Favilla's to open new location in North Asheville
What's been a bit of a revolving door of pizza is getting a solid pie candidate. Andy Favilla, co-owner of Favilla's New York Pizza, and his cousin Sal Ferrara, will open a sister restaurant to Favilla's West Asheville pizzeria in early April. And, according to Favilla, he could have more restaurants on the way. The new eatery, Favilla's...
Something new percolating at Museum of Fine Arts with Italian restaurant and coffee bar
Come fall, a taste of Italy is coming to The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Paolo Fronza and Matteo Alessandri, who previously co-owned Fellini Caffe in Rice Village, will launch a new restaurant in the Cafe Express space located in the museum's Audrey Jones Beck Building. The casual eatery, called MFACafe, will boast Italian works of...
Chef Chat, Part 2: Alberto Baffoni of Mascalzone
by Phaedra Cook As we covered at the end of Part 1 of our Chef Chat with Alberto Baffoni, after a highly successful run at his first Houston restaurant, Simposio, he sold his interest. Not every endeavor is a success story, though. His second place, Sapori, survived only about eight months. Sometimes a failure means picking yourse...
Maggio goloso a Houston: arriva la settimana della cucina mediterranea italiana dell’ICCC
Nell'ambito delle attività organizzate a Houston per il 2013 Anno della Cultura Italiana negli Stati Uniti, l'Italian Community Cultural Center (ICCC) ospiterà dal 10 al 18 maggio la Settimana della Cucina Mediterranea Italiana, che celebrerà la fusione di sapori e culture che caratterizza il Mediterraneo e la sua influenza nella cucina italiana ed...
Landry's opens new Grotto Italian Ristorante in Galveston
by Chris Shelton This week Houston-based Landry's Inc. opened the company's fifth Grotto Italian Ristorante — the third in the Houston area — located in Galveston's San Louis Resort, Spa & Conference Center. The company also has Grotto restaurants in the Woodlands, the Galleria area and at Landry's casino properties in Las Vegas and A...
The best Italian dinner ever? Houston's top chefs show off at Sugar Land's ultimate wine and food party
by Heather Staible The opening night of the Sugar Land Wine and Food Affair was a love letter from Italy, penned by five of Houston's most respected chefs. Luciano Castiello, the official ambassador for Castello Banfi Wines served as the evening's spirited narrator and host, adding bits of laughter and learning to the five-course meal deem...
Stabiler opening Italian restaurant on Jefferson Highway
by Timothy Boone Local restaurant owner Wayne Stabiler said he's "probably about a month out" from opening his latest property, Palermo Ristorante, on Jefferson Highway. "We'll be ready once we get everybody trained," said Stabiler. "I'm the only owner, so I can wait until everybody is ready before we open." The restaurant wi...
After a false start in July, Una Vita Olive Oil set to make its Santa Fe debut on September 16
Cancelled due to a conflict with the Santa Fe Opera, this special dinner event is back on the front burner. So, what happens when New Mexico's foremost olive oil expert collaborates with the Osteria d'Assisi's acclaimed executive chef? The answer: a special event menu to die for at the Osteria d'Assisi in Santa Fe on Wednesday, September 16 at 6pm...
2013 Regional cooking demonstration and dinner series
The Italian Cultural & Community Center (ICCC) will host one of Houston's best loved chefs, Renato De Pirro of Ristorante Cavour, Hotel Granduca, for a chef demonstration and an exclusive dinner at 7 pm, January 11, 2013, at ICCC, 1101 Milford, Houston, Texas, 77006. Renato De Pirro will lead diners through Italy's Lombardia region during the e...
Ruggeri’s is the red-sauce Italian spot every neighborhood wants
by Leslie Brenner Don't have dinner reservations on a Friday or Saturday night? Good luck dining out — trying to score a last-minute table on the weekend can be a fool's errand. A neighborhood Italian place that's been around forever seemed a safe bet on a recent Friday. I called ahead, but no one answered the phone, so off we wen...
Former Copeland's decor hides authentic Italian gem
by Megan Wyatt A step inside of Fratelli's Italian Grille is like a step back in time. The restaurant is located in a former Copeland's that had been shuttered since the '90s until Fratelli's opened last May. The letters "USL" and a bulldog are painted on an exterior window, paying tribute to the University of Louisiana at La...
Neighborhood Find: Roman Cucina in North Dallas
My sister-in-law Sarah eats at Roman Cucina in North Dallas at least once a week. She knows most of the staff, particularly the bartender who makes her favorite Tito's Vodka martini. Sarah has been trying to get me to eat there for years. I joined her last Saturday. I left with a smile on my face and not just because of the food. Roman Cuc...