Born in Italy, Made in Fort Worth
By COLE KONOPKA
It was not a leprechaun, four-leaf clover, or even a rabbit’s foot that got us in. We just got lucky. As I opened the door to the well known, Nonna Tata, I saw right into the kitchen. This quaint Fort Worth favorite holds only six tables and seats roughly 18 people. It was rare to walk into Nonna Tata with a table for two open and waiting. Upon entering, we were kindly greeted by one of the ladies of the Nonna Tata staff, given menus and offered homemade bruschetta. As an avid bruschetta lover, I accepted. As we sat waiting, my eyes grazed over the menu. Pasta, pasta, pasta! Although known for their pastas ($14), Nonna Tata offers a limited variety of meat ($26) and fish ($24) dishes. Everything looked good to me. I decided to go for the pasta with smoked salmon and vodka cream sauce while my dining partner ordered the Pasta Mediterranea.
As we waited for the bruschetta in the tiny, dimly lit room, it was impossible not to notice everyone around us. Sitting next to us, a mere arms-length away, was a table of four young adults, probably in their late twenties. After only a few seconds of eavesdropping, we were able to hear that one of the couples at the table is engaged and they were discussing their wedding plans over a plate of finely cured meats and bottles of wine. Nonna Tata is BYOB- an important fact that I did not know. Our waitress informed us that they do not charge for wine glasses, and reminded us to next time bring our favorite bottle(s) of wine. A similar crowd consumed the remainder of the restaurant as the average customer was 30 or above. Although the majority were older couples, there were two tables that contained some of the younger Fort Worth crowd. I watched as people opened the front door, glanced around at a full house, and walked back into the chilly night. Nonna Tata does not accept credit cards or reservations and is only open from Tuesday- Friday, serving lunch from 11am-3pm and dinner from 5:30-8:30pm. The limited amount of seating and hours of operation make Nonna Tata much harder to experience than other Italian restaurants, but trust me, it is an absolute must for the Fort Worth Italian food lover.
When the bruschetta arrived, it was different than any other I had before. Instead of large pieces of toast, which I am accustomed to, Nonna Tata offered you numerous pieces of bite-sized toasts. The tomato blend was richly colored and contained tomatoes, onions, oregano, peppers, olives, and oil and vinegar. The cold texture of the tomato added to the sharp flavor of the vinegar made me soon forget about our missing bottles of wine.
After devouring the bruschetta, our salads arrived, (every entree is accompanied by a house salad with your choice of homemade dressing.) The dressings change every night, so it will always be a surprise. On this particular night, we chose to have the chipotle raspberry vinaigrette. If you do not think that raspberry vinaigrette can have a kick to it, guess again. Our dishes came out only a few minutes later and looked like they were prepared out of my non-existent Italian mother’s kitchen. The kitchen was visible to the entire restaurant, and there were no fancy appliances, shiny hanging pots and pans, or racks of clean knives anywhere to be found. It was simple and well used, suggesting that fancy cookware and new appliances are not the only things that can create amazing food. The Pasta Mediterranea contained homemade penne noodles with sun dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and diced chicken. The smoked salmon pasta with crème sauce was exactly as the title had suggested; spaghetti noodles with rich, smoked salmon, shallots, crème, and vodka. The sauce was light, yet extremely flavorful and the salmon was moist and cooked to perfection. Such an exquisite pasta dish could have cost well over $20, but with the pasta prices ranging between $12-$18, I can easily see myself returning.
As we began to see the bottoms of our pasta bowls, our waitress came by to offer desserts. She had cakes, tiramisu, and ice cream, all homemade of course, but unfortunately, we were too full to order.
As if the night could not have gotten any better, head chef Donatella Trotti came out to ask how everything tasted. We praised her work and told her to expect us back very soon. It was amazing having chef Donatella Trotti personally ask if we enjoyed our food made us feel like we were right at home. For anyone wanting a European style Italian meal without leaving the city of Fort Worth, Nonna Tata is the place to go. The cozy atmosphere and delicious food make Nonna Tata an absolute must for those who truly desire a one-of-a-kind dining experience. You will leave with a full stomach, smiling face, and a new appreciation for dining out. Nestled in a small building on 1400 Magnolia Avenue, Nonna Tata will serve you the most authentic Italian food this town has to offer.