About

Princi Italia is rooted in Italian ancestry

Princi Italia is the result born from a love affair of authentic Italian cooking and friendship spanning over more than three decades.  Italian descendants, Patrick Colombo and Chef Kevin Ascolese envisioned an eatery that served fare immense with flavor that remained faithful to their Italian roots while assimilating modern techniques and execution.  Princi Italia serves seasonal Italian dishes, including homemade pastas, fresh vegetables, seafood and Napolitano-style pizzas in a warm Tuscan farmhouse setting.

A highly regarded hospitality executive, Patrick Colombo is President and CEO of Restaurant Works, Inc., a hospitality management company established in late 2001. Restaurant Works, Inc. has grown to $25 million in sales with three distinct concepts; Victory Tavern, Princi | Italia, and CRU Food & Wine Bar. In 2017, Restaurant Works, Inc. opened three new CRÚ locations in Lexington (KY), Atlanta (GA) and Fort Worth (TX).

In 2011, Colombo rolled out a new restaurant concept called Princi Italia, featuring creative seasonal Italian cooking.

Princi Italia was recently named on the list of Top Ten New Restaurants by D Magazine.

Princi Italia was recently named on the list of Top Ten New Restaurants of 2011 by D Magazine. Denver International Airport was awarded to Crú beating out other major wine concept competitors and opened its first airport location in 2012.  A second airport location was opened shortly after at Love Field in Dallas. Colombo and his company are in negotiations with another major airport to open the Crú concept for 2015.

Colombo’s passionate entrepreneurial spirit and long-term commitment to the hospitality industry includes active involvement in industry-related organizations. He was a long-standing Director of the American Beverage Institute, a member of the Confrerie de la Chaine Des Rotisseurs, L’Orde Mondial Des Gourmets Degustateurs, the Sommelier Society of America and a Trustee of the Culinary Institute of America.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky; Kevin’s family moved to Cincinnati when we was just 14 years old. It was his junior year of High School when a new vocational element was introduced to the curriculum with the promise of teaching the students the art of cooking. Kevin quickly noticed he had a very sharp acumen for fine cooking; and thus a star was born.

Kevin found an apprenticeship working under George Haydin in 1976 earing a massive $1.25 an hour at the famous Maisonette; known for its classical French style cooking (Haute Cuisine). Four years passed as Kevin honed his skills and eventually earned his title as Chef and moved on to Dallas landing at the Manson on Turtle Creek as a Saucier under Christian Shimon, cooking the new style of French Cuisine of the time known as “Nouvelle”.

Joining forces with Patrick Colombo, Kevin found his true calling for Italian Cuisine.

In 1984 during the Summer Olympics Kevin moved to LA to take work as a Sous Chef at the Hotel Bel Air. Joining forces with Patrick Colombo at Sfuzzi’s on Mckinney Ave, Kevin found his true calling for Italian Cuisine. After opening many new restaurants around the country, Kevin found himself back with Patrick Colombo in the summer of 2008 and taking the role of Executive Chef & Managing Partner in 2011 while creating and opening Princi Italia Dallas. Chef Kevin Ascolese continues to drive the culinary vision for Princi Italia with great vision and passion.