Foodie Friday: Re-Visiting Mio Nonno

It’s only been six months, but Mio Nonno has already become an institution here in Flower Mound. Whether you go for a business lunch during the week or join them on Friday evenings to enjoy the Lakeside Music Series from their patio, Mio Nonno always provides the perfect atmosphere and is consistent in serving up incredible food.

Noti Krasniqi and Chef Francisco make the perfect team at the Flower Mound location in Lakeside DFW, and their common goal is to introduce locals to the fine dining Italian cuisine you can find in New York City. And Chef Francisco is the perfect choice to create that five-star cuisine as he started as a chef in New York at the age of 17 and worked at restaurants in the city for several years afterward. And he’s cooked for some very notable people over the years including President Reagan, the Rolling Stones and Will Smith. So, if you dine at Mio Nonno, you’re in great company!

All of the food comes from Chef Franciso’s family recipes, but he has created new presentations for those passed down recipes.

One of Noti’s favorite dishes on the menu is their Cacciatore which you can order with chicken or veal and comes served in a delicious tomato sauce and with a side of their fantastic polenta.

When we went for lunch this week, we also enjoyed their Meat & Cheese Board which was full of incredible fresh cheeses and meats, as well as their Pasta Primavera and one of their Chef Specials – their Chilean Sea Bass served with a medley of fresh vegetables.

Mio Nonno has incorporated many more specials into their rotation over the past couple of months, including their Veal Capresa, Bone-in Veal Chops, and Orata (a Mediterranean fish served whole).

Throughout the week, you can also join them for some of their weekly specials including “Wine & Dine Wednesdays” where they serve up luxurious wines at incredible prices and “Ladies Night” on Thursdays where their martinis are $4.

They’re also looking to add an exclusive Sunday Brunch menu starting in the next few weeks. You’ll get to enjoy some delicious brunch dishes as well as some quality mimosas.

Mio Nonno has some big goals they’re working on achieving. And Noti told us that they believe they can achieve them because of the success and support they’ve experienced since opening here in Flower Mound. They are so appreciative of their customers and always want you to feel at home when you’re at Mio Nonno.

Their vision is to “act locally but think globally” and I think that’s an awesome philosophy for all of us to adopt in our businesses. That honestly inspired me for my own real estate business.

We are so grateful to have Mio Nonno here in our community and for all the great meals they’ve served us over the past six months. We wish them all the best success in achieving their goals and hope you all will join us in supporting them!

Go visit them tonight to wind down from the week and enjoy some cocktails and incredible fine Italian cuisine!

*Mio Nonno is located at 2450 Lakeside Pkwy ste100, Flower Mound, TX 75022.

**Check out their full menu here.

Foodie Friday: Local Restaurants Featured in DFW’s 20th Annual Restaurant Week

It’s one of my favorite weeks of the year! Monday marks the official beginning of DFW’s 20th Annual Restaurant Week. The 3-week event benefits the North Texas Food Bank and Lena Pope Home. Last year they were able to raise $711,000!

You can make all of your reservations on OpenTable. And you can make reservations at as many restaurants as you think you can visit during those 3 weeks! Just be sure to check which dates each restaurant is participating.

You’ll enjoy special two- or three-course, prixe-fixe meals at each restaurant and the cost is $20 for lunch and $39 or $49 for dinner.

And the most exciting part is that we have several Foodie Friday restaurants who are participating in this year’s event! Check out the local restaurants who are participating below.

Bistecca – An Italian Steakhouse

You can join Chef Morris Salerno for a truly special dining experience. They’ll be serving an option Calloway course for an additional $5, two salmon dish options for the first course, either Black Drum or a Akaushi beef brisket for the main entree, and either strawberry pie or chocolate mousse for dessert.

Bistecca is participating during the Preview Weekend (this weekend!) as well as all next week (August 7-13). The cost for the three-course dinner is $49 or $69 with their recommended wines. Make your reservations here!

Carvao Prime Brazilian Steakhouse

Or you can check out Carvao in Lakeside DFW. They have a fantastic salad bar with 60+ items to choose from. But the best part is enjoying their 16 cuts of meat served tableside.

Carvao also has a fantastic wine list and bar offering drinks for before, during and after your meal.

They are offering a $49 dinner and are participating from August 7-13. Make your reservations here!

Prime Farm to Table

Flower Mound’s Contemporary American restaurant, Prime Farm to Table, offers customers truly unique dining experiences. Chef Chris Flahaven is constantly coming up with special dishes to serve his customers to allow them to try things they never have before.

Prime Farm to Table is serving dishes on their prixe-fixe menu like Chilled Melon Soup, Grilled Spanish Octopus, Ricotta Gnocchi, 24 Hour Short Ribs, Olive Oil Cake and Chocolate Terrine.

They are participating from August 7-20 and their 3-course meal will be $39 per person or $55 per person with paired wines. Make your reservation here!

Yellow Rose Steak and Chop House

You can also check out another one of Flower Mound’s steak houses, Yellow Rose Steak and Chop House, in Parker Square.

Yellow Rose will be serving dishes like a Citrus Summer Salad, Char Grilled Salmon and Shrimp, 10 oz Prime Rib, and Bread Pudding.

They are participating all three weeks of the event (August 7-26) and are offering both special lunch and dinner menus. Make your reservation here! 

Foodie Friday: Hanaya Hibachi & Sushi – Yet Another Great Addition to Lakeside DFW

Just when we thought Lakeside DFW couldn’t get any better, a new Asian fusion restaurant opened its doors this week offering local residents a delicious and beautiful dining experience.

Photo courtesy of Hanaya’s Facebook page.

Hanaya Hibachi & Sushi is owned and operated by the same people who run Kobeya Japanese Steak & Sushi in Southlake Town Square, so if you’ve dined at that restaurant, expect the same level of service, cuisine, and atmosphere.

Photo courtesy of Hanaya’s Facebook page.

Hanaya offers 8 hibachi tables for diners, or if you’d rather sit at one of their dine-in tables and enjoy offerings from their menu of sushi, ramen, and rice bowls, you can do that as well.

Photos courtesy of Hanaya’s Facebook page.

Because we wanted the full entertainment + food experience this week, we opted to enjoy their hibachi dinner and were definitely not disappointed!

Their hibachi experience is similar to other hibachi restaurants – it’s a fun, unique experience to sit around a table with people you may or may not know and watch your food be prepared with lots of extra pizzazz. But their food was different than any other hibachi food I’ve ever tasted. The menu items were the same, but the flavors infused into those menu items were uniquely Hanaya’s. I wish I could explain to you why it tasted deliciously different, but you’ll just have to go try it out for yourself!

In addition to our fun and tasty hibachi meal, we also tried one of Hanaya’s (many) signature sushi rolls – the What A Roll which has yellow tail, spicy tuna and little red fish eggs on top. All of the ingredients in the roll tasted so fresh and we wish we would have had room in our stomachs to try a few more of their signature rolls like the Flower Mound.

They also have all the rolls and sushi you’re familiar with as well. And our favorite part was their sushi bar where you can actually see all the fresh seafood ingredients they utilize in their sushi preparations!

Photo courtesy of Hanaya’s Facebook page.

Hanaya is a true Asian fusion restaurant with their fantastic offerings of hibachi, sushi and ramen. We are so glad to see them finally open in Lakeside DFW and know there are many of you who are excited they are open as well!

Keep in mind that this week was their “soft opening,” so things could get a little crowded there as lots of residents try them out this weekend. But we definitely encourage you to enjoy a fun and scrumptious meal with them.

And if you go this evening, don’t forget to check out the fireworks over Lake Grapevine which you can see from Sunset Point. And you can also enjoy music from Manny Trevino as part of the Lakeside Music Series.

*Hanaya Hibachi & Sushi is located at 2314 Lakeside Pkwy, Flower Mound 75022.

Jay Around Town: May Happenings

If you can believe it, Summer is almost here! To celebrate, check out any of these events happening in Flower Mound, Highland Village, or Lewisville this month!

Flower Mound

Every Friday in May @ 7:00-9:00pm: Concerts in the Park at Heritage Park

Every Friday in May @ 7:00-9:00pm: Lakeside Music Series at Lakeside DFW

Tuesday, May 2 @ 7:00pm: Five Money Questions for Women at Flower Mound Public Library

Friday, May 5 @ 8:00am-3:30pm: Leadercast Simulcast at Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church

Saturday, May 6 @ 9:00am-12:00pm: Kid Fish at Rheudasil Park Pond

Sunday, May 7 @ 6:00pm: 2017 Annual Flower Mound Symphony Fundraiser at Bistecca

Tuesday, May 16 @ 7:00pm: Unforgettable Women in Asia at Flower Mound Public Library

Monday, May 29 @ 9:00am: Memorial Day Observance – “A Day to Remember” at Flower Mound Senior Center

Monday, May 29 @ 1:00-5:00pm: Outdoor WaterPark Splashtacular at CAC Outdoor Waterpark

Highland Village

Saturday, May 6 @ 10:00am-6:00pm: Highland Village Art Festival at The Shops at Highland Village

Saturday, May 13: Doubletree Ranch Park Opening Celebration at Doubletree Ranch Park

Friday, May 19 @ Sundown: Movies in the Park at Unity Park

Lewisville

Thursday, May 4 @ 6:00pm: KLB Garden Secrets Class – “Shade Gardening” at MCL Grand

Friday, May 5 @ 6:00-10:00pm: Keeping Tradition Alive at Wayne Ferguson Plaza

Sunday, May 7 @ 1:00-5:00pm: LulaRoe Shopping Event at MCL Grand

Friday, May 12 @ 7:45-9:45pm: Family Campfire at Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area

Saturday, May 13 @ 9:00am-Noon: Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day at Residential Convenience Center

Saturday, May 13 @ 8:00pm: Texas Tunes Series – Joe Ely at MCL Grand

Thursday, May 18 @ 6:00pm: KLB Garden Secrets Class – “Gardening with Herbs” at MCL Grand

Sunday, May 21 @ 3:00pm: Lewisville Civic Chorale & Huffines MS Choir – Musica Sacra et Profana at The Episcopal Church of the Annunciation

Foodie Friday: Newcomer Mio Nonno in Lakeside DFW

Remember last week when I mentioned how happy we’ve been here at Foodie Friday with all the new local restaurants that have opened in the past month? We’re happy to report that we had another incredible experience at a new restaurant this week. So, thank you Mio Nonno in Lakeside DFW!

Mio Nonno’s menu is inspired by central and southern Italian cuisine and was expertly crafted by Chef Ati Mala who co-owns both the Flower Mound and Allen locations with his childhood best friend, Noti Krasniqi. Before opening their restaurants here in Texas, Chef Ati and Noti co-owned a Mediterranean restaurant called Andrra in the Hamptons where they served high-end cuisine largely inspired by the abundance of seafood available in that area.

Both Noti and Chef Ati pride themselves on being able to introduce Flower Mound area residents to Italian dishes they may never have experienced before – and certainly not the way they prepare them! They take inspiration from some of the top Italian restaurants in New York and deliver it to their customers here in Texas for an incredible value.

Let’s stop wasting time and get to talking about some of their delicious food, shall we?

Now, I usually don’t spend the time to talk about a bread basket at an Italian restaurant since it comes so standard, but Mio Nonno’s bread was so out of this world that it deserves an honorable mention. It is so fluffy and has an incredible flavor that’s highlighted by the smidge of sea salt sprinkled on top. And it’s incredible dipped in their oil & vinegar or the leftover sauce of any of the dishes on their menu.

From Mio Nonno’s Antipasti menu Noti brought us their crispy-fried polenta served in a gorgonzola cream; their Gamberi Arrabiata which are sauteed shrimp in a white wine lemon sauce (this is a great dish to dip the bread in); their steamed mussels served in a seafood tomato broth; and their fresh-made potato gnocchi served up in a cheese sauce made up of fontina, gorgonzola, pecorini and reggiano cheeses.

Noti mentioned that one of their most popular dishes from their Allen location is actually their Eggplant Parmesan. And it became popular after they decided to introduce it to customers at no cost. When customers found out it was eggplant they were eating (and loving), they were shocked! But with it’s perfectly fried exterior and the delicious capellini pasta it’s served over, it’s not hard to see why this quickly became a customer favorite! All of Mio Nonno’s string pasta is made fresh by a local Dallas pasta-maker and you can taste the quality and freshness in each of the dishes it’s used in.

In addition to the Eggplant Parmesan we also sampled their Prosciutto & Arugula pizza made in their wood-fired oven; their Russia pasta made with rigatoni, grilled chicken and a spicy vodka sauce; their Chicken Caccioatore; and their Lobster Ravioli.

We also had the opportunity to try the dish that Chef Ati and Noti are probably the most proud of and that is inspired by some of those top New York Italian restaurants.

Their Ciopino (which they say you can’t get the way they make it at any other restaurant in DFW) is essentially a seafood medley soup served in a light seafood broth (called fume). All of the various seafood (which includes fresh salmon, shrimp, calamari, clams, scallops and mussels) are perfectly cooked and the broth has an incredible flavor. Definitely recommend!

We’re here to tell you that these guys came to PLAY here in Flower Mound. If you’re a fan of Italian cuisine, you are going to love restaurant. We’re confident they’re going to do very well here – they’ve already received lots of love! It’s the perfect atmosphere whether you need a spot for a fun lunch out, a business dinner, or for a romantic meal. Even if you just want to sit at their bar and enjoy a drink while watching the game, Mio Nonno has a space for you!

We’d absolutely recommend you find a way to get over to Mio Nonno this weekend if you haven’t already and be introduced to some Italian dishes you may have never even heard of before. We promise you won’t regret your visit!

*Mio Nonno in Flower Mound is located at 2450 Lakeside Parkway Ste 100, Flower Mound TX.