Though Hamid Parivash has progressively moved farther and farther away from his native Italy, he refuses to stray from the country’s iconic culinary traditions. In 1987, he opened his first Italian restaurant in Austria with his mother and father before eventually moving the eatery to Spain for four years. He then ventured out even further, jumping the Atlantic Ocean to found a new Don Camillo in Texas. Even with this westward momentum, the menu remains firmly grounded in Old World flavors—fresh buffalo mozzarella, hand-rolled manicotti, and homemade meat and pesto sauces remain staple ingredients on the menu. Chef Parivash even still relies on an old-fashioned wood-burning oven to roast hearty entrees and bake pizzas laden with everything from grilled chicken and red onions to diced pancetta and garlic.

The restaurant’s open kitchen allows diners full-on glimpses of the cooks as they use this brick-encased oven to bake meals to order. With its neutral-toned walls, chandelier-like lighting fixtures, and assorted pieces of artwork, the dining room embraces a classical, understated aesthetic. Leafy green potted plants sit atop the room’s half walls of exposed brickwork, adding a verdant splash of color and replenishing the restaurant’s oxygen supply on a weekly basis.