Chef Marco Wiles’ upscale spot in a Montrose bungalow heralded a new, better-edited day in Houston Italian cookery when it opened in 2001. Over the years, it has eased into the lower-key role of a comfortable classic patronized by the great and the good and the holders of cushy expense accounts. It’s quiet, well-managed, very grown-up.

And when the kitchen is at its best, it is still the source of evocative pasta dishes, immaculate salads and one of the most pleasurable cheese-plate desserts in the city, served at the proper temperature. The all-Italian wine list may be pricey, but it is well worth a splurge, and the wine service is excellent.