Mi Piaci

I think they went out of business as of June 1 2014?

One of the worst dining experiences of my life. The food was fair to bad. There was a ton of waitstaff hanging out right by our table. Leaning against the wall and having personal conversations. There were few patrons in the restaurant and yet we were poorly taken care of. The kitchen was so loud I could not even have a conversation with my husband. The food was not edible. I never ever send my food back, but I could not eat my entrée. I was so excited to try this restaurant and so disappointed. Steer clear.

First and foremost take a note that happy hour special is for wine only!!! In my previous review, i had written about the décor, ambiance etc. To be honest, my last visit to Mi Piaci was the last one. It was the so called social hour on a very cold Thursday evening. There wasn’t many people around and everyone was directed downstairs. We were welcomed with about 2 tiny pieces of calamari. After about 45 minutes, it dawned on me that there was no more apps coming our way other than the tine pieces we received earlier. So I decided to order some more apps since those 2 tiny pieces looked like a big joke. After a couple of hours, we got bored for the lack of activity and from the watered down drinks. I had a $ 25 gift certificate that I wanted to use but the bartender told me they don’t take those. I was not happy because it’s unfortunate that an establishment of this scale can actually refuse to redeem it’s own gift certificate. I cleared my bill and we left the place and never to return again. Just keep in mind that the so called social hour is some form of marketing to bring traffic to this place. If you want to go for a good social hour, i recommend you visit Gloria’s in Addison. You will not be disappointed whatsoever.

I ordered sea bass and they pretty much deep fried it to the point where the edges were burnt. It lost all sea bass flavor and tenderness. A mcdonalds fish sandwich would’ve tasted better than this $ 35 dish. We almost sent it back but I didn’t want to get my food spit on. Portions were extremely small. I usually only eat ½ of my meals when I go out so I know I don’t have a huge appetite, but I ate all of the meal and was left feeling unsatisfied. We ordered bruschetta and it was good but nothing impressive — cheaper restaurants can offer the same. My date ordered some kind of bolognese pasta and the flavor was worse than what I make at home (and I’m not the best cook)! Very disappointing service as well… The server seemed to enjoy exaggerating his Italian accent and mannerisms like I was in some kind of epic chick flick based in Italy… In addition, he never came by to check on our food. The only time he cared was if we finished so he can pressure us into dessert. My date has been to the one in Addison before and he was extremely disappointed with this new place. Said the ambiance wasn’t as good either. Also, the bread they served were cold, like it came right out of the fridge and only left to thaw.

Another excellent meal last night! Seafood linguini was superb, as was everything. Staff and service also top notch. Ventured upstairs after dinner to visit the wine bar, also great atmosphere

The food was really great. 4 stars. I’m a long-​time Mi Piaci fan, but this visit was so disappointing due to the service.
The service… wow. It was really terrible.
We were a group of 3 last night in a half-​empty restaurant, and our server did everything he could to push us through our meal as quickly as possible. It was really horrible. We sat down, and our waiter asked us THREE times if we were ready to order within the span of about 5 minutes. We hadn’t even opened our menus yet! Finally after the third visit, he says, «Here, I’ll help you. Here are some recommendations.» Okay…
And it went like that all the way through. For example, we’d be actively eating our salads, forks in the air, and our server would hover and ask, «Are you finished? Can I take these away?» This continued the ENTIRE meal. And yet my water sat empty for half the meal and we had to wave for refills. It was very odd.
So again, the food was great, but I won’t come back. There are far too many great places nearby with comparable food and much better service!

very disappointing. tomato & mozzarella salad came directly out of the fridge. everyone knows that this isn’t how to serve this dish. when i raised the issue with the waiter person AND the Manager, they said they’d mention it to the chef. That was it! Really? This neighborhood won’t tolerate food and service like this for long.

If you would have told me I would be writing my 100^th Unilocal review, I would think you’re nuts. If you would have told me that same review would be for a place I already reviewed earlier this year and loved but now they have moved across town, I would ask you to pass me whatever you’re drinking because you have had too much. And yet, here we are: Mi Piaci, the best Italian food I can think of in the DFW area, has now set up shop near the University Park area. Change is often difficult in any situation but how does Mi Piaci handle being the «new kid» in school? Surprisingly well, save for a few instances of where they may be wrestling with their own identity… like any new kid in a new place.
A friend of mine was a regular at the previous Addison location, and I had gone a few times with him. This was my first time in their new building and his first time eating there (he went for a «soft opening» earlier this year). We had 6:00 p.m. reservations for a Saturday night and on our way, we were stuck in the wonderful DFW traffic we all know and tolerate. I phoned them up to let them know we might be 15 minutes late and the hostess who answered was professional, accommodating and understanding. If she had been able to instantly remove all traffic in our way, I would have named her the MVP of the Year.
When we arrived, we drove past the complimentary valet strictly because it’s not something we do and I’m not pretty enough for valet. But make no mistake: the valet is right by the door and has a large amount of spots to house diners who want to use their services. Us? We can park and walk. And when we walked up, I noticed the lower patio area: posh sofas, modern tables, etc. It had a cool vibe to it despite no one being on it, and when we made our way inside, that vibe kind of clashed with what we both knew. More on that later.
The team of hostesses was charming and quick to please. Our gal walked us up the stairs, past the contemporary dining rooms and crowded bars to the upper patio that extends over the sidewalk. We navigated past a few parties and made our way to a table that had an admittedly great view — you’ve got a busy street across from you and on a nice night, that patio is clearly the place to be. We certainly were the accidental envy of most diners strictly because we were there longer than we had planned due to the sluggish service.
I’m not sure if we were a table that servers may have traded and then no one knew who was supposed to wait on it but the service was slapdash, at best. We had two different waiters and one was noticeably more at ease with his job than the other — and it could just be working out some kinks with the service since they opened not too long ago. I don’t know. All I know is I never had a bread plate the entire meal and somehow we got two of the same appetizer on accident — the second we declined, but then they offered to box it up for us. We accepted and never saw it again. I’m not complaining, by the way: just an observation on how flighty the service can be.
But the food? The food is essential. Handmade pastas and fresh seafood are the norm here, and I have yet to have anything questionable on the menu. We did a melon/​prosciutto appetizer, lobster linguini and the championed sea bass. And it was all delicious. Make no mistake, the food will change the way you think about Italian food unless you’re an exchange student from Rome who wandered in here on holiday because you knew this place was no joke when it came to cooking.
At the end of the day, however, your enjoyment of this new Mi Piaci probably comes down to what you know about the other one. If you have never eaten at their old Addison location, bump this review to five stars. If you have eaten there, subtract a star. What was once a quiet and elegant place has now become a hip and trendy eatery with far better food than you would expect to find in a place like this. TVs throughout the place? OneRepublic playing on the speakers? The Beatles «Come Together» playing in the single-​occupant bathroom upstairs?! What is going on? It’s an identity crisis I think the place might need to work through. I’m not saying you cannot have televisions or music piped in through the speakers — it’s just jarring to come from a place that had largely instrumental Italian-​tinged music and no TVs in the dining room.
Maybe I’m the one who needs to change. I can be pretty change-​resistant. That’s the polite way of saying «stubborn,» by the way. Whatever the case, with food that amazing and a front desk that poised, Mi Piaci still has that magic you remembered or are about to discover. And if this is your first time visiting, prepare to have your understanding of Italian food completely rewritten, and in the best possible way.

Brian,
This is not a false review, check out your books. In fact, I have a couple of pictures on Facebook and Instagram to prove how large our group was, if you want to «investigate» further. We were there Friday, September 27^th. When we first got there, the hostess said to head upstairs for the bar since we didn’t know who all in our group would be having dinner that night. The tables against the wall, across from the bar were «reserved» for another large group and there weren’t enough round tables for our group. The few of us who got there around 6 decided to go sit in the patio area. We had those tables cleared and seats moved around so we could all face each other. We ordered drinks, however it was humid outside and it started to get uncomfortable. A lady in our group went inside to talk to the manager so they moved us upstairs, to the tables that were originally «reserved». The female member of your wait staff was dry and short with us. She completely skipped me during her order taking and the gentleman next to me. We had to call her over, after the entire group’s order was put in. When we finished our meals, there were several of us still trying to enjoy the last of our wine but 2 – 3 members of you wait staff kept walking around us pretending to care if we needed anything else. Finally one of them had the you know what to ask us if we could move to the bar because they needed the tables for other patrons.
I find it amusing that anyone at that restaurant replied to my review 28 days after the fact.
I guess the moral of the story is that I couldn’t keep up with all the moves we made that night, that we endured a far worse experience than I originally remembered and that you can’t take feedback. What is feedback for? Feedback is to help people get better. If you don’t want to get better, don’t. I stand by my word, and I don’t go around posting feedback every where I go. I only do so when it’s well deserved.
And I’m not looking to get a free meal, so don’t bother.

I came here for a late dinner to celebrate the engagement of 2 close friends. We had a reservation for a large group and they were very accommodating for our party, even when adding a few more people at the last minute. We were seated in the upstairs patio area, adjacent to the lounge.
When I first walked in, I was impressed with the décor. Very contemporary, dimly lit, but I was surprised at how loud it was. It didn’t seem to go with the mood the place was trying to create.
They started us off with bread, which looked very ordinary, but was surprisingly very tasty. Our entrees came out without much delay, despite the large group, so that was nice. I ordered the pappardelle con pollo — every part of it was tasty, except maybe the pollo, which I thought was kind of tasteless. I sampled a few of the other dishes from other people. Overall, I’m impressed with the sauces, which are full of flavor. One of my favorites was the Spaghettini Neri with Crab, something I had never tried before.
Anything can be made vegetarian, but my one complaint with Italian restaurants is that when you do that, all you’re left with is pasta and sauce +/​-​cheese. It would be nice to see a good veggie pasta option that strays from that.
Misc Notes:
— upstairs patio has a big screen TV
— complimentary valet parking
— it has the look of a good date place, but a high noise level
— good for groups

I ordered from their new «To Go» program for an event of 20 people. I called the night before to order. When I arrived at 11:30, the food was ready and smelled delicious. I quickly was rung up and they helped me to my car. I had an assortment of pizzas and appetizers. Everyone raved about the food. I will have them cater again for me. Quick, easy and delicious!

Service was horrible. You are pretty much just a number here as all they cared about was wanting to turn over the tables quickly to bring in the next diner. Staff was rude and we felt rushed. The waitress brought our check while still eating and told us that the manager wanted her to bring the checks so that we would leave or that they would move us to the bar area. Food was nothing spectacular. I wasn’t impressed. They are better Italian restaurant and with better service. Be aware that if you want extra toppings or substitutions on your $ 12 pizza be aware that they will charge you for everything. ($ 6 for meat (I substituted) and $ 4 for cheese). So a $ 12 small pizza turns into at $ 22 pizza. Rip off!

This was our first time at the new location. VERY different vibe. Energetic and bustling, instead of the quieter, more formal feel of the Monfort place. Seated by the bar, our conversation was frequently interrupted by the laughter & conversation of the raucous happy hour crowd, and when I asked if any other seats were available I was told no.
Our food was good but not memorable. My two companions each ordered one of the house-​made pastas; the penne all’arrabiata and the spaghettitini nero. We found the nero, an old favorite, to be somewhat lackluster (and light on the crab) compared to times past. I ordered one of the pizzas (sausage & mushroom) and it was very good, and an economical choice. Our appetizer, the arancini aurora, is basically fried sausage balls with risotto. They are mediocre, but the sauce is stellar and saves the dish. The opening bread, similar to a soda bread or sweet bread, could benefit from some variety, including a fresh but traditional yeast bread.
The servers still try to be very attentive, like they always did at the former location, which is always appreciated.
Overall…I was a bit disappointed. There is too much competition in that area to be anything less than awesome.
Come on. WOW me. Just once.

First time here and it was outstanding. The ahi tuna appetizer was delicious. Was prepared perfect and the sauce and hummus was very tasty. Had the spaghetti neri)(spaghetti made with squid ink) and it was very good. Had crab and a slightly spicy sauce. Nice location and the service was excellent. Will definately be back.

Finally a restaurant in this location that is going to make it.
Find me a better version of calamari anywhere. The sauce at the bottom of the dish was spicy sweet and you’ll ask for more. The coating was crisp and the meat tender and very hot. A Caesar salad was lightly dressed and crispy fresh. The red snapper was perfectly cooked and sat on a bed of al dente risotto with micro greens on top. Service was excellent.

Disappointing in every way. Despite having reservations our table was not ready for 20 minutes, service was poor and the food lacked flavor. Even with the 50% off Groupon we would not return. This place is not the same as Mi Piaci in Addisson. Management needs an overhaul!

Bolognese over cooked … Risotto soggy… Atmosphere blah… Way over priced… Why go back?

LOVE the new location! I don’t have to drive to Addison anymore! Thanks Brian!
The food is just as fabulous and the staff is too! I’m going to be a regular!

Great food, same as previous location. The calamari is amazing! We made last minute arrangements during restaurant week for a party of 11 and were seated with little ado. The Caesar with toasted pumpkin seeds was great too!

I work in Preston center and so does one of my friends. Her boss told her about Mi Piaci opening today and they just got back from there and got to try some of the menu items for free. We were excited to try something new, so we went over there at 1p.m. and we were turned away. People were clearly eating in there and had not even received their food yet. The manager told us that the «kitchen was about to crash». Not sure what that means… guess they were shutting it down for the day. I just thought it was rude that we were turned away and not serviced when the restaurant was clearly open. I think we were turned away because we were not in business suit and didn’t drive a Range Rover. They totally were profiling which is rude! We were dressed business casual. I will not be spending my money here…