A Greek and Italian cuisine combo paired with an elegant, yet family-friendly atmosphere is Casa Verona’s recipe for success, owner Hani Nadra says.
But the restaurant is rooted by its complementary and famous fares perfected in Europe by chef Wael Sarhan over more than two decades. Nadra and Sarhan were eager to bring these dishes to the United States.
“We fell in love with the idea,” Nadra says. “We thought it would be a great thing to bring here to Dallas.”
Casa Verona opened in The Hill Shopping Center in 2019. Nadra says the space was an opportunity after a renovation, which resulted in an inviting courtyard that the restaurant now fills with live music every Wednesday night.
Guests can choose from a menu chock-full of Greek and Italian appetizers, entrees, pastas, pizzas and desserts. Many of Casa Verona’s ingredients are locally sourced, Nadra says.
“We work with three or four vendors and we try to pick the best of what each vendor has,” he says.
Pizza dough, sauces, dips, bolognese and the tiramisu dessert are all made in-house. The baklava, a rich and sweet Mediterranean pastry, is made from scratch from a family recipe.
Many start with the Feta Alforno, which is also known as a “Verona Favorite.” The appetizer is served with baked feta cheese with fresh tomato and bell pepper, topped with melted mozzarella and served with house-made bread.
A customer favorite when it comes to pizzas is the Spicy Porko. It comes with Canadian bacon, crispy bacon, pepperoni, white mushroom, corn, garlic, chili flakes, shredded mozzarella and house pizza sauce.
“Very unique to us,” he says. “It’s sort of a meat lovers pizza with a twist.”
The restaurant also comes with a full bar and a slew of red and white wines. Popular house cocktails include Italian and Greek martinis and the Saronno Margarita, which comes with an Italian spin, Nadra says.
Casa Verona fortunately built up enough of a following in the neighborhood before the pandemic.
“It’s been really tough because it hit us about four months after we opened,” Nadra says. “We were just getting to be known. One day we’re busy, one day we’re slow.”
While the restaurant’s first year had its ups and downs, Nadra says the neighborhood has come out to support the business nonetheless.
“We have a good connection with our customers,” he says. “We have a lot of repeat customers that came in and enjoyed it the first time and keep coming back.”
Casa Verona, 9840 N. Central Expressway, Suite 300, 972.707.0331, thehilldallas.com/stores/casa-verona
