Ospi takes its name from ospitante, Italian for "host," and that's the idea behind the Dallas outpost of a small California-born group. Chef Jackson Kalb, a Top Chef alumnus and owner, originally built the concept in Venice before it expanded to Brentwood, Costa Mesa, and Montecito, with Dallas marking its move into Texas.
The kitchen centers on handmade pastas and crispy romana-tonda pizzas, alongside an irresistible vodka sauce and ingredients the restaurant describes as thoughtfully sourced. An extensive wine list and craft cocktails round out the menu, which runs across lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.
Regulars point to authentic Italian pasta and fresh ingredients as through-lines, with desserts drawing particular praise. Servers get singled out for handling celebrations well, even as some diners note service can be inconsistent night to night.
The kitchen centers on handmade pastas and crispy romana-tonda pizzas, alongside an irresistible vodka sauce and ingredients the restaurant describes as thoughtfully sourced. An extensive wine list and craft cocktails round out the menu, which runs across lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.
Regulars point to authentic Italian pasta and fresh ingredients as through-lines, with desserts drawing particular praise. Servers get singled out for handling celebrations well, even as some diners note service can be inconsistent night to night.