There’s a great little Italian place off Forest Lane, but unless a neighbor has told you about it, you probably haven’t been there. That’s kind of the whole idea though. “In the old movies, people would always say they knew a spot up the street – that’s the feel we wanted,” Darwin Gattini says of his restaurant Momo Italian Specialties. “People only hear about us by word-of-mouth, so we’re a well-kept secret.” Gattini, a Lake Highlands graduate, moved here from Tuscany when he was just 15. “I always missed that community bond from my hometown in Italy, but I have found it again at this restaurant.” Gattini’s grandmother was a well-known Italian cookbook author, so authentic cooking has long been a family tradition. And it comes through at Momo’s in the form of daily-baked focaccia bread, pastas made from scratch, imported Italian cheeses and homemade sauces. He describes the fare as “Italian soul food,” so don’t expect to find your typical marinara and meatballs. Instead, you’ll find entrees like the Trenette Verdi alla Momo: homemade spinach linguini, smoked salmon, and shrimp in a cream sauce with brandy, Marsala wine, herbs and spices. And for a $3 corking fee, you can pair that with a nice bottle of wine brought from your own rack.

MOMO ITALIAN SPECIALTIES

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9191 FOREST LANE

972.234.6800

LUNCH:

Mon-Fri 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

DINNER:

Mon-Thurs 5:30-9:30 p.m.

Fri-Sat 5:30-10 p.m.

Sun 5:30-9 p.m.