WELL SEASONED Maybe it’s just me, but when I hear that a restaurant has spent $3 million on a face lift, I immediately whip out my magnifying glass. At Quattro, in Houston’s Four Seasons Hotel, the makeover and the menu can withstand the scrutiny. Not to be catty, but as DeVille (its previous name), the dining room had started to look like a well-preserved Cadillac. As Quattro, it’s a gleaming new Jaguar. In keeping with the new spirit, chef Timothy Keating’s food is lighter and brighter, with an emphasis on contemporary Italian and regional American dishes. At lunch, my Maine diver scallops came wrapped in meaty pancetta on watercress with a brisk lemon-Dijon dressing; at dinner, a wonderful combination of corn, tomatoes, and fresh purple-hull peas gave a lift to a manly grilled double pork chop. And with most entrée prices now under $20 even at night, you’re much less likely than before to experience sticker shock.
