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Trattoria Lisina: Little Tuscany in the heart of Texas by Matthew Odam

While the explosion of restaurants in the heart of the city has been a welcome element of our city’s growth, sometimes one needs to leave his watch at home and escape the heated concrete of the city to decompress.

A trip out to Damian Mandola’s Trattoria Lisina offers a welcome change of pace and a chance to unwind, in true Italian fashion, for a meal that can stretch out its legs and linger for hours.

The 30-minute trip to Driftwood from downtown Austin may not transport you all the way to Siena, but the massive stone building set aside a winery just at the foot of the Central Texas Hill Country does its best to approximate the feeling of Tuscany.

Two for the Road. Destination: Wimberley Paper City, August 2011

Wine, Dine and Caffeinate

 Damian Mandola's retirement plans morphed into this astonishing new endeavor where the Texas Wine Country meets Tuscany. In this grand restaurant, vistas of rolling hills laced with vineyards offer an idyllic backdrop for Italian gastronomic marvels (osso buco, anyone?) by chef John Lichtenberger, a transplant from Manhattan whose previous stints include a toque turn at Le Bernardin. Culinary offerings include pasta hand-rolled by Lichtenberger's wife, Carla; vintages imported from Italy; acres of prosciutto di Parma; classic pizze (which were packed up and sent with us for our tour at The Plant); and refreshing homemade gelati and sorbeti. Unwind the big unwind in this Driftwood epicurean experience on the way to Wimberley.