"400 Gradi is ready to unleash its Neapolitan-style pies from down under upon downtown Dallas diners. The anticipated 5,000-square-foot Italian restaurant is scheduled to open for lunch and dinner service on Monday, September 16, at 2000 Ross Avenue. 400 Gradi has earned serious pizza cred under its Australian-born celebrity chef/founder Johnny Di Francesco, including top honors at the prestigious Campionato Mondiale Della Pizza competition in Italy. Along with an opening lineup of 15 authentic pies, the menu is filled out by Italian classics like risotto, fried calamari, and char-grilled steaks. Starters include zucchini flowers filled with salted cod, oysters, arancini, meatballs, and cured meats butchered on-site. The brand goes the extra mile to import Italy into its Dallas kitchen, flying in San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, olive oil, and gelato ingredients. There’s even specially formulated water from Artisan H2O that replicates the same liquid building pies in Naples. A temperature-controlled room with around 70-percent humidity is where all the pastas and dough ferment for 48 hours. Popular pasta orders include gnocchi di luigi with ricotta; tagliatelle alla bolognese; and spaghetti with cherry tomato, zucchini, crab meat, lobster bisque, and chile. Mains are filled out by branzino with braised fennel, leek, cherry tomato and fish velouté, as well as chicken breast slathered in spicy ‘nduja sauce." - Tierney Plumb
