Food truck review: Semplice Cibo Italiano

by Terry Eddington of Food Truck Connection

Simply fabulous Italian food made with passion.

Photo by Terry Eddington

Semplice Cibo Italiano

As I think about my favorite food trucks, I find a common theme in all of them. My favorite trucks keep the menu simple, prepare it with top quality ingredients, and serve it up with a smile. The folks at Semplice Cibo Italiano (SCI) did their homework and are doing it right. Chefs David McClain and Audra Denny teamed up with the spouses, Jana McClain and Chris Denny, to bring restaurant quality Italian favorites to the streets of DFW. They are unanimously committed to the mission of creating simple, fresh-made Italian food with the passion that makes every diner leave wanting just a little more. I’ve been there a couple of times now and they must be succeeding; I keep wanting a little more.

I started with the fried ravioli. The light breading was toasted just right and the cheese filling was a hot, ooey-gooey delight. The marinara dipping sauce was fresh, seasoned just right, and had just a hint of tang to spice things up. Then I had a strawberry basil lemonade to cool things down!

Photo by Terry Eddington

Fettuccini pasta with vodka cream sauce and fresh ground Italian sausage from Semplice Cibo Italiano

I followed up with a fettuccini pasta with vodka cream sauce and fresh ground Italian sausage. Ummm! The pasta was cooked perfectly, the Italian sausage chunky and a little spicy, and the vodka cream sauce smooth. The sausage was the weak link in this combination; good but not great. Garnished with a little green, it looked as good as it good tasted. Nothing fancy here -- just simple food prepared with passion and care.

You can design your own from a selection of three pastas, three sauces and three add-ons like sausage, meatballs, or sautéed mushrooms. Don’t want to design your own? Then try the spagetti & meatballs or baked ziti.

Photo by Terry Eddington

Caprese salad from Semplice Cibo Italiano

The next time I sampled SCI, I was on a food truck crawl at Siegel’s. This time I had to try the caprese salad: fresh, cool, and satisfying on a hot summer night. The tomatoes were bursting with flavor and the fresh buffalo Mozzarella cheese sprinkled with basil and seasoned with a little salt and olive oil left my mouth watering and longing for more. It’s a great starter to any meal.

For summer, SCI has added a watermelon salad -- fresh watermelon chunks served cold and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Just what the doctor ordered on a hot, summer day.

If you want to find five-star restaurant quality Italian food in the fun food truck setting, then look up SCI on Facebook or find out where they are now on Twitter. They’re saved on my favorites!