On an energetic corner of Mockingbird Station in Dallas, you’ll find an outstanding urban italian restaurant called Vapiano. Vapiano offers a fresh casual dining concept unlike anything I’ve experienced at a restaurant of this class. With over 30 locations worldwide, and another 100 in development, I quickly realized how lucky I am to live within 40 minutes of it’s sole location in Texas!
Image of the table we dined at.
When we walked in we were promptly greeted by the hostess. Since it was our first time at Vapiano, she took us back to the food station and explained the routine, which I’ll get to in a minute. She gave us a “chip card” and said to scan our card at each station we ordered from and it will keep track of our tab. Interesting! (And convenient when dining with a group of friends!)
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| Food Station |
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| Herb Garden |
The decor was somewhat zen-like thanks to the calming pots of herbs placed on each table. There’s also a huge three-sided glass and wood structure filled with various potted herbs, all of which can be used to add to your food! The dining area is beautiful aesthetically, and although it has high vaulted ceilings and huge windows, once you sit at a table it’s very cozy.
It wasn’t very busy the night we stopped in so there was virtually no waiting in line. I was a tad bit confused at first, but once I placed my first order all went well! Here’s the deal. To order your food you walk up to the station that makes what you want. For instance, if you’re in the mood for pizza, place your order in the pizza line. If you want a pizza and a pasta, that’s two lines you’ll need to visit.
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| Greek Salad |
To me, this dining concept is terrific for a casual night out with friends when you know socializing and good food is what matters most. No waiters asking questions everytime you take a bite of food. No waiting forever to get a refill. It’s basically a self-serve establishment with the look, feel and taste of a trendy restaurant.
Let’s get down to business: the food. We ordered two pasta dishes, one pizza, one appetizer and a salad. Not to mention capped the evening off with two mini-desserts! The prices were surprisingly adequate. For everything I mentioned, plus two beverages, it came up to $52 before tax! Quite honestly, I would have expected to pay more. We started with the Bruschetta. It was a great beginning, with roasted ciabatta piled-high with tomatoes, basil, garlic and olive oil. But what came next was my favorite of all…the Greek Salad. It was picture-perfect. Literally, not an olive out of place! (I’m still dreaming of it today!) I loved the burst of freshness from the dill, which was a completely unexpected flavor.
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| Chicken Alfredo |
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| Ravioli Ricotta e Spinaci |
When ordering pasta, let them know which dish you want, then choose your shape of pasta. If there’s something you’d like added, just ask! They make everything right in front of you, so it’s completely customizable. My husband loved the Chicken Alfredo. I selected the Ravioli Ricotta e Spinaci and could not get over the tangy tomato sauce they make! If I could have had a bowl of it, I would have been in heaven. It had shredded carrots in it, which nicely balanced the acidity of the sauce. The ravioli were a bit firm, but had good flavor. Although they were added frozen, all of their pasta is made fresh in-house.
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Crudo
Now the pizza I must brag about. We chose the Crudo, which was nothing more than tomato sauce, mozzarella, Proscuitto di Parma and huge chards of parmesan. The crust was incredible! It’s a thin crust, with a slight crunch on the outside and delicious chewiness on the inside. In my book, the perfect pizza crust.
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The bar was incredible. It’s located on the opposite side of the dining area, or to the right when you first walk in. It’s very European with modern red furniture throughout. All I wanted to do was settle into a couch, order a Bellini and people watch for the rest of the evening. The bar is also where you order dessert. We tried the Panna Cotta, as well as the Tiramisu della Casa. (Made fresh each day, by the way!) They were both deliciously creamy and very satisfying. The perfect end to a fabulous dinner.
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| Vapiano Bar/Lounge |
My experience at Vapiano was excellent. As we were walking out the door I was already planning my next visit, and thinking about which friends would love to join me for a Bellini in the ultra-cool lounge, and another fantastic Greek Salad! Overall, Vapiano offers lovely surroundings, flavorful food and excellent prices. Next time your in the Lower Greenville neighborhood of Dallas, I’d highly suggest experiencing it for yourself.
HOW TO CONNECT
5319 E. Mockingbird Lane
Suite 100
Dallas, TX 75206
214-887-1557
214-887-1557
***Specials***
Make sure to check out Vapiano’s Weekly Specials, as well as their Free Pizza Tuesdays. They also feature Live Music on Sundays!
The owner of Vapiano Dallas, Tim McCallum, has generously offered to give one of my readers a $25 gift card to enjoy on their next (or first!) visit to Vapiano!
HOW TO ENTER:
(There are four entries available. Feel free to do one or all, but the more you do, the better your chances!) Please leave your email in your comments so I can contact you if you win!
1. Visit Vapiano’s website and leave a comment below telling me which menu item you would like to try!
2. “Like” Vapiano on Facebook.
3. Leave a post on Vapiano’s FB page letting them know Fab Find Foodie sent you!
3. Leave a post on Vapiano’s FB page letting them know Fab Find Foodie sent you!
4. Follow Vapiano on Twitter.
(For each of the Entra Entries, leave an additional comment.)
Giveaway ends on August 19th, 2010 at 11 pm CST. This restaurant is located in Dallas, TX.
Disclosure: I received a gift card for Vapiano but was under no obligation to alert the staff that I was there, or to write a review. The opinions expressed are my true and honest opinion, influenced by no one. No monetary compensation was offered.
About Angela
