Oh, Angelo: Piatto Opens in Tulsa Hills

I got to do this really cool thing a couple of weeks ago.

I was asked to sit in on a taste test of the menu at a restaurant that will be opening very soon right here in Tulsa.

That restaurant is Piatto Cucina Italiana, and its doors will open for lunch service at 11 a.m. on Monday morning, March 1. Piatto is in the Tulsa Hills shopping center at 71st Street and Highway 75.

Piatto is owned by Marcia Harris and Angelo Amabile, and they both came to Tulsa from the Sunshine State.

Actually, while Angelo came to Tulsa from somewhere else in the U.S., he's originally from the Salerno region of Italy.

Meaning, he has a delicious Italian accent.

Quick! Which is sexier - Angelo, or those fried leek-topped scallops?

I know. I can't decide, either. 

Here's Marcus. Or, as I should say, Chef Marcus. Marcus will be the head craftsman in the kitchen at Piatto. 

Marcus isn't one of those angry chefs like on TV. Instead of throwing plates of hot food at you when you ask a question about what he's up to at the stove, he chats you up about the noms he puts in front of you. We bantered about everything from olive oil to ground pepper. 

Plus, Marcus wears an apron. And he cooks. He cooks really, really well.

Can you tell I think highly of men who can wield the power of a stove? Maybe just a tad?

Needless to say, at a menu testing, there's a lot of food happening. And normally, a dish or two needs work. 

I don't know if the Piatto folks did a test of their menu testing before their menu tasting, but I couldn't find much wrong with any of the dozen-or-so dishes put in front of me.

My friends and family who have dined out with me know that this is quite a compliment. More often than not I'm that chick sending stuff back to the kitchen multiple times because the pasta is overcooked, the meat is overcooked or because the vegetables are overcooked (do we see a trend here? Don't overcook my food, okay?). Amanda and Holly are among the few who have the nerve to visit a restaurant with me. These women are brave souls.

And I'm kind of a jerk. And I'm okay with that. Most days. 

Fried chickpeas. Oh, yum.

House-made peppardelle with beef and slow-roasted tomatoes. Fork-tender meat, deep flavors and pasta that was actually cooked al dente.

Heck yes. 

Cannellini beans with shrimp and tomatoes and broth. Light and delicate, this dish would be the perfect light supper.

Gnocchi with house-made sausage, tomato and spices. Spicy, simple and sexy. 

There was a lot of this happening at the testing, of course. Everyone becomes close friends when Italian food hits the table. 

For dessert we had this.

Which was basically just a sliced-up version of a rustic apple pie, served up with a side of the softest, most delicately flavored hazelnut gelato I've ever had.

Now that's a pretty pie. The kind I make, not so much.

Oh my yikes. Let's not go there.

We also had this.

A rich chocolate cake that was just as delectable as it looks. With more lovely gelato, for which I was most thankful. 

If any of this has you mopping drool from your keyboard, you're in luck. Thanks to the folks at Piatto, I have two spots to this Sunday's preview dinner reserved for one lucky TDT reader. Not only will you get to try Piatto before just about anyone else in Tulsa, but you'll also get free dinner and dessert. And you'll get to meet Angelo, too. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. 

I'll accept entries until tomorrow (Thursday, Feb. 25) at 8 p.m. Please enter only if you'll be in the Tulsa area and available for dinner this Sunday between 6-9 p.m. 

Good luck, everybody. And buon appetito!