Photography by Kathy Tran.
It’s college game day at MidiCi Italian Kitchen, but instead of traditional nachos, you get the dish with an Italian twist: pita bread smothered in locally produced cheese and homemade marinara sauce.
What’s Italian for “yum” – “gnam, gnam”?
The restaurant is in Preston Hollow Village, across from Orangetheory, but regulars know they can expect four screens, a wood-burning stove for pizza and an inventive menu.
Chef Bobby Duncan Jr. speaks with a lilting Louisiana accent about his vision for the Neapolitan restaurant. He’s been working in the business since he was 15.
“I find new ways to do old dishes,” Duncan says. “I don’t want to just be that pizza place next to the Douglas. I want to be that cool place where you get a glass of wine, get something small to eat or come in for dessert.”
Best-sellers include house meatballs, burrata with melon and prosciutto, the Italian and very berry salads as well as the Margherita and double pepperoni flatbreads. Many are partial to the devil’s pizza, which features Italian tomato sauce, mozzarella, house-made spicy sausage, spicy Italian salami and red chile. Bartender Matt “Zeke” Zika loves the devil’s slices. But he can also get a gluten-free crust.
Duncan has sourced Brazos cheese from Waco, North Italian Coffee from White Rock Coffee, wine from Times Ten Cellars and beer from Oak Highlands Brewery. He’s added charcuterie and bruschetta with olive oil that’s made in-house. He invented a truffle prosciutto pizza with arugula, which is elegantly beautiful.
“I’d like everyone to find something, whether they’re following a vegan, low-carb or gluten-free diet,” Duncan says. His favorite is the pasta — Alfredo sauce with pepper. Duncan also recommends the specials: “I’m your five-ingredient guy.”
Meanwhile, Zika creates drinks that you never knew you wanted: “The Drink You Had in Cancun Last Summer” is a sweet concoction with tequila, pineapple juice and raspberry syrup. And then there’s “Something Sweet,” which is amazingly blue.
MidiCi Italian Kitchen
Preston Hollow Village
7825 Firefall Way, Suite 180
Mymidici.com
