Dolce Italian Restaurant was the inaugural winner of Bravo TV’s new culinary competition, ‘Best New Restaurant,’ in 2015. It won not only for its exceptional menu, but also for the overall restaurant concept including the decor and ambience. So I decided to visit Dolce in Atlanta and see if the restaurant had lived up to its accolade.

Executive Chef Paolo Dorigato comes from Trentino, a Northern part of Italy where the food is influenced by the cold climate of the Alps. Dorigato serves homey Italian classics including handmade pastas, risotto, polenta, and Neapolitan pizzas. 

I ordered a glass of Super Tuscan Tenuta Frescobaldi and prepared for the tasting menu, which started with grilled octopus. Plates began arriving in rapid succession with beautifully presented appetizers including tuna tartare on a bed of avocado, garnished with celery leaves and radishes. The fritto misto was surprisingly light, but very unique with shaved zucchini, shaved spring onions and fried lemon slices among the shrimp and calamari.

I was served the VIP version of the menu’s Tartufafa, a star-shaped Stella pizza where the crust was stuffed with ricotta and topped with prosciutto, spicy salami and truffle oil. This pizza was one of those dishes that you literally dream about and wake up wanting another bite of the next morning.

The main course was risotto with braised short ribs, wilted spinach and parmesan followed by a tasting of the veal saltimbocca. Dessert, or dolce, was a limoncello semifreddo with a white chocolate shell and strawberry compote, accompanied by none other than a glass of limoncello. According to my waitress, the do-not-miss items include the house-made warm mozzarella, sweet pea tortelli, pappardelle alla bolognese with veal, beef and pork, and the branzino. Dolce Italian Restaurants are located in Miami (the original location), Chicago and Atlanta.