C.J.
How about Brio Tuscan Grille in Southlake Town Square?
Does anyone know of a good italian or mediterranean food restaurant in the Grapevine/Southlake area? I'm looking for something unique...not a chain restaurant like Olive Garden, etc. I prefer to frequent smaller, local places to get more authentic food. Hope to find some place with ambience for a special date with my hubby and NO KIDS!!!! Looking for a moderately priced meal (about $20ish per person) and yummy desserts if at all possible ;) PS - Wine list isn't important since we don't drink. It's all about the food and the atmosphere. I'm open to other cuisine suggestions to get "the perfect meal". Thanks!
How about Brio Tuscan Grille in Southlake Town Square?
Cafe Medi on Hwy 26/Grapevine Hwy has great Mediterranean food!
Ruggerri's in Colleyville Town Square...live piano music Fri & Sat nights...the ladies receive a rose from the owner, Morris, who is just precious. Food and atmosphere is wonderful!
I don't know of anything in Grapevine but me and my husband love Italiani's. It's off of Precinct Line. I'm not exactly sure what city it's in but I think it's Hurst.
First, I can't comment on desserts 'cause I never order them. Given that, in Grapevine, there is Amore's off of Northwest Highway near Park Boulevard. It's not anything fancy, so this is more of an everyday lunch or dinner kind of place (not a special occasion place) but the Chicken Caraficina (horribly misspelled I'm sure) is pretty tasty.
My husband and I like Bellisimo's off of Hwy 26 in Colleyville, also not a special occasion place but quaint, and the owner's are very nice and pretty much always there. I think their Chicken Jerusalem is pretty good.
There's also Cafe Italia in Grapevine off of Northwest Highway between Main and I think Hutchins (not 100% sure about that). I went there once and my friend's dish was much better than mine (I think she had Chicken Jerusalem), but they are always packed so I'm thinking they must have gotten better with age maybe.
I know someone else mentioned Italianni's in Hurst. It's pretty good and the atmosphere is nice, but it's kinda sad 'cause it used to be so much better. My husband and I went there a few months ago and I ordered steak and he ordered lasagna. My steak tasted old, like it had passed it's expiration date a couple days back, but my husband liked his lasagna. Now, I went there with my mom for lunch about a month or so later and my pasta dish was pretty good, so I guess if you go there, I wouldn't recommend the rib-eye.
Now if you want really good Italian, nice atmosphere, but pretty expensive, then Buca Di Beppo, which I think is technically in Southlake, is the place. Man that's good food, but I don't know if you can get out of there for $20 a person. Well, you could if you ONLY ordered an entree maybe. Occasionally they send out $10 coupons which are good for dinner only. Definitely use that if you get it. I've not had a bad meal there ever.
Now, one place I wouldn't recommend is Nikki's in North Richland Hills off of Davis Boulevard I believe. My husband had heard good things about that place from a couple of people so we went there one day for a late lunch/early dinner. I don't know if it was an off day for them or if the people who recommended it had just never had really good Italian food but my dish was awful. I had something alfredo-y (can't remember exactly) and my husband, again, had lasagna. He said his was pretty bland and mine tasted somewhere in the neighborhood of glue. It was not good. I know that's not in the area you're looking at but just in case someone recommended it, just thought I'd give you the opposite view as well.
Oh, forgot one more...you mentioned Mediterranean...Cafe Medi is in Hurst off of Highway 26 just west of Cheek Sparger/Mid-Cities Boulevard between the McDonald's and the Wing Stop. I've never been there, but that's another place that always seems packed. Good luck! :-)