a dozen different kinds of ceviche!

OLA (at Sanctuary Hotel)
1745 James Ave.
South Beach, Miami, FL
(305) 695-9125