Owner Gianni Piras is originally from Sardinia, an island near Italy.[/caption]

When Gianni Piras was looking for the right spot to open the restaurant of his dreams, the search took two years. It ended three years ago when Trattoria al Giardino became reality, taking over a building previously occupied by another restaurant.

The floor plan was ideal for the friendly, informal restaurant Piras had envisioned, he said.

There are three outdoor seating areas. The outdoor part of the restaurant has vegetation that contributed to the name: small or informal restaurant (trattoria) and garden (giardino).

Piras said he likes that the restaurant is located off the Sam Rayburn Tollway and just a few miles from the President George Bush Turnpike, which puts it in the golden arch of expansion and development on the north side of the Metroplex.

“We’re a destination restaurant, and this was a great place to open,” he said. “It’s a growing area.”

Piras hails from Sardinia, an island in the Mediterranean Sea east of the Italian mainland. He came to the United States in 1986 to work at Epcot Center at Disney World. He moved to Dallas in 1990 and started making friends, who eventually became his investors.

“Opening a restaurant isn’t easy—you need a lot of money,” Piras said. “I was fortunate to make friends who liked what I was doing while I was working in other restaurants. When I told them I wanted to open a place of my own, they were happy to help.”

Mozzarella caprese ($10) includes tomatoes and extra-virgin olive oil.[/caption]

While most American diners are aware there are varieties of Italian foods based on the country’s regions, few realize there are 20 of those regions, Piras said. Piras has preferred not to focus on one region. He categorizes his menu as being simply Italian.

The menu has two pages that feature classic Italian selections. The key to great food is in the recipes and the preparation of those recipes, Piras said.

The lasagna ($15) is a classic meat-and-cheese lasagna.[/caption]

“We make everything from scratch,” he said. “Our sauce, we make it every day from fresh tomatoes. Some of our customers say it tastes different from other tomato sauces they’ve had in other Italian restaurants. That’s because it’s fresh.”

Piras said he considers his place a family restaurant. He loves seeing families bringing their children.

Wine bottles are displayed at the entrance of Trattoria al Giardino.[/caption]

“Those are future customers,” Piras said. “In 15 to 20 years, I hope they remember eating here and then come back when they’re adults.”

Despite the success of Trattoria al Giardino, expanding to another location is not likely, Piras said. He jokes that will only happen if he can clone himself because he believes in a hands-on approach. When the restaurant is open, Piras is there.

“You have to manage the people who work for you, and you have to manage how you treat your customers,” he said. “Owning a restaurant is like any other job—you can’t cut corners, and you have to work hard to be successful. It was my dream to run a restaurant like this, and I’m very happy.”