Drink This Now: the Negroni Sbagliato at Fachini
As you are already aware, this week is an homage to the Negroni, that brilliant, ruby-hued Italian cocktail that so captures the effortless class of La Dolce Vita-style 1960s Rome. Usually, it’s an equal mix of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth, garnished with an orange peel. Served in an old-fashioned cut-glass tumbler, it’s simple, sophisticated,...
Azul Italian Kitchen brings 30 years of service to the table
With a dedicated owner who has spent more than 30 years perfecting recipes, Azul Italian Kitchen carefully crafts each dish for residents in the Cy-Fair area. Azul, formerly known as Antonia’s Italian Ristorante, serves a variety of Italian cuisine, from risotto to flatbreads. Roberto Rosa, owner and head chef, said he renovated the restaurant in 2...
A Mama's Pizza mystery solved! (And special deals to mark 50 years)
Turning 50, Mama's Pizza is proving it is more than a memory. The old-world pizzeria voted the city's best for three generations has added thin-crust or gluten-free pizzas, grilled chicken, Alfredo sauce "white pizzas" and toppings such as spinach or basil. On June 11-17, all six Mama's locations will feature 50th anniversary specials. Some days, p...
A Well-Crafted Muffaletta Is the Perfect Sandwich
Wherever you’re going this summer—plane, train, automobile, beach, campsite, whatever—you’re going to need to bring some substantive travel snacks with you. And while pizza-flavored gas-station snacks are always a worthy choice, the smartest move you can make is a DIY Italian sub. Specifically, a muffaletta: New Orleans’ favorite deli sandwich is o...
Mondavi works to sustain the tradition of his family's famous name
When your family name is synonymous with the development of the U.S. wine industry, the responsibility to carry the name could have been too much to endure. Had Tim Mondavi chosen an industry other than wine, he would not have been the first scion of a famous family to walk away from the business, but the son of Robert Mondavi chose to embrace the...
New La Vista 101 restaurant opens today
The new restaurant, at 1805 W. 18th St. in the Lazybrook/Timbergrove neighborhood marks the return of longtime Houston restaurateur Greg Gordon who operated La Vista in Briargrove for nearly 20 years before closing it in 2017. Here's what you can expect from La Vista 101. The food: Italian dishes with Mediterranean influences as well as a few nods...
Cane Rosso owner announces that Fort Worth will get a slice of his NY Pizza pie
Fort Worth is going to get another big player in the local pizza game -- but not until 2019. On Wednesday morning, Cane Rosso owner Jay Jerrier's restaurant group -- it's an acronym , but we're still not sure our standard and practices department will let us say it -- announced that it will add a Zoli's NY Pizza location at 3501 Hulen St. in Fort W...
Ian McNulty: With a famous Italian butcher, head to tail and the heart of Louisiana food
Sometimes traveling can inspire you to live a little differently back home. And sometimes, a visitor can help you see your own home in a new way. That was the case when a mentor and old master came to town recently. “I realized that through my life, I carried in my heart and on my palate the food I grew up eating,” said Dario Cecchini, the famous b...
New Italian restaurant: The Charles is a Dallas Design District stunner
Dallas' Italian restaurant scene keeps getting bigger, and now there's a dynamic player newly open in the Design District. Called The Charles Dallas, it's an Italian-inspired eatery starring a well known team: The chef is J Chastain, whose resume includes Stephan Pyles and the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek. Owner Chas Martin previously held high...
The red gravy runs deep at Nephew's Ristorante, and you might even know the uncle
The sign over the door at Nephew’s Ristorante is small, but it says it all. This new Creole Italian restaurant recently opened in Metairie and promptly filled with people who practically grew up eating this particular nephew’s food. That would be chef Frank Catalanotto, who for decades ran the kitchen of his uncle’s Lakeview restaurant. His uncle w...
Circo Will Soon Be Dallas’ Most Over-the-Top Restaurant
Nearly two years after announcing its planned expansion into Dallas, it appears that Circo will finally debut in Uptown at the end of May. The spinoff from New York’s now-shuttered Le Cirque will occupy two floors of the new 22-story high rise at 2619 McKinney Avenue, and will feature a resort-style pool and spa along with the restaurant. Former pr...
Italy's famed butcher Dario Cecchini comes to town; a local apprentice carves a new niche
A young traveler returns eager to share experiences and determined to work some lessons from abroad into daily life at home. It’s a common enough tale. It happened to Richard Brennan III too, though he’s found a unique way to follow through. Brennan, the son of restaurateur Dickie Brennan, recently finished an internship in Italy with Dario Cecchin...