Editor Pick
La Trattoria
- August 24, 2008
- Rated 4 of 5 by
ssullivan from Atlanta, Georgia
La Trattoria is a welcome surprise in Alpine. Unlike most restaurants in town, La Trattoria does not serve Mexican food, or steaks, or burgers. Instead, it's a combination espresso bar and Italian café, offering a variety of Italian favorites.
La Trattoria moved recently from their original location to a much larger space several blocks east on Holland Avenue. The old space had very little indoor seating, but the new location, just down the hill from the Sul Ross State University campus, offers ample dining room space. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and has a drive-thru window available for espresso and coffee drinks, and Italian sodas.
The food at La Trattoria is very good. The lunch menu includes a variety of panini, sandwiches, and amazing salads. While not a traditional Italian dish, the pinechick salad (chicken salad with pineapple) is outstanding, and is available as a sandwich on homemade focaccia or on top of fresh salad greens. Other great lunch choices include a variety of pastas that allow you to pick your favorite pasta and sauce and pair the two up. Pastas and salads are served with delicious homemade bread, while sandwiches and panini are served with chips. On Fridays a lunch buffet is available that includes pastas, salad, bread, and a dessert.
The dinner menu expands to include more pasta choices, as well as several entrées. I highly recommend the mushroom encrusted stuffed chicken, a chicken breast stuffed with mushrooms and parmigiano. It's a delicious entrée, and is served with a salad, vegetables, pasta, and homemade bread. Several nightly specials are also available on a rotating basis, and pizza is available several nights a week.
I have not had breakfast at La Trattoria, but have heard it is good. I have stopped by in the mornings for a quick coffee drink to go. This is the only place in Alpine you'll find an espresso bar, and they do a very good job with their espresso and coffee beverages. There are also a variety of flavors of Italian sodas available if you'd like a cold drink to go. And finally, what would an Italian café be without dessert? A variety of desserts, including cheesecake and tiramisu, is available at lunch and dinner.
You can view the menu at La Trattoria, and get updates on the restaurant's current operating hours (they tend to vary seasonally) on the La Trattoria Café website.
From journal Alpine, TX: Gateway to Big Bend Country