Houston

(From June 2009) Hip and contemporary, H&H dished up a lovely dinner despite timing miscues and blips in execution (like a bland noodle salad, despite the presence of a truffle ranch dressing). While eyeing our neighbors’ grilled flatbread with arugula and Pecorino, we dined well. We started with a sweet onion tart with pancetta and Gorgonzola and a cup of creamy tomato-basil soup, then graduated to a fine beef tenderloin with sautéed baby spinach and roasted root vegetables. Note: The restaurant’s breakfast menu looks fabulous. Bar.

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(From September 2009) The burgundy walls and print tablecloths of this cozy bistro launched us on the first stage of our journey from west Houston to the Mediterranean. We were completely transported once our kind server brought a delicately seasoned pork terrine, duck rillettes, and a bowl of creamy ginger-carrot soup. Before we could completely spoil our appetite with flatbread fresh from the pizza oven, our entrées appeared: sautéed grouper paired with ratatouille-filled cannelloni and a winey beef stew with olives and potatoes. Clinking glasses of Côtes du Rhône, we promised to make this quick trip again. Beer & wine.

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(From November 2008) Silver-haired chef-owner Andrea Pintus (formerly of Patrenella’s) lovingly rules over his new far-west strip-center domain, a spacious spot softened by arches and faux-marble columns. Tasty involtini—thin-sliced fried eggplant wrapped into rolls with ham, salami, and provolone—got us off to a protein-packed start. Even more impressive were the generous entrées: ravioli stuffed with veal, sage, and Parmesan and house-made gnocchi with a mellow Gorgonzola sauce. We expect to be regulars here. Beer & wine.

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(From December 2009) The Vallones—Tony and Jeff—have a hit on their hands. Apparently adding some dramatic art to the already striking setting that was Jimmy Wilson’s Seafood and Chop House (high ceilings, open kitchen, a lovely patio) and offering classic Italian dishes at mid-level prices results in a packed house. One entrée was pure Tony: fedelini pasta topped with a buttery sauce cut with lemon and vermouth. We also liked the cuscinetti, pasta “pillows” stuffed with chicken, fontina, sausage, and spinach. Ciao bello, indeed. Bar.

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(From December 2009) Chef-owner Marco Wiles’s first-rate Italian restaurant—his flagship—can satisfy a multitude of appetites. One of us started with a rich black truffle risotto and followed that with a thick veal chop topped with a bit of olive oil, some roasted tomatoes, and arugula. The other began with burrata cheese and roasted cherry tomatoes followed by a grand slab of seared Alaskan halibut in a light tomato broth. We shared a side dish of great garlicky spinach. Beer & wine.

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(From December 2009) Some of the simplest dishes here remain the best at this old house, like a brisk salad of arugula and roasted tomato and truffle egg toast. We enjoyed our spaghetti with mussels, leeks, and white wine (though the dish was not improved by the addition of chewy chunks of pancetta) and a thin-crusted pizza layered with prosciutto, mozzarella, tomato, and arugula. Our servers, though, were over-whelmed (as were we) by a nearby party of 25 high-spirited diners. Bar.

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(From December 2009) You might expect to find this narrow ten-top gem of a dining room tucked away in New York City. But right off Interstate 10? With a first-rate chef behind the counter turning out Brooklyn/Italian favorites with a Texas twist? Cued that a queue was likely, we opted for a latish supper, starting with a green salad (sparked with fresh herbs and a fine house dressing) followed by filet asada (grilled with a chipotle rub and served with roasted corn–queso sauce). An ample bowl of scampi on angel hair pasta in garlic-shallot citrus juices was even good nuked the next day. BYOB.

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(From March 2009) Washington Avenue, our town’s newest restaurant row, scores again with this storefront Italian eatery/market, a spanking-new space in the traditional mode of checked tablecloths, lace curtains, and no-nonsense food. We liked our ground beef lasagne and chicken Parmesan from the bargain lunch buffet (any three items for $6.95) but were quite impressed with sides of roasted asparagus, brussels sprouts with bacon and onions, and a Caesar salad sparked atypically with capers and Pecorino Romano. Beer & wine.

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(From April 2009) Dinner or cocktails at this lively city-center venue can launch a downtown evening with gusto. There’s a snazzy martini bar, live music, your choice of indoor or patio dining, and enough meat and seafood choices to fortify anyone gearing up for a night on the town. We were impressed with both the steak and the veal chop, and even more so with a side of sautéed spinach with garlic and chile flakes. Top it all off with one of Timpano’s artful dessert choices, or maybe two, and you should last till the wee hours. Bar.

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(From December 2009) Not yet as crowded as its sisters—Da Marco and Dolce Vita—the smaller, more modest Poscol is nevertheless building a following. Offerings include salads, baked pastas (but no pizza), panini, risotto, and bruschetta, all of which match well with an impressive wine list. We had two great salads—romaine with walnuts and shavings of pecorino and a jumble of chewy, nutty farro with arugula, beets, and tomatoes—then followed that with the Tagliolini Harry’s Bar, spaghetti with bacon and cheese. Bar.

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