Highly Anticipated Italian Restaurant Opens inside The Plaza at Preston Center
After several days of soft opening, the neighborhood Italian restaurant il Bracco opened to the public May 28 inside The Plaza at Preston Center.
A project of Robert Quick, CEO of Western Addition, and Matt Gottlieb (COO) – who together have 25 years of restaurant experience – il Bracco offers a craveable in a chic but comfortable environment. With 74 interior seats and an outdoor patio, it is the perfect restaurant for the whole family to enjoy this summer.
The duo says they are thrilled to open their doors to the Dallas community for the first time together, after gaining experience in the restaurant industry separately.
“il Bracco offers a fresh take on classic Italian dishes with everything made from scratch including bread, pasta, and sauces; fresh fish is delivered daily and all proteins are butchered on-site,” Quick said.
The Food
The menu includes Italian favorites, such as house-made Focaccia with whipped ricotta cheese, roasted garlic, and thyme; Crispy Artichokes made with baby artichokes and olive aioli; and Meatballs with a blend of beef, land, and pork topped with a house tomato grave and Reggiano.
To honor their new home in Dallas, il Bracco also hosts The Plaza, a roasted chicken dish with golden beets, pancetta, and Marcona almonds.
Other salads and sandwiches include he Burrata Salad with fresh burrata cheese and dressed market vegetables; the Fried Chicken Sandwich with an Italian twist using sundried tomato, provolone, and dressed arugula with fennel to the Classic Italian Combo with artisan charcuterie, mozzarella, hot pepper relish, oil, and vinegar.
Pasta made in-house include Spicy Gemelli – Gemelli, spicy vodka sauce, basil, and Reggiano; Marsala Trumpets with trompetti, trumpet mushrooms, garlic, and marsala; and several more.
For Entrees, seafood lovers can indulge in the Mediterranean Sea Bass, pan roasted, topped with mint gremolata, served with snap beans, and more traditional offerings include the Porchetta, thick cut over whole grain mustard sauce and topped with herb salad, or a Chicken Piccata with lemony chicken served with a kale salad.
Roasted Chicken, Center Cut Tenderloin, Eggplant Parm and more are also available for entrée choices.
The Drinks
An interesting and diverse wine list aids guests in a tasting exploration of Italy from a comfortable booth right here in Dallas.
It has also put a spin on classic Italian cocktails to complement the food, such as with The Bracco, made with New Amsterdam, Aperol, and fresh grapefruit.
The Design
Designed by Dallas-based architects, Zero3 Design, the 3,200 square foot restaurant comfortably seats 74 in its dining room, 18 seats at the full-service bar, and another 46 on the patio.
A full-service outdoor experience is a home to large umbrellas fortified with hedges to offer an intimate, relaxed dining experience.
The interior design pulls from many different time periods and uses luxury neutrals such as wood, brass, terrazzo, and leather creating a sophisticated setting.
“We are excited to open our doors to the Dallas community and have them experience what we have been perfecting over the past few months,” Quick said of his newly formed restaurant group, Western Addition. “We have been diligent and careful about ensuring our kitchen and staff are delivering what we feel is the best experience prior to opening to the public. We are now ready to welcome our valued guests”
The Who
After graduating from SMU where he played football, Quick followed his true passion and attended the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, California. He then worked for Thomas Keller as a Chef de Partie at Ad Hoc and Bouchon before working as a Kitchen Manager with Hillstone Restaurant Group.
Afterwards, as President and co-owner of Mountain Mike’s Pizza, Quick helped grow the chain from 30th largest national pizza chain to 19th over his 5 years of leadership.
Upon moving back to Dallas with his wife, Quick founded his company Western Addition. il Bracco is the first concept to open in this portfolio.
Gottlieb was a 10-plus year general manager with Hillstone Restaurant Group, with experience at nine locations nationally. After spending the last eight years in the Dallas market running Hillstone, R+D Kitchen, and Houston’s, he has become a very familiar personality.
il Bracco is open daily for lunch and dinner; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Jaxx Artz is a senior at New York University but has lived in the Dallas Fort Worth area her whole life. An alumna of Ursuline Academy of Dallas, Jaxx got started writing for Ursuline’s Bear News student newspaper and the Colleyville Charm, a magazine local to her home community in Colleyville, TX. When she is not writing, Jaxx loves to explore new places, cook, and walk her dogs (she has two!). If you have a story idea for her, you can email Jaxx at [email protected].
