Restaurants

Amerigo's Grille

25250 Grogan's Park Dr, Houston, TX 77380 281-362-0808

Description: THE WOODLANDS. Romantic, elegant evenings are a given at this north Houston establishment, and diners regularly make their way to The Woodlands for incredible northern Italian cuisine. Whet your appetite with calamari or beef carpaccio before sampling capellini with crawfish, lobster risotto, or a main course centered on seafood, steak, chicken, or veal. Among the options are seared sea bass with sweet parsnips, veal piccata, a NY strip, and seared rainbow trout with sea scallops and grappa lime citrus jus. The second-floor piano lounge is a weekend mainstay for drinks and dancing.
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Arcodoro

5000 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77056 713-621-6888

Description: GALLERIA. Whether you dine in Arcodoro's casual grill area or in its white-tablecloth dining room, you can be certain of spectacular Sardinian cuisine. An offshoot of Italian fare, it's the rustic, simple cooking of farmers and shepherds, but it's delicious enough for folks of all classes and inclinations. Homemade pastas enlivened with wild boar, roasted vegetables, and black truffles are wonderful, as are veal medallions, broiled lamb chops, roasted chicken, and a host of gourmet, wood-fired pizzas. Italian wines allow the restaurant's culinary heritage a chance to shine.
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Da Marco

1520 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006 713-807-8857

Description: MONTROSE. For authentic northern Italian cuisine, savvy diners head to chef Marco Wiles's cottage-like Montrose restaurant. Decked out in orange, yellow, and red hues, Da Marco dazzles diners with distinctly Tuscan ambience and gastronomy. Featured entrees run the gamut: chianti-braised pork ribs, roasted Texas quail, braised rabbit cacciatore, sea bass with grapefruit, and raviolo with ricotta, egg, and truffles. Regional Italian wines fit the theme admirably, and desserts range from panna cotta to chocolate Genovese. A wonderful cheese selection also pleases.
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Damian's Cucina Italiana

3011 Smith St, Houston, TX 77006 713-522-0439

Description: DOWNTOWN. Its pale exterior enlivened by ivy, this romantic restaurant offers elegantly-appointed tables, subdued lighting, dark wood accents, a hand-painted mural, and terra cotta-hued walls. House specialties include lobster tail and lump crabmeat in tomato cream sauce over spaghetti, grilled snapper with basil butter and fresh mint, and a veal rib chop with pine nuts and mozzarella. Nightly specials expand the possibilities further, and the chef's table is a 6-course culinary extravaganza that permits glimpses of the kitchen at work.
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divino Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar

1830 W Alabama, Houston, TX 77098 713-807-1123

Description: MONTROSE. This chic establishment offers a cozy backdrop for drinks or dinner, thanks to an exquisite wooden bar with full views of the wine selection and an array of intimate tables. A favorite with post-work patrons and young-and-in-love professionals, divino offers a menu that never fails to mesmerize. Its fabulous modern Italian fare includes pork medallions in pistachio cream sauce, Sicilian seared tuna with lemon basil risotto, grilled salmon with herbed polenta, and osso buco alla Milanese. The wine bar's selection, nothing short of stunning, gets an added boost with "Papa" Jim McCray ensuring that international vintages are always on hand.
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Frenchie's Italian

1041 E NASA Rd 1, Houston, TX 77058-3308 281-486-7144

Description: CLEAR LAKE. This cheery Mediterranean-style café is family-owned and family-operated, and the two Caprisian brothers in charge make special efforts to see that patrons have a wonderful time. Although the intimate tables may be arranged a bit closely, delicious homestyle pasta dishes more than make up for any perceived loss of privacy. Fresh-from-the-Gulf seafood is the specialty and has been for almost 20 years. Friendly, professional service adds to the experience, and reasonable prices make Frenchie's a favorite. Space is limited, so expect long lines on weekends.
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Josephine's Italian Ristorante

1209 Caroline St, Houston, TX 77002 713-759-9323

Description: DOWNTOWN. When you're downtown and trying to score a quick, tasty lunch, Josephine's should be high on your list. While dinnertime patrons are often regaled with seafood main courses and more elegant sit-down fare, lunch-goers can depend on pastas, pizzas, soups, and salads. A midday cafeteria line guarantees that things move quickly, and affordable prices are especially welcome. The restaurant also serves more than a dozen health-conscious items.
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La Griglia

2002 W Gray St, River Oaks Center, Houston, TX 77019 713-526-4700

Description: RIVER OAKS. Vibrant mosaics, lively murals, bold colors, and a bustling social scene make La Griglia a top destination for dining out. Happily, the food is just as bright and confident as the interior. The shrimp-and-crab cheesecake gets lots of attention, and seared diver scallops are delicious as well. Main-course offerings run the gamut from rotisserie duck with raspberry sauce to honey-glazed pork loin and veal scaloppine. Consider, too, seared baby snapper, the roasted wild boar chop, and romano-crusted trout. The bar offers an animated scene too.
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La Vista

1936 Fountainview Rd, Houston, TX 77057 713-787-9899

Description: GALLERIA/UPTOWN. At this friendly Italian restaurant, a festive, casual atmosphere abounds, and everybody from style-conscious young professionals to families posture to claim one of the snug café-style tables. An open-plan kitchen and checkered tile floors add to the authentic feel. Heaping pasta dishes and homemade pizzas are menu stalwarts, although a few American-influenced options like braised pork chops, rack of lamb, and beef tenderloin are available. While the restaurant's BYOB policy is a hassle to some, a wine shop is conveniently located nearby. Lines tend to get long, especially on weekends, so expect a wait.
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Nino's

2817 W Dallas St, Houston, TX 77019 713-522-5120

Description: MONTROSE. For more than 20 years, folks in the know have headed to this European-flavored hideaway for homestyle Italian cuisine. Adorning the dining room are Italian-themed prints, imported pottery, and hanging herbs; an Old World-style antipasto table tempts patrons with grilled, baked, and sautéed vegetables. Diners with casual appetites may opt for wood-fired pizzas ­ the zucchini variation with crispy pancetta, tomato, oregano, and mozzarella is a particularly good choice. Pastas and main courses include rigatoni with spicy sausage, sauteed veal, seafood risotto, grilled shrimp, and salmon with caramelized fennel and asparagus tips. A courtyard is available for al fresco dining.
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Quattro

1300 Lamar St, Four Seasons Hotel Houston, Houston, TX 77010 713-276-4700

Description: DOWNTOWN. Stylish and elegant with a contemporary edge, Quattro couples spectacular Italian cuisine with unpretentious surroundings and service. Famous for its antipasti bar, fantastic wines, and sumptuous seafood tower, Quattro lays out quite a feast. Savory pastas and risottos get a punch from truffles and parmesan cheese while grilled meats and vegetables boast a smoky, earthy flavor. Other menu considerations: free-range duckling, veal chop, red snapper with preserved lemons and capers, and a wonderful cioppino Genovese. Quattro also features a busy bar.
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Simposio Ristorante

8401 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77063 713-532-0550

Description: GALLERIA. Comfortable, elegant Simposio features the contrast of dark woods and white linens, all punctuated by warm-hued artwork. It's a simple formula but an effective one, and it resonates beautifully with the menu's well-prepared northern Italian fare. Begin with grilled calamari or a salad artfully composed of baby spinach, pancetta, and gorgonzola. From there, move on to grilled trout with polenta, lamb or veal chops, or perhaps a sensuous pasta or risotto, accented with seafood, sausages, or pungent herbs and cheeses. The wine list concentrates on Italian and Californian vintages.
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The Palm

6100 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77057-4559 713-977-2544

Description: GALLERIA. This national chain opened its Houston restaurant in 1978, and its fine reputation for delicious steaks and seafood hasn't flagged at all in the interim ­ and neither has its unmistakable Southern charm. Featured dishes include a mammoth, 36-ounce New York strip for two, jumbo Maine lobster, veal Française, broiled crab cakes, swordfish, and clams and shrimp Posillipo. Providing complements are the wine list's many Californian and European labels. N.B. After work, the five o'clock crowd tends to gather in the cool bar area, which showcases caricatures by "Jolly" Bill Steinke.
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Tony Mandolas's Gulf Coast Kitchen

1962 W Gray St, Houston, TX 77019 713-528-3474

Description: RIVER OAKS. Locals heap high praise on Tony Mandola's awesome fare, including Gulf Coast seafood dishes that reflect the owner's Italian and Cajun roots. The long, narrow dining area has a Mediterranean feel and offers a sleek, casual backdrop ideal for partaking of a unique menu. Kick off your meal with a famous appetizer ­ perhaps Oysters Buccaneer with spinach or Calamari a la Mama, lightly battered and served with lemon butter sauce. More serious affairs include Louisiana-style fried catfish with seasonal veggies, blackened snapper topped with diced tomatoes and cilantro, and fabulous seafood pasta dishes.
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Vincent's

2701 W Dallas, Houston, TX 77019 713-528-4313

Description: MONTROSE. Younger sibling of nearby Nino's, Vincent's sets an upscale scene for lunch and dinner. An ideal option for pre- or post-theater meals, the trattoria boasts an appeal that relies, in part, on a brick fireplace, light wood paneling, shelves dressed with Italian pottery and cooking utensils, and sponge-painted, terra cotta-colored walls. House specialties include rotisserie chicken with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, a marinated and grilled veal chop, Gibraltar-sized seafood pasta dishes, and wood-fired pizzas. Grappino di Nino, in the rear, is a cozy bar where business types wet their whistles and cool their heels.
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