The popularity and quality of hotel dining has ebbed and flowed since Longfellow’s Wayside Inn opened in Massachusetts way back in 1716. Back in the day, there weren’t many choices for a traveler to get a bed and a meal under the same roof. Howard Johnson’s upped the game, then luxury hotels changed the game. Today, hotel dining is an indispensable amenity for hotels and resorts and an attraction for locals not staying at the property.
Still, hotel restaurants struggle to attract a local clientele, no matter how good they are.
Knife Italian Steak in the Ritz-Carlton Las Colinas is a very, very good restaurant. When I dined there recently, it was exceptional. Yet the restaurant still struggles to attract diners from the dense surrounding areas in Dallas and Tarrant Counties.
If you’re a guest at the Ritz-Carlton Las Colinas, dining at Knife Italian Steak is an obvious choice. There’s no reason to leave the 400-acre urban resort to dine when you have an elaborate but approachable restaurant under the same roof. If you’re local, it’s a tougher sell.
The menu there isn’t particularly unique, sections include Crudi, Antipasti, Primi, Secondi, Steaks, Pizza, and Dolci, but the items contained therein are excellent.
Though celebrity chef John Tesar is not in the kitchen daily, his influence in serving super premium seafood and steaks is obvious. And the culinary team executing the dishes clearly has respect and knowledge about the quality and delicacy of the ingredients.
We started with east coast oysters served with a hibiscus mignonette and the Hamachi crudo with blood orange, avocado, blood orange reduction and jalapeno oil. Other than the blood orange, which is originally Sicilian, there isn’t much Italian influence, but who cares? It was phenomenal. Both items are raw, so it’s imperative to have a high quality, fresh product. These were and the preparation was magnificent.
Octopus is gaining popularity on local menus and Knife’s was among best most tender, well-flavored I’ve had. Cooked sous vide, it’s tender and flavorful on its own, then crisped in an iron skillet and served with piquillo vinaigrette, crispy potatoes, nduja oil and avocado relish. The kitchen team crushed it on this.
There are greens on the salad menu, such as a delicious Caesar salad perched atop focaccia with a monster snow cap of parmesan cheese on top, but a more interesting choice is the burrata salad served with figs, a Port reduction, basic oil, balsamic and crunchy pistachios. The imported burrata was, once again, a superior ingredient that soaked in the flavors and was amazing slathered on the house-made bread.
Our pasta and main dishes arrived together; lobster agnolotti, petit filet mignon, and the bone-in veal chop. The lobster pasta arrived with chunks of tender lobster atop the lobster-filled pasta. It was rich but the lemon cut the richness, so it was very balanced.
Beef is Chef Tesar’s specialty and this filet was perfect, especially with the sides of THE BEST, no exaggeration, creamed spinach I’ve ever had, and sauteed mushrooms. The veal chop was quite good, with salsa verde giving it a pop of brightness.
After a huge meal, half of which we packed up and had for dinner the following night, we still ordered dessert; a spectacular cheesecake with figs. It was so good I nearly cried. It was as beautiful as it was tasty.
The cocktail program has a lot of creativity behind it, and though you can order a simple martini, you should expand your repertoire and try the Il Posto with Malfy Italian Gin, Cocchi di Torino, Campari, pistachio passionfruit and Italian mandarin orgeat and fresh lime, or the alcohol-free Purple Noon made with Lyres Italian Spritz, passionfruit, and Lyres Classico Grande. It’s a refreshing riff on an Aperol spritz.
We received outstanding, attentive service but the staff was aware that I am a member of the media so that probably heightened their attention towards our table. However, I observed other tables in the restaurant receiving equally attentive service and the restaurant had a very positive energy.
Knife Italian Steak is also open for lunch and serves salads, sandwiches, pastas, and main dishes. It’s also open for weekday breakfast and Sunday brunch, including on holidays such as Easter which is booking up now.
We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner. The food exceeded our expectations and the interesting Fellini-esque décor of the restaurant, although not to my taste, is novel. Dining there definitely feels like a special night out and a treat. We would return for the octopus dish specifically and would like to explore other menu items next time.
Thanks to its affiliation with the Ritz-Carlton, this restaurant hosts wine dinners and programming that leverages relationships throughout the company, such as the March 20 Sommelier Series dinner featuring a guest chef and Fraîche wines. Knife also hosts Mahjong, Martini’s and Mocktails in the afternoons. Reservations are required.
Back to the conundrum of hotel restaurants attracting local diners. I get it, there are so many restaurants and so little time. I like the retro-ness of hotel dining, it feels old school and special. It’s even better when the hotel is gorgeous and the service is bright and welcoming, as it is at the Ritz-Carlton Las Colinas.
