5084 Pinnacle Square Trussville
Phone: 661-0717
Hours: Mon.-Thurs.: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Fri.-Sat.: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Sun.: 11 p.m. - 8 p.m.
By Jan Walsh Photos by Beau Gustafson
Many great Italian bistros begin as neighborhood
restaurants. Then as the word spreads, so does their
widening appeal. Soon new faces from across town
appear, and they become regulars too. Eventually it
makes sense to replicate the restaurant in another neighborhood,
and so the success story goes.
La Dama at Liberty Park celebrated its fifth anniversary in October. As a resident of this neighborhood, I am a regular—dining in, taking out and (most often) enjoying the convenience of their prompt delivery service. Last year owner and chef Tim Stevens built upon his success at Liberty Park, opening La Dama’s Trussville location at Pinnacle Square. Much like the original La Dama, the Trussville location is an Italian bistro—casual, family friendly with a sophisticated touch.
“I enjoy opening new restaurants: the prep work, planning the new concept and researching the location,” Stevens says. “But most of all I enjoy eating around and getting ideas for the next restaurant.” Stevens had planned to open a steakhouse as his next restaurant. “I really think that an upscale casual steakhouse is what Birmingham is missing. But when I came upon the site in Trussville, it screamed, ‘La Dama!’ I loved the location, the traffic and the family presence of Trussville, and felt that La Dama would be a great fit.” Stevens also sees the possibility of another La Dama in the Birmingham area and feels that the La Dama concept would also be a good fit for Atlanta.
It was at Atlanta’s Nava restaurant where I first met Stevens—years before he moved to Liberty Park. Stevens then worked for the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, managing Atlanta’s Chops and Nava. Here I became personally acquainted with his knowledge of the food industry and his ambitious energy. Under Stevens’ management, Nava consistently ranked in the top five Atlanta restaurants.
La Dama’s Trussville ambience is mod and energetic with tones of coral and lime green. The bistro seats 120, with a large bar area and side patio that offers views of the valley. The custom built concrete bar includes 13 seats and extensive wine and beer selections. On Wednesday and Saturday evenings bottles of wine are served half price. And a separate kids area, “The Whine Room,” is complete with a variety of video games and televisions.
The menu at both locations is the same—deep enough for variety and small enough to achieve perfection, time after time—including a wide selection of antipastos, salads, pastas, signature pizzas, sandwiches, calzones and a variety of entrée plates. La Dama also provides offsite and onsite catering for both small and large affairs.
Stevens begins with fresh products and quality ingredients, and this is evident in every dish at La Dama. This passion for fresh cuisine developed during his boyhood summers spent on his grandfather’s farm.
Here Stevens picked fresh vegetables and fruits, harvested grapes and learned the importance of quality and freshness.
Tonight’s dinner is a tasting menu paired with wines from the “Vino Selection.” The first course is a Crab Cake appetizer paired with Maso Canali Pinot Grigio 2007. I typically find ordering crab cakes a risky endeavor—resulting in disappointment, much like the ladies in the classic (1984) Wendy’s television commercial, “Where’s The Beef?” The ladies are impressed with the “big, fluffy bun” until they look inside to find very little beef. The same often happens with crab cakes.
The bigger they are, the less crab I find—but not at La Dama. This popular dish is a favorite among regulars because these crab cakes—available as an appetizer and as an entrée—are filled with lovely snow white Gulf of Mexico crab. These golden, appetizer cakes are served resting on a bed of fresh greens topped with a spicy remoulade.
Seared Scallops paired with Shug Chardonnay, Sonoma County 2004 are the second appetizer course. The Virginia U10 diver scallops served over a scrumptious goat cheese risotto. The light, sweet scallops and their sweet brown butter sauce balance well with the hearty risotto. Topping off the dish are crisp, grilled asparagus, adding both color and a touch of acidity.
Entrées of Angus Beef Tenderloin and Osso Bucco are paired with Chateau St. Jean Cing Cepages 2003. The first cut of each midwestern beef tenderloin reveals the exact level of doneness that was ordered. The tender, juicy steak is served over small, crispy pieces of roasted potatoes and is accompanied by a blue cheese sauce. The final entrée is Osso Bucco, made of Le Quebecois, grain-fed veal from Canada, served over lovely black truffle risotto. “This is by far the best veal I have been in contact with,” Stevens says. “I appreciate the fact that they go the extra mile and the extra expense to humanely raise the calves.” And I appreciate the Stevens’ Italian slow braising that results in this fall-off-the-bone, meltin- your-mouth veal that is so tender, I cut it with a fork.
The final and seventh course includes two of my favorite things—chocolate and crème brulee. We split the Chocolate Chip Crème Brulee, rounding out a perfect meal at La Dama.
Modern Italian cuisine, an impressive wine selection, welcoming service and a warm atmosphere—now that’s what an Italian bistro should be.
