By Kaitlin Steinberg

On an unseasonably cool October evening the patio outside of Coppa Osteria is full, and chef Brandi Key surveys the crowd like a proud Italian matriarch whose family is enjoying the fruits of her labor. Key then heads inside the bustling restaurant, picking up a plate to deliver to a hungry patron here, bringing a glass of wine to a diner there.

She stops by the open kitchen and checks on the cooks behind the counter. She glances into the "dough room" to ensure the pasta and pizza dough are being prepared to her liking. Then the chef heads back outdoors to savor the night air and take in the crowd reveling in her newest venture.

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Source: http://www.houstonpress.com/