Panza’s Tapping Italy

by

 

107 N. Rogers St., Waxahachie

214.869.1269

panzastappingitaly.com

Brian Panza has a knack for being ahead of the curve. In the mid-1980s, he opened the 500 Cafe in Deep Ellum, back when the area was still lined with boarded-up warehouses. He took a chance on Lower Greenville, too, opening a pair of restaurants — Nero's Italian and The Prospect Grille — long before the area took off. Flash forward more than three decades, and Panza — now with his wife Teri — is once again at the helm of a new restaurant in a burgeoning area.

Opened late last year, the couple's small Italian restaurant, located in a 19th century building that was originally a funeral parlor, is a refreshing change of pace from typical Italian. Pizzas, for example, are small, perfect for one, with paper-thin crusts and thoughtful toppings: spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes. Muffulettas feature springy bread; bruschetta comes topped with figs and mascarpone. “It's Italian, but it's not the Italian most people know,” he says. “It's not the type of Italian that's going to keep you full for three days.”

You Gotta Try: Brian makes his own ice cream — no easy feat in a small, cramped kitchen — in flavors such as tiramisu, blueberry, lemon and coconut cream and pistachio.