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110 R estaurateur Robert Quick may have attended the Culinary Institute of America in Napa and earned his cred in Thomas Keller's kitchens at Ad Hoc and Bouchon — but his culinary career really began in Dallas with a part-time job. "I was the omelet guy at the Dallas Country Club and ran the poolside grill," he says. Those DCC days, back when he was an undergrad at Southern Methodist University, sparked Quick's passion for the culinary world. He transferred to SMU from Pepperdine University after an injury ended his collegiate water-polo career, but cooking was not the only love he found in Dallas. It's also BY LAURANN CLARIDGE IL BRACCO, A CLUBBY NEW RESTAURANT, SERVES ELEVATED, CLASSIC ITALIAN WITH A NEIGHBORHOOD FEEL BY LISA COLLINS SHADDOCK w h e r e h e m e t h i s wife, Mary Lucille. After graduation, he went back to California and worked w i t h Keller, then m a n a g e d H i l l s t o n e R e s t a u r a n t G r o u p ' s West Coast properties and worked his way up to owner of the successful pizza chain Mountain Mike's, then sold it. Along the way, he dreamed of returning to Dallas to open a restaurant of his own. That dream was realized this summer with il Bracco, the first concept from his newly formed restaurant group, Western Addition. After a great deal of searching, Quick found the ideal business partner in Matt Gottlieb, who spent the last 12 years managing Hillstone and R+D Kitchen, both steps from il Bracco's location in The Plaza at Preston Center. Their goal was to create a well-rounded menu of elevated Italian classics that would give guests a reason to return multiple times throughout the week. "We wanted something the community could use for a business lunch, a special night out, or just a quick drink at the bar and a bite before going home to tuck the kids in," Quick says. Since opening over the summer, response to the restaurant has been overwhelming. "Even since the first week we opened, I've had guests remark that it already feels like it's been here a long time. Like it's an established neighborhood spot." Everything is made daily in-house, from the focaccia bread served with the meatball appetizer to the sauce for the beef, pork, and lamb ragù Bolognese. Standout fresh pasta dishes include the al limone with jumbo shrimp and the traditional cacio e pepe — bucatini simply dressed with pecorino and black pepper. As for the restaurant's name: It's Italian for "the hound" and came to mind while Quick was driving back to town from a hunting trip. It's also the name of the restaurant's signature cocktail — an Italian version of the classic greyhound, made with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, Aperol, a little lemon, and New Amsterdam gin. It's amore. il Bracco, 8416 Preston Center Plaza, The Plaza at Preston Center, 214.361.0100, ilbraccorestaurant.com. THE NEW STANDARD House-made pastas Burrata salad The Bianco Daisy, a house cocktail