L'Oca d'Oro

L’Oca d’Ora almost sounds like a fictional place. It’s an impossibly cute little cafe with floor-to-ceiling windows tucked between a small pedestrian-only shopping center and a picturesque park with a lake in Mueller. And that’s just the building itself—it only gets better when you step through the doors and take in the sounds and smells of this Italian-inspired neighborhood cafe with a name that we can only imagine was dreamed up by a broken caps lock key.

photo credit: Richard Casteel

Start with an order of fresh mozzarella topped with chile bomba and local peaches, then move on to white bean dips, heirloom tomato salads, and sourdough focaccia with cultured honey butter. These are mostly classic Italian dishes accented with modern twists and Texas turns. And it changes all the time. There’s a decent chance that none of the dishes we just described will be on the menu you get. That’s OK, just go with what’s in season. If in doubt, ask your server, or just order every pasta on the menu. Fortunately, this is a “shared small plates” kind of place. Which just means you get to sample more pasta. You’ll get to choose between bucatini, gnocchi, spaghetti, and any of the other half-dozen different pastas on the menu at any given time, which is where L’Oca d’Oro is at its best. 

photo credit: Richard Casteel

The wine selection here is great, with plenty of options available by the glass—including some fun orange wines—with a heavy lean on Italian reds. The cocktails are creative and sound a bit garden-inspired—incorporating things like a parsley-carrot cordial and cucumber-celery-basil shrub—that seem to taste even better when you’re sitting on the cozy patio looking out over the lake. There’s even a small menu of equally inventive no/low abv cocktails. And if you’re looking for a very Texas-meets-Italian finish to your meal, try the house-made Nocino—it’s typically a walnut-based liquor, but instead, they sub in green Texas pecans for a bit of local flair. Afterward, full of wine and pasta, go for a walk and enjoy one of the few pedestrian-only shopping centers in town. It makes the whole experience feel just a little more like you’re actually in Europe somewhere.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Richard Casteel

Fresh Mozzarella

The fresh mozzarella is a dish we’ve never really seen leave the menu, but it’s served a little bit differently each time, usually with some accompanying fruits, vegetables, or herbs that fit the season.

photo credit: Richard Casteel

Tagliatelle

A few of our noodles were a bit clumped together, but once we were able to get that untangled, we were left with a memorable plate of pasta with an excellent sauce that contrasted nicely with the toasted breadcrumbs and fresh herbs on top.

photo credit: Richard Casteel

Ricotta Cavatelli

The cavatelli had great texture, and the sage added a warm, rich touch to the buttery sauce. This is a pasta fit for warmer weather, but one we’d happily order again.

photo credit: Richard Casteel

Mafaldine

Is mafaldine the best noodle shape? We can’t definitively tell you that, but we can tell you that we have yet to find a better one. The long ribbons are perfect little vessels for sauce and meat, and the noodles have an excellent bite. If you see this on the menu, order it.

photo credit: Richard Casteel

Cannoli

The cannoli here is pretty classic, but still manages to feel seasonal by incorporating things like compressed melon or meyer lemon into the mix. It’s a great finish to the meal, and it goes especially well with a glass of the house-made pecan Nocino.