05/08/19
Gemma is an early pick for my favorite restaurant in Dallas. It has a small but comfortable and chic dining room and bar and serves up really yummy and inventive pasta and modern Italian dishes. Definitely some Kindred vibes. In a couple visits to the restaurant, everything I've eaten has been solid, from oysters to chicken porchetta to a variety of pastas to dessert, but this is the best dish I've had at Gemma. First off, the pasta is homemade and has a great "toothiness." It is coated in a really vegetal and smooth ramp pesto that clings to each individual strand of pasta nicely. Small slices of red chilis add a subtle heat and fiddlehead ferns and snap peas add a fresh crunch. Finally, a generous helping of tender braised oxtail is stirred in with the sauce. This meat truly melts in your mouth. All together, these components amount to a tasty pasta dish. Portions are pretty generous - this photo is just half a serving as they split the order for my wife and me.