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Farnatchi Gourmet Oven

3001 Knox St, at North Central Expressway; Knox-Henderson; 214.219.7200

FGO originated in Addison, but is transformed into a brand new pan-Mediterranean nook simply outfitted with a dark wood communal table, bench seating made comfy via cylindrical lumbar pillows, and huge iron lanterns hanging from a floating tin-tiled ceiling island, upholstered in the same woven Tuscan fabric as the pillows, and therefore truly back-lit. WOW! What a mouthful; which is what you may say when you get there.

These scrumptious cross-cultural dishes start with apps like fried calamari w/ saffron and Turkish sumac, and a feta/pistachio'd spinaci salad with apricots poached in Moroccan cinnamon. How about that for a great beginning. Move to mains like chicken lemon scaloppine w/ capers & potatoes in saffron ginger sauce, spaghetti w/ sumac'd meatballs, lasagna in cinnamon/cumin tomato sauce, and a holiday-friendly cardamom/clove/nutmeg-bechamel'd ravioli (as with presents, you never really know what's inside 'til the morning arrives). Meanwhile, pizzas range from the Farnatchi (sausage, parm/mozz, peppers, onions, olives) to the seasonal, cheese-less Tangrineo w/ mixed seafood marinated in spices; there's also a 17-ingredient build-your-own option, but who are you kidding, sausage.

These delectable items are on Farnatchi's menu but not one tops $14, and the resto's keeping itself purposefully BYOB -- See you there soon...