Our Story
The Origins of Calabrese
Like many family-owned Italian restaurants, Calabrese didn’t start out to ride the coattails of a trend or as a marketing goal to be the best Italian restaurant in Southlake. It began with one man’s devotion to family, tradition and the flavors of home. Calabrese’s owner, Oscar Renda, came to Texas via New Jersey and Ellis Island, bringing his Calabrian roots with him.
He didn’t open Calabrese to impress—he opened it to connect. To build something lasting and meaningful. To serve food that tells the truth: about where it comes from, why it matters, what it means to gather at a table, and where every bite has an undefinable mystery about it. Nearly 70% of our guests are regulars—not returning just for the food, but because they appreciate the Calabrese way.
Our Concept
Crafted with Purpose, Served with Heart
Calabrese isn’t your average “Italian-themed” restaurant. From the décor to the menu, everything is layered with intention and meaning. The gold Vespa that anchors the dining room was upcycled and refinished with a reclaimed cork seat. The Lambretta is a 1957, the year our owner, Oscar Renda and his family immigrated from Calabria.
Tucked five miles away is our 202-acre garden where we grow tomatoes, peppers, herbs, walnuts, pecans, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and 11 kinds of grapes. But don’t call us farm-to-table. Trendy isn’t the Calabrian way. We simply believe in freshness and flavors you can’t quite put your finger on. Again, it’s all about the Calabrian mystery.
Each year, we return to Calabria on a mission, spending hours traveling the countryside in search of the best wines, cheeses, salami, honey… We own an olive grove where cousins, aunts and uncles work to ensure the quality oil we serve our guests. Calabrians use olive oil, but once we found an Italian butter made in Parmesan skins that takes a pasta dish over the top. Too bad we can’t import it to the states before it spoils. This is what keeps our food grounded in authenticity.
Calabrian Cuisine
Bold, Simple, Shared
Meals in Calabria are slow and shared, stretching over hours, with big plates at the center of the table. We begin with bread service pairing in-house baked, warm focaccia with pepper paste, spiced olives and butter laced with garlic and anise—an old Calabrian trick.
Our Calabrian peppers are grown in Altamonte, Italy, hung to dry from the rafters at Hotel Barbieri and shipped to us. We reconstitute these in-house with sea salt and olive oil until they snap like Italian chips—delicious with olive oil, simple sea salt and grilled bread.
We serve 11 homemade pastas, and nearly 100% of our menu is authentically Italian. But if you order the chicken parm, know this: we added it because so many guests asked. Who are we to deny what the heart wants?
End your meal the Calabrian way—with a shot of amaro, a bittersweet digestivo made with 29 herbs to help digestion, including saffron, an anti-inflammatory, so you’re ready for what’s next. Our cuisine is a journey, and our servers are trained to guide the experience.
To finish, there’s coffee — three types, including a finely ground espresso called kimbo, brewed in a two-part stainless pot that slow-drips into a rich, potent pour. Oscar likes to stir in amaretto velvet and sambuca for a flavor that defies explanation. And he’s known for sharing with everyone in the bar.
