The Zagat Survey

Overseen by charismatic Bruno Ceka, this wonderful Italian steak and seafood restaurant is a gem in the rough. Surprisingly high quality food and service for the location in Irving. Further enhancing the enjoyable experience are its views of the canals in Valley Ranch, piano music Friday and Saturday and waiters who remember your name!

There's absolutely no reason a swell neighborhood such as Valley Ranch shouldn't have some fine restaurants to go along with all those expensive homes. Surely Jerry Jones, whose Super Bowl winning team is based just a few blocks away, would expect nothing less.

Still, we were just a bit surprised to find something as upscale as Bruno's.

"D" Magazine

Owner Bruno Ceka has been pleasing Valley Ranch residents with solid Italian, steak and seafood fare. This highly trafficked dinery overlooks the Valley Ranch canal and is home to a sport minded clientele which includes owners, coaches, players and fans of the major professional teams that practice and live nearby.

From Weekend Guide
The Dallas Morning News

...Owner-chef Bruno Ceka recently remodeled the restaurant into what he calls "traditional, old-style Tuscany."  What that means is an earthy color palate—rich terra cotta, mauve, mustard and brown—that glows at night with recessed lighting and candlelit tables. There's also a dining room with a glass wall that overlooks a canal...

But the food is the thing:  Most good Italian restaurants pride themselves on their appetizers. After all, dining in Tuscany is no slam bam affair, but rather a leisurely savoring of every bite. We started our laid-back evening with garlicky crab claws, fresh tasting seafood swimming in butter that had the perfect balance of toothsome sweetness. Mushrooms escargot were equally pleasing; the juxtaposition of earthy sponge and flavor-rich snails was spot-on.

Our palates whetted, we ordered entrees with relish.  Each came with a choice of soup or salad: the latter a delightful tangle of mixed greens, carrot, zucchini, red cabbage and tomato in a tangy-sweet house-made Italian vinaigrette. Vitello Marsala was a delicate yet richly flavored veal filet that danced beautifully in a sweet wine and mushroom sauce.

A request to turn Veal Saltimbocca into a chicken dish was effortlessly accommodated, and the result was a perfectly cooked chicken breast topped with ham, spinach and provolone cheese.  A special of Orange Roughy swam in a dreamy butter wine sauce, accompanied by garlic-speckled wilted spinach and creamy, melt-in-you-mouth mashed potatoes.

You're so sweet:  A trio of house-made desserts included a creamy spumoni topped with chopped pistachios, a rich canoli and a pleasing chocolate mousse cake.  Each plate was drizzled artistically with melted chocolate.

Our waiter was first-rate:  he answered questions with skill, the timing between dishes was just right and he was always checking in without being obtrusive. Obviously, the level of customer service is as important to Mr. Ceka as his food, unfortunately a rare attitude in today's marketplace.

With so much going for it, Bruno's should be a destination for dining aficionados living outside Valley Ranch.