“You know, being Italian, wine and food is in our DNA,” Chef Tore says over a glass of Sardinian wine. The Cannonau he’s pouring is from his hometown, Dorgali, made from grapes grown at a vineyard he worked in as a youth. The guy behind all the delectable Italian dishes at Urban Crust, Salvatore Gisellu — “Chef” or “Tore” as he’s known by friends — brings authentic Sardinian traditions to life in the Downtown Plano Arts District.

To say he’s genuine is a bit of an understatement. Chef serves Margherita pizza with buffalo mozzarella alongside stories of growing up learning to make cheese by hand, working the family olive fields and helping out in the neighborhood wine cantina.