Sprezza sits in an unassuming house on Maple in Oaklawn. Inside, a clean, light and bright interior is bustling, mostly because it’s packed with people who are excited for what they’re about to eat. And they should be. Because the man who brought us Nonna and Carbone’s is about to bring them platefuls of delicious pasta and other creative Italian dishes. But what I liked most about Sprezza (And just note that I really, really liked the food) was the staff. The guys working the bar where we were seated were incredibly service-minded, friendly, attentive and just awesome. They really made the night.

But back to the food — and drinks! Let’s start there. Here’s a beauty. Now, to be honest I don’t remember what this beauty was called but it had rosemary, egg and St. Germain. I would recommend you talk to the cool-ass bartenders about what you like and ask them to make you something special.

This! The burrata is supposed to be the star of this dish, but the exceptionally prepared eggplant totally stole the show for me. You’re going to want to order this.

I’m a sucker for a panzanella salad, and a good one like this makes me so happy. Summer is absolutely perfect for salads like this.

Finally it was time to dig in to some pasta. We chose this elegant fusilli. It was everything. Not too heavy.

My date convinced me to order not just one but two desserts. They were beautiful, but honestly they were my least favorite part of the meal. The lemon meringue was too sweet, and the tiramisu was, well, tiramisu just isn’t really my thing.

I can’t wait to get back to Sprezza and do it all over again. You’re going to want to make a reservation in advance though, or you’ll surely wait a bit for a seat at the bar. Worth it.

Sprezza // 4010 Maple Ave // sprezzadallas.com