This is painful to write, so I’ll just link. All I can say is that now I have to fly to Chicago or New York to get great Italian food. So Texans lova the steak house? That is so dumb. You can buy a great steak at Central Market, Whole Foods or Kuby’s for God’s sake, season and plop it on the $10,000 grill you have on the patio of your McMansion. Voila: steak. But to find a great sauce or pasta filled with delicacies, that takes hours of delicate prep.
You can still get your Bice fix in Texas - there is one in the Houston Galleria
No need to take a plane, there are a number of truly fantastic Italian restaurants in Dallas. Two that come to mind are Daniele Osteria and Nonna.