Tacos are fun, and the new breed of taco places are meant to capitalize on that.  What I mean with Tacos 2.0 are both the tacos – which often go well beyond traditional Mexican and familiar Tex-Mex fillings – and the restaurants, which are fast-casual concepts.  Concepts that are ripe for replication, roughly similar to the burrito chains that have sprung up in the past couple of decades, and featuring warmed soft tortilla tacos in tacos that are cooked or assembled to order, without a steam table in site.  Some of these taco purveyors, like Torchy’s Tacos, have scores of locations throughout the state, and even the mediocre Fuzzy’s Tacos has nearly a hundred restaurants.  Texans like tacos.
 
Most of these new style tacos have begun in the wake of chef Roy Choi’s ground-breaking food truck in Los Angeles almost a decade ago dispensing Korean-infused tacos to ravenous crowds and rave reviews, and which began to get national attention by 2010.  This helped inspire a new range of tacos wherever tacos are sold in this country.  Fusion Taco here was one of the first locally to jump onto this trend, with a well-regarded taco truck in 2013, and then stand-alone restaurants.
 
I found nine different taco places that I thought fit my definition of Tacos 2.0, and visited each at least a couple of times, and for some, several times.  I’ve eaten a lot of tacos recently.  What I found is that you are likely to never have a great taco at one of these places, but you can possibly have an enjoyable and possibly even a pretty funky one.  More so, nothing I ate was as good as at some of my favorite places for tacos like 100% Taquito, Laredo Taqueria on Patton, and Eight Row Flint – especially their amazing beef tacos.  This is due in part to the fact that the tortillas at the Tacos 2.0 spots generally don’t taste as good as at these other places, which are more likely making them onsite.  Interestingly, local La Ranchera supplies a number of the local Tacos 2.0 places, some with seemingly better tortillas than others.  Another factor is that the newer fangled combinations often just don’t work as well as the more straightforward, tried and true ones.  Then each of the Tacos 2.0 joints feel compelled to have a fish or shrimp taco on the menu, for some reason.  These rarely work well, as the quality of the seafood is usually disappointing.  There are notable exceptions, though, like Cabo.  Ordering the seafood fried is usually a safer option, if a seafood or fish taco is a must.
 
These newer-fangled taco joints also cost quite a bit more than any taco at a taqueria or humble taco joint serving the migrant and immigrant communities.  With tax and tip, the tacos I consumed for this piece averaged over $4.30 each, not terribly cheap for a taco that is often on the smaller side.  Though a little more expensive than the traditional taco joint, these newer places offer a nicer setting and other items – chips and queso to start, vegetarian items and salads for the healthier eaters – to entice all of your co-workers to lunch.
 
Below are the Tacos 2.0 chains – and hopeful chains – in order of preference, broken up among three categories: Worth an Occasional Detour; Often Interesting and Usually Enjoyable; and Don’t Bother, as there are Definitely Much Better Options.  The top purveyors were home grown, not surprisingly.  The restaurants are pretty good in Houston.
 
Worth an Occasional Detour
 
Tacos A Go Go
 
What began as a small storefront next to the Continental Club on Main Street in Midtown in 2006, Tacos A Go Go has gotten better over the years and is the best of the Tacos 2.0 spots, in my opinion.  This fun, intentionally kitschy mini-chain hews closely to Mexico and Texas for its tacos, and doing nearly everything quite well.  Its baker dozen of enticing taco options are divided among three different themes and types of tacos: Street Tacos described as “All Mex…no Tex” featuring stewed meats with piquant salsas and topped in Mexican fashion with diced onions, chopped cilantro and queso fresco along with fillings like carne guisada, lamb barbacoa and pork guisado; Go Go Tacos that are “More Tex than Mex”; and the Texas Tacos that are topped with Monterey Jack cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and a salsa along with your choice of grilled skirt steak, grilled marinated chicken or a grilled white fish.  For any of these, you’ve also got your choice of tortillas among, corn, flour and for a little extra, whole wheat and puffy.  Those puffy tacos, featuring deep-fried corn tortillas, are a nod to the unique style developed in San Antonio and- provide something a little different, if not necessarily heart healthy.  One of the quality four self-serve salsas help make everything taste better, too.
 
Appeal: Very good tacos done in ways that Houstonians appreciate in casual, inviting settings
What to order: Barbacoa, Pastor, Picadillo, Pollo Guisado
Taco price range: $2.59 to $3.79
Taco size: Medio
Number of different PM tacos: 13 plus create-your-own breakfast tacos
Types of tortillas: Flour, corn, whole wheat and puffy
Tortillas: Sourced from La Ranchera; puffy tacos are fried on-premise
Breakfast taco hours: All day; and these are big for breakfast tacos
Dishes other than tacos: chips, queso, burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, breakfast plates, nachos and salads
Beer: Yes
Number of locations: 5
Locations in the Houston area: 5
Founded: Houston in 2006
 
Fusion Taco
 
What began as a taco truck five years ago is now two friendly and inviting counter-service locations, one just outside the Heights and the other, a newly opened spot in a food court in Greenway Plaza.  Fusion Taco does the wide-ranging fillings better than any of the other Tacos 2.0 joints found in the area.  Smoked Brisket, Chicken Tikka Masala, Agedashi Tofu, Falafel, Chicken Fried Oyster and Seared Brussels Sprouts are few of the dozen-and-a-half taco options whose inspirations cover a fair amount of the globe, all of which are thoughtfully comprised with quality ingredients and attractively presented.  These are some of the prettiest tacos in town.  More importantly, most taste at least pretty good and usually better.  One is the Lamb Keema featuring cooling pieces of cucumber slice and a greenish tahini for a refreshing ground lamb taco served in a nicely texturally contrasting fried corn tortilla shell.  Unfortunately, the chicken in a couple of the tacos were a little on the dry side.  For some reason, the near-liter-sized white plastic bottle of the unique San Luis brand hot sauce (mild) available to bring back to your table seems to make nearly all the tacos better, including making those two chicken tacos enjoyable.
 
Appeal: A globally inspired array of taco fillings that usually work quite well
What to order: Chicken Fried Oyster, Lamb Keema, Berkshire Pork BBQ
Taco price range: $3.50 to $4.25
Taco size: Medio
Number of different tacos: 16
Types of tortillas: Corn and Flour
House-made tortillas: Corn
Breakfast taco hours: Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 to 4:00
Dishes other than tacos: queso in several varieties, soups, salads, nachos, quesadillas
Beer: Yes
Number of locations: 2
Locations in the Houston area: 2
Founded: Houston in 2013
  
Often Interesting and Usually Enjoyable

Cabo
 
An attractive exterior on Washington Avenue harkens to a bright, if just slightly blemished, taco and burrito joint that true to its name with roots in Cabo on the Pacific coast where appetizing fried fish tacos are to be found.  There are only seven different fillings for the tacos here: fish – both fried and grilled – shrimp, pastor, the rotisserie marinated pork with pineapple, and ones with grilled beef, chicken or nopales, cactus.  Most tacos are worth ordering, with the properly fresh ingredients used in sensible and welcome combinations and helped by one of their several salsas or fresh lime at the condiments bar.  A bit oddly but enjoyably, you can also add grilled mozzarella to any taco for additional buck.
 
Appeal: Good quality Cabo-inspired tacos
What to order: Baja (Fish), Camaron
Taco price range: $3.50 to $3.85
Taco size: Medio
Breakfast taco hours: all the time
Number of different tacos: 7
Types of tortillas: Corn, Flour
House-made tortillas: Corn; Flour tortillas are from La Ranchera
Dishes other than tacos: chips, queso, burritos, burrito bowls, quesadilla, tostadas, carne asada fries, elote, churros
Beer: Yes
Number of locations: 2, I think
Locations in the Houston area: 2
Founded: 2015 in The Woodlands
 
Dream Tacos, Tx
 
What was a Jenni’s Noodles was transformed in the spring of 2018 into this modern taco restaurant set invitingly in a newish development on Richmond near Greenway Plaza.  More than a pretty face, this approachable spot an serves a number of enticing tacos, several with slight refinements on the familiar fillings like beef fajitas, barbacoa and pastor that will appeal to most.  Most are served on the slightly doughy flour tortillas that are made in house.  The tacos can be complemented with one of the six salsa made in house; just tell your server.  There is more service here than at other places.  In case you are feeling guilty about tacos for lunch – which you don’t have to be here, as the tacos are fairly small – a half-dozen of the tacos are vegetarian.  These can be pretty good, too.  Among the three seafood options, stick with The Fried Shrimp, served with cabbage, pickled onions and jalapeños and a creamy cilantro ranch dressing.  Conversely, the North Shore Garlic Shrimp, with its not-so-appetizing small grilled shrimp, was the only significant demerit encountered.
 
Appeal: Bright and cheery place with fun and usually well-done tacos
What to order: Hot’lanta (fried chicken tenders in Buffalo sauce), Fried Shrimp, Rodeo Barbacoa
Taco price range: $2.25 to $4.00
Taco size: Pequeño
Number of different PM tacos: 16
Breakfast taco hours: All the time
Types of tortillas: Corn, Flour
House-made tortillas: Flour, the Corn tortillas are from La Ranchera
Dishes other than tacos: chips, queso, nachos, salads, soups, meat and seafood plates
Beer: No
Number of locations: 1
Locations in the Houston area: 1
Founded: Houston in 2018
 
Torchy’s Tacos
 
The most popular and well-known of the Tacos 2.0 purveyors – there is even one in centerfield in MinuteMaid announced by two big Torchy’s signs facing most of the seats.  Especially popular among teenagers and those who studied in Austin, Torchy’s provides a slew of fun and sloppy tacos that are fairly unique.  Tex-Mex 2000, maybe.  Big and messy and better with plenty of extra salsa that’s usually mild, but flavorful and often viscous, these can be a guilty pleasure.  But, as I overheard at another taco joint, “Torchy’s, it’s like they are trying too hard.”  Often too many disparate things go into a taco for my taste.  Most work, but sometimes barely.  And, on tacos are on the pricey side, too.  But, there is seemingly always a line; Torchy’s has a following.
 
Appeal: Fun, bold-flavored and often gloppy tacos
What to order: Fried Avocado, Green Chile Pork, Trailer Park
Taco price range: $3.75 to $5.25
Taco size: Gordo
Number of different PM tacos: 16
Breakfast taco hours: All the time
Types of tortillas: Corn and Flour
House-made tortillas: No
Dishes other than tacos: chips, queso, salad, burritos, quesadillas for the kids
Beer: Yes
Number of locations: 59
Locations in the Houston area: 13
Founded: Austin in 2006
 
Tacodeli
 
The slick counter-service spot on Washington Avenue serve a large array of good-looking, small tacos mostly hewing to Mexican traditions, from Mexico City specifically.  The chain feature proteins that are humanely raised ethically or more expensively sourced.  This does not necessarily translate into a tastier taco, though.  The tortillas don’t help; these aren’t bad, just below par for a local Mexican restaurant.  The proteins and sourcing might have menu claims to be better than most, but it’s not really noticeable, and sometimes the kitchen doesn’t really do its job, as with my taco that included rajas.  The supposedly sautéed onions and poblano strips were pretty much uncooked and not adding much to the dry chicken.  The tacos here are on the small side; the smallest of the nine places surveyed.  Most adults will need three, and ordering four won’t make you gluttonous, though a quartet with drink can run you to $20 or more.  Important to note, Tacodeli closes at 3:00 in the afternoon each day.
 
Appeal: A number of different tacos from which to choose, most traditionally Mexican
What to order: Chicken Mole, Conchinita Pibil
Taco price range: $2.85 to $4.50
Taco size: Pequeño
Number of different PM tacos: 26 plus 1 to 3 daily lunch specials
Breakfast taco hours: Monday through Friday until 11 AM; all day on weekends
Types of tortillas: Flour, corn and wheat, plus you can order the taco fillings without a tortilla
House-made tortillas: No
Dishes other than tacos: chips, salads, soups and plates
Beer: No
Number of locations: 10
Locations in the Houston area: 1
Founded: Austin in 1999
 
Velvet Tacos
 
Offering the biggest array of cuisines stuffed into a tortilla among any local taco joint, it might take longer to digest the menu at Velvet Tacos than elsewhere if you are a newbie.  The helpful counter staff can help guide you among the Cuban Pig, Fish and Chips, Nashville Hot Tofu, Shrimp and Grits and Texas Akaushi Bacon Burger, which are a few of twenty taco choices.  Yes, still tacos.  These names, and fillings, can be a bit unusual, but most seem to work, though not the bland Fried Paneer, Grilled Flank Steak or Picnic Chicken tacos that generous amounts of the hot sauce from a squeeze bottle could not quite rectify.  Though these tacos can be pricey, a hungry adult will need three to be nearly satiated.  Decent beer on tap and inviting, laid-back settings help make a visit here a bit easier.
 
Appeal: An array of adventurously laden tacos
What to order: Buffalo Chicken Taco, Cuban Pig Taco, Fish and Chips
Taco price range: $3.50 to $6.75
Taco size: Medio
Number of different PM tacos: 17
Breakfast taco hours: All the time
Types of tortillas: Corn and Flour
House-made tortillas: No
Dishes other than tacos: queso, elote, tater tots and egg, red velvet cake (of course)
Beer: Yes
Number of locations: 10
Locations in the Houston area: 2
Founded: 2011 in Dallas
 
Don’t Bother, as there are Definitely Much Better Options
 
Liberty Tacos
 
After a couple of visits, I got the impression that when creating the menu, Liberty Taco just threw things into a tortilla and hoped it works.  Though there are some familiar tacos like the carnitas, this doesn’t adhere to Mexican sensibilities like many of the tacos Tacos A Go Go and Tacodeli nor the fun, kitschy Tex-Mex like Torchy’s.  The tacos are not nearly as well thought out as at other places and the ingredients generally as not good; a big piece of gristle in a Kogi Beef Taco was the most annoying example of that.  The mushy and tasteless fish in the heart of Grilled Fish taco highlighted a cheap-tasting ingredient that was also cooked poorly.  Their barbacoa taco wasn’t bad, though it was the easily the lamest barbacoa I believe I’ve ever had.  And the Cali Club taco featured a large, stiff chicken tender at its heart.  On the plus side, there are several self-serve salsas from which to choose, which help out with everything, and the tacos are larger than most, though pricier averaging over $4.00 each.  There are also eighteen tacos from which to choose among beef, chicken, pork, seafood and vegetarian headings, so maybe you can find something satisfying.
 
Appeal: Not far from the Galleria
What to order: The Carnitas taco wasn’t that bad
Taco price range: $3.85 to $4.50
Taco size: Gordo
Number of different PM tacos: 18
Breakfast taco hours: All the time
Types of tortillas: Flour, with Corn upon request according to the menu
House-made tortillas: No, sourced from La Ranchera
Dishes other than tacos: chips, queso, quesadillas, salad bowls
Beer: Yes
Number of locations: 1
Locations in the Houston area: 1
Founded: Houston in 2017
 
Fuzzy’s Tacos
 
Two locations of Fuzzy’s Tacos near me went out of business, and I don’t believe that either made it a year.  After eating at Fuzzy’s Tacos a couple of times, I can understand why.  Each of their small tacos are unappealingly topped with a plethora of tasteless-at-best shredded iceberg lettuce and, oddly, bits of cheap-tasting feta cheese, which fill the tortilla more so than the relatively small amount of proteins.  Worse, the tacos rarely rise above mediocre in flavor, regardless of their small size.  To complement the tacos, there are only bottled hot sauces, made by Fuzzy’s Tacos with mostly vinegar, ketchup, corn syrup and aged red peppers, the regrettably named Butt Burnin’ Hot Sauce and Butt Burnin’ Hot Sauce - Habanero.  If not nearly as enjoyable as the freshly made salsas at other places, these do help the tacos, which definitely need some help.  On the plus side, the tacos are inexpensive, the cheapest among these nine places surveyed.  
 
Appeal: Cheap tacos, I guess
What to order: I can’t recommend any of the eight different tacos that I’ve eaten there
Taco price range: $2.59 to $3.29
Taco size: Pequeño
Number of different PM tacos: 11
Breakfast taco hours: All day
Types of tortillas: Corn
House-made tortillas: No
Dishes other than tacos: chips, soups, salads, nachos, quesadilla, burritos, burrito bowls, plates
Beer: Yes
Number of locations: 97
Locations in the Houston area: 5
Founded: Fort Worth in 2003

A trio of tacos at a Tacos A Go Go

​I was curious what the favorite wine was during our family’s recent trip to Italy.  Over the course of the two and three weeks we were there, a very laudable amount of wine was consumed.  The one that was like the best, at least the wine that garnered the most emphatic response was the Sauvignon Blanc from Venica & Venica Ronco del Cero Collio Sauvignon.  At least I am pretty sure that it was it.  I ordered it at the excellent Michelin-starred restaurant, Parizzi in Parma – looking for a white from the Collio that I thought would be a good match with a dish my sister and brother were ordering – but didn’t drink it as a red that seemed much more appropriate for meat dish.  I missed out on that but had a few whites from the Collio during the trip, and those were each quite tasty. 
 
The Collio is located in the region of Friuli, the most northeastern region in Italy that abuts the Alps and Slovenia.  “This is the finest white-wine area not only in Friuli but in all of Italy.”  That observation about the Collio is from Italian Wine for Dummies, which is actually a very good resource. The mild climate buttressed by the nearby Adriatic and the protective mountains to the north plus hill-laden vineyards atop unique, mineral-rich soil help provide nearly ideal conditions for several white varietals; and, excellent conditions for several red ones, too.
 
The whites from Collio are generally quite rich and fuller-bodied than the typical Italian whites, often with evident minerality and vibrant acidity. The wines are generally very well-made and approachable for most drinkers while having enough verve to excite an expert. Many have the ability to age. These are serious wines, even including the usually forgettable Pinot Grigio. Winemaker Roberto Felluga of Villa Russiz told my wine industry group when I visited several summers ago that his reserve Pinot Grigio “can keep for a minimum of ten years,” something that you certainly should not try with a Pinot Grigio plucked from the supermarket shelf.
 
Though the wineries in Collio and Friuli are prouder of wines made from the native (Tocai) Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, and Malvasia grapes and efforts with Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Bianco, it is Pinot Grigio that helps pay the bills. “Pinot Grigio is what changed the economy here” for grape-growers and wine-makers a few decades ago, I was told by a producer. It was famed food and wine writer Luigi Veronelli who recognized the area’s potential for Pinot Grigio. These wines then began to find popularity in markets around the world.
 
So, if Pinot Grigio is a must, look for Collio or Colli Orientali, a neighboring appellation. Otherwise, you are better served with a Ribolla Gialla, Friuliano or Sauvignon. The Friuliano, indigenous to the region, goes especially well with most seafood dishes and Sauvignon has the heft to stand up with a little heartier fare. Eric Asimov in the New York Times has written about the utility and quality of Friuliano from Friuli. There is also excellent Malvasia, Pinot Bianco and a white blend simply titled “Collio,” whose mix of typically three varietals varies by producer that are almost always very good wines.
 
Another nice thing about the whites from Collio and Friuli, unlike the top reds from Tuscany or Piedmont, these will rarely cost more than €40 at a restaurant in Rome and elsewhere in Italy, and most are much less. That is a little more expensive than a bland longtime Roman trattoria staple Frascati, but the additional tariff is certainly worth it. And, you are on vacation, anyway.  Friuli and especially Collio are also names to keep in mind when back at home.  Also, Brda, which is Slovenian for Collio, as the region straddles both sides of the border.  These laudable wines from Slovenia are increasingly being found on wine lists here and in Italy.


Enjoying some delicious white wines at the Zuani winery several years ago in the Collio, with both the Collio and Brda in the background.

​I have long been a fan of Chianti, at least a fair portion of Chianti production and even a much greater fan of the output of Chianti Classico, the birthplace of Chianti and home to its most acclaimed producers and wines.  I recently went to attend an event sponsored by the Chianti Classico consortium.
 
It was quite enjoyable and informative, focusing on wines from seven producers scattered about the Chianti Classico area.  The event was to highlight the diversity and quality of the region and hopefully score distribution for a few of the wines.  There was a good amount of diversity, just due to the type of soil and altitudes of vineyards in Chianti Classico.  Then there can be the winemaking including the use of oak in the aging that makes the wines more tannic and structured.  Chianti is a generally recognizable taste – the cherry and plum aromas, raspberry and bitter cherry fruit notes, telltale earthiness, sharp acidity and discernible tannins.  But, the wines bearing the Chianti name can accompany a range of styles even within the three broad types of Chianti Classico.
 
At the top, in terms of price and serious is the Gran Selezione, introduced a few years ago, that is meant to showcase the best of the Chianti.  From a single prized vineyard, these wines are aged 30 months before release.  These can be terrific wines.  The middle tier is the Riserva aged 24 months and the base, the Annata, that is aged a year.  You might not know ‘Annata,’ that name is rarely, if ever on the label, but Annata is Chianti that does not have the Riserva or Gran Selezione designation.  This is typically my favorite type of Chianti when it is done with a relative lightness that is paired with ample, pleasing fruit balanced with pleasing acidity and tannins that are minimal and fairly well integrated.  And it's a wine that is not too high in alcohol,  though with are warming planet, it might be tough to find a well-made version for under 13% alcohol these days.
 
That is how I would generally describe my favorite wine at the event, the Chianti Classico Lamole 2015 from I Fabbri in Creve in Chianti.  I found it delicious, and it would likely be even more enjoyable with some food.  And, I imagine that it complements a wide array of preparations as a good Annata Chianti does.  For me, a Riserva Chianti needs something like a steak to properly enjoy and is usually less enjoyable on their own.  “Perfect for a daily consumption, very easy to drink” is how the Lamole was described.  I heartily agree.  It is the type of wine I would enjoy drinking just about every evening.  I Fabbri was looking for a distributor during the event.  Based on my impression of it, I can’t imagine that they did not.  

​Spaghetti and meatballs are an American creation, the combination of meatballs from the traditional Italian protein-based second course and the pasta from the first course to meet the demands of the much faster-paced American lifestyle.  Though it might be scoffed at Italian food traditionalists – and pretty much every Italian – it remains a staple on America tables and Italian-themed menus in this country for a reason.  It can be delicious if its three significant components are done well; high quality meatballs can make a huge difference in the overall enjoyment of the deceptively simple dish.
 
In Italy, spaghetti and meatballs can be found, but only at restaurants that might find a number of tourists.  There are at a few tourists in Venice during the warmer months, I did notice.  I was in Venice last month, and during a ramble around many of its famous landmarks, we stumbled upon Osteria al Diavolo e L'Acquasanta in Venice not far from the Rialto Bridge.  It turned out to be serendipitous stop.  We each enjoyed our lunchtimes choices, and the Sauvignon from the Collio more than aptly complemented our seafood items and provided some very refreshing and numbing liquid enjoyment on a warm afternoon.  My young nephew, who for a couple of weeks in Italy, ordered spaghetti al pomodoro (spaghetti in a tomato sauce), fried calamari, or spaghetti and meatballs for nearly every meal if pizza wasn’t served.  Osteria al Diavolo e ‘Acaquasanta had spaghetti and meatballs, and so did he.  (OK, it turned out to actually be linguine and meatballs, but not no matter).
 
He loved it.  I got a taste or two of the meatballs and those were terrific.  Soft and delicious, its mild, slightly meaty flavor went very well with the tasty tomato-based acidity of the light and fresh-tasting sauce covering it and the pasta.  The meatballs were made with seemingly equal portions of ground pork, veal and beef.  I am pretty sure that is what I got from the waiter; thankfully his English was far better than my Italian.  These were the type of tender, very savory meatballs I wish I could make at home on a regular basis and some of the very best meatballs that I have had in a while.  These were much better than one might expect from a restaurant where only not-so-demanding, and often younger, tourists would ever order the dish.
 
I just saw, after returning home, that Anthony Bourdain filmed a part of his No Reservations show at Osteria al Diavolo e L'Acquasanta in 2009.  He didn’t eat spaghetti and meatballs, of course.  He might have actually enjoyed them, though.

​As much as I seem to drink, I don’t seem to drink enough.  For example, I was not familiar with the Southside, a classic gin-based cocktail that’s been around since the Prohibition era or earlier, until I read its description on Public Service’s menu after strolling a few blocks there on one of incredibly warm early evenings not too long ago.
 
The Southside is attributed to the famed 21 Club in Manhattan.  The version at downtown’s Public Services done so well consists of London dry gin, fresh mint, lime juice and simple syrup shaken and strained into a quaint coupe cocktail glass and garnished with a lemon peel.  Served cold, both slightly sweet and tart, but wonderfully balanced, it is very flavorful and refreshing and possibly too easy to consume on a warm day.  I’ve enjoyed several since then at Public Services.  They do it much better than most places, as they do most cocktails.
 
Public Services
202 Travis (at Franklin), (713) 516-8897
publicservicesbar.com

I was fortunate in years past to travel to Italy with the Gruppo Ristoranti Italiani (now Gruppo Italiano) in their gastronomic treks highlighting high quality Italian food and wine producers.  One of those trips, to the region of Molise, was to La Molisana, a commercial pasta maker on the outskirts of the regional capital of Campobasso.  The visit included a tour of the modern factory and subsequent five-course feast in their demonstration kitchen.
 
Though the dinner was terrific – pasta figured prominently in every dish and well-made and well-paired wine was plentiful – a highlight for me were the instructions on how the proper way to prepare dried pasta, directly from the pasta maker.  But, everyone knows how to boil pasta, don’t they?  Not really.  And, the instructions from one of the co-owners drew considered interest from those within earshot in what was an extremely food-savvy group.
 
The instructions:
 

1. Bring copious amount of water to a boil.
2. Add a generous amount of salt.
3. Add the pasta.
4. Close the lid until it returns to a boil.
5. Remove lid.
6. Cook pasta until done.
7. Drain the pasta.

 
It is quite simple, though closing the lid after adding the pasta was seemingly new to most.  It was to me.  As to the amount of water for the pasta or the amount of salt, a generous amount of each was understood. 
 
Plied by our hosts that night with an enormous box containing nearly ten pounds of pasta – and subsequently encountering stares in the airports in Rome, Lisbon and Newark afterwards – I used those instructions when cooking it, and with the pasta since then.  I could really tell the difference with the La Molisana, though.  The quality of La Molisana is superior to what I typically use – and even better than DeCecco, which is excellent – and the improvement certainly lies in that rather than in any optimal cooking process.  La Molisana is available at H-E-B, at least online.
 
But, it is nice to know the optimal way to do it.

​I was in Chicago last weekend for a cousin’s wedding with Michelin as a ready guide for restaurants in the West Loop where I was staying.  I was wary of Michelin in this country having heard from at least one restaurateur friend that the reviewers really did not understand American dining habits, though that was a few years ago.  Thankfully, the Michelin guide turned out to be as useful as did last month in Italy, and helped make the weekend even more enjoyable, and caloric.
 
To start the weekend’s dining, I terrific meal at The Publican, which wears a Bib Gourmand distinction from Michelin – very good food and good prices.  In fairness, The Publican would have likely been on my list anyway, having been highly recommended by friends and family and having seen it on more than one of the food and travel shows.  Fresh, flavorful apricots highlighted a salad to start with burrata and a very appropriate supporting cast that included crisp greens, which proved to be perfect feeling warm after the walk from the hotel and also to preface my entrée of crisp veal sweetbreads.  Maybe sweetbread is a better description as it was a single large piece battered and fried, “like a schnitzel” according my very good waitress.  In a seemingly odd and busy sauce that combined a bagna cauda-inspired sauce and that used for veal tonnato, it was quite complementary to the meat / gland with the prominent flavor of anchovy somewhat masking the nickel-taste of the sweetbreads.  I was very happy.  Actually, I was happy soon after receiving my first drink, a half-liter of draft Andechser Weissbier Hell, a Bavarian hefe-weizen from the famed monastic brewery near Munich that is fairly rare in this country.  It was fresh and absolutely terrific, and among the very best hefe-weizens you can find; in the league with the redoubtable Ayinger Brau-Weisse.  There were more drinks and some more food, including a complimentary dessert and a very enjoyable meal in a bustling, fun setting.  I am not sure how it received a Bib Gourmand citation, though.  The food prices were fair and even low for some of the proteins, but the beers – something in which the aptly named Publican specializes – were very high.  The wines are slightly expensive and without much of selection or seemingly that well selected.  Minor quibbles.
 
The Publican was followed digestifs in the form of mescal at Rick Bayless’s’ Leña Brava.  The next morning Roister from the Alinea group impressed me as very deserving of its Michelin even just for a breakfast dish, a not-so-Southern take on biscuits and gravy.  As enjoyable as that was, the michelada I had to accompany it was easily the best michelada I have ever had, spicy courtesy of Japanese peppers but balanced and quite flavorful.  Stephanie Izard’s Little Goat Diner served an even better breakfast the next morning, This Little Piggy Went to China.  This was sesame cheddar biscuit in a couple of halves, on one rested a Sichuan-scented pork sausage then sunny-side up eggs with a chili garlic chive sauce. And chives scattered about with about ten blackberries.  Both Chinese or Sichuan and American at the same time, for breakfast.  Everything was good in itself and complementary like the blackberries whose slight sweetness made a welcome pair to the piquant sauce and sausage, especially later in the dish.  All good.
 
It was a good trip, in a terrific neighborhood for dining and imbibing, and helped by Michelin.
 

​Of all of the stops during a recent two-week trip to Italy, I was most wary of dining in Venice during.  I had never been to ultra-touristy Venice but knew it long had a reputation for restaurants serving poor food at high prices to visitors.  It had been somewhat allayed by the experiences of a fellow food writer who raved about dining in the several days she and her husband had spent there a few years ago.  But, early this year, a restaurant near the touristy center made international news for charging Japanese students over €1,100 (over $1,300) for just four steaks, a platter of fried seafood and a few drinks. 
 
Thanks in large part to the trusty Michelin guide, the three days in Venice saw good and very good meals with just one exception.  It wasn’t recommended in Michelin, of course.  The restaurant that I hoped to visit that evening was, but mobility issues in our group precluded a walk there – or water taxi.  The restaurant we ended up was close by and had a menu filled with Venetian specialties.  It was seemingly as untouristy as a restaurant might be near the Accademia in Venice.
 
Taverna San Travaso might have been, but our meal was pretty lousy.  It was a bad meal and the worst of my two weeks in Italy last month.  I definitely felt like a ripped-off tourist afterwards; the restaurant was not trying at all. 
 
A harbinger of the mediocrity, and worse, was the pitcher of prosecco we ordered to start.  A pitcher of prosecco was quite appropriate with the hot weather, and a cool way to start, especially since we don’t often see sparkling wine on tap and by the pitcher.  It wasn’t really sparkling though.  It was effervescent, if with more than enough bubbles to bring it beyond the level of still wine.  It was not terribly good, either, though deservedly inexpensive.  Soon after the carafes arrived were the mixed antipasti.  The Caprese di Bufala, or Caprese salad, featured pale red, thick and lifeless tomatoes that were about the worst I had ever seen in nearly ten trips to Italy.  Given how good tomatoes typically are in Italy, I had only once had witnessed tomatoes nearly as bad.  Awful.
 
It got worse, though, at least for my brother.  He ordered a seafood soup as his first course.  It was terrible.  Inedible, in fact.  He asked a couple of others to try, too, to their disgust, and had to send it back.  With nothing but a shrug from the waiter.  I am not sure if it was even taken off the bill.  My starter was not nearly as bad, but not what was advertised, and rather fraudulent.  It supposed to be bigoli in a duck ragu.  My bigoli, which is a type freshly made pasta from the region that is like a softer, thick spaghetti was just thin, commercially made spaghetti.  The simple duck ragu was not bad, but straightforward and rather simple without much in the way anything other than thin duck meat and jus.  At least my pasta was thoroughly cooked.  The two orders of gnocchi at the table were vastly undercooked, often doughy and quite unpalatable.
 
The rest of the meal was not nearly as bad.  My veal scaloppine al marsala featured veal that was far from tender, grainy and not very enjoyable by itself in a simple, sweet-than-it-should-be sauce.  The dish was barely mediocre and something I might expect from a below average Ruby Tuesday.  It was probably worse than that.  The bland fish filet that both my father and a brother ordered might have been better but far from what you might hope for from a restaurant steps from the sea, and far from what my brother catches in Galveston Bay.
 
Overall, Taverna San Travaso was very disappointing visit – one that a fair amount of wine and good company could not entirely overcome – and restaurant I would highly recommend missing if in Venice. 

​
This unappetizing gray dish was supposed to bigoli with a duck ragu.  Instead, spaghetti with some dull duck meat was a better description, but there was far worse served for our dinner.

​The second amuse bouche featured a pressed cube of guinea fowl, I thought I overheard one of my family members repeating the chef’s description, along with a circular dollop of a rich aioli atop .  The meat was excellent, and with the rich sauce, unctuous, and absolutely delicious.  I was humming audibly with delight at the end of the table.  I was also about uncontrollably audible for the first one, a wedge of a Belgian waffle tasting almost solely of terrific Parmigiano.  The rest of the meal including a stellar version of the local classic tortelli d’erbette, silky egg-laden ravioli filled with ricotta and bitter beet spinach and complemented with amazingly flavorful grated Parmigiano that helped make this best pasta dish I had during my two weeks in Italy.  Excellent veal belly, with succulent, salty fat eaten together with the tender meat was very enjoyable, much better veal than I am used to in Italy.  A cheese course was Parmigiano, of course, the king of cheeses at 24, 30 and 36 months respectively.  This was easily the best meal during the trip for me.  This was at Parizzi, a restaurant bearing a Michelin star in Parma that I dined a couple of weeks ago.
 
The current Michelin Guide for Italy, which I picked up just for the trip, was on point yet again.  We were five-for-five with very good meals from restaurants mentioned in the guide.  In addition to Parizzi in Parma, there was Da Ermenio in Assisi, Bussa-alla Torre in Murano, La Franceschetta58 in Modena, and Ai Gondolieri in Venice.  This continues the luck I have had with Michelin in Europe.  If it is in the Michelin guide, it is worth visiting.  It doesn’t matter if it does not have a star or Bib Gourmand designation – excellent food that’s a good value – it usually serves very good food.  It hasn’t been perfect.  During my previous visit to Italy several years ago, a restaurant with star in country southeast of Rome turned out an unbalanced and unsatisfying meal – a set menu featuring just a series of all heavy dishes during the summer.  It subsequently lost its star.  That another meal a return to Bib Gourmand restaurant in Siena that did not live up to its initial visit were the only two of the numerous Michelin-directed restaurants I’ve visited.  It even did good work in Ireland years ago.
 
I’m heading up to Chicago for a weekend soon.  Maybe I’ll put the American Michelin inspectors to a test, as Chicago is just one of four American cities that Michelin judges.  Their European brethren have been spot-on for years for me.  Something to mention, is that the Michelin recommended restaurants always skew higher price wise.  There is nothing in it that will be a cheap eat, often good values, but never inexpensive.  You’ll be on vacation, though.  Enjoy yourself.

​My Margherita Pizza Project just has two or three stops left.  Thankfully.  The margheritas I’ve had recently haven’t been that great on average.  That includes some I had during a two week sojourn in Italy.
 
Cane Rosso (Montrose) – Satisfactory
Dolcevita (Parma) – Good
La Fresca (Heights) – Satisfactory
Mia Bella (Greenway Plaza) – Fair
Osteria Giuseppe Verdi (Parma) – Poor
Rocco’s – Poor
Roma’s Pizza – Poor


At Dolcevita near the Piazza Garibaldi in Parma, Italy

​I do not like Sagrantino.  It has to be my least favorite Italian grape.  I’ve had some highly rated Sagrantinos, too, including several shipped from the acknowledged leader in the varietal, Arnaldo Caprai, around an interview I had with proprietor Marco Caprai several years ago.  Though certainly very well-made wines, I did not really like any of the three, even after lengthy decanting, even the one retailing for over $100.  My general dislike of Sagrantino was confirmed during a recent week in Umbria, where the red varietal has become the region’s vinous calling card. 
 
Sagrantino produces rich, dark wines that I find to be unpleasantly pretty much all tannins and virtually no fruit.  These are wines that are need to be consumed with a lot of fat to help mitigate those tannins.  Even with a fatty, tasty grilled Fiorentina cut of steak during the trip – seemingly the ideal complement to the wine – I still did not like the few-year-old Sagrantino with it.  The simpler boxed red wine that I switched back to was not only more pleasing alone but a much better pairing the steak to my tastes.  According to a manager at one of the wineries visited during the trip, Sagrantino typically needs nearly a decade before the wines are truly palatable as the tannins finally become integrated and mostly tamed while more pleasing flavors come to the fore.  I can see that. 
 
However, I did find a Sagrantino that I really enjoyed while in Umbria.  Our new friend at the Chiorri winery, conveniently located across the street from the villa we had rented, wanted us to try one of their rosés, the Ventorosa - Rosato I.G.T. dell’ Umbria that is made with 100% Sagrantino.  I was a bit worried when I saw it was all Sagrantino but trusted her.  And It was delicious.  And there was fruit.  I sensed strawberry, maybe blackberry and even a hint of pomegranate in a typically dry style with a very nice finish.  Even vinified to 13.5%, this dry rosé was scarily easy to drink alone and the two bottles disappeared quickly among our group.  Those aggressive tannins in the typical red versions of Sagrantino were pretty much absent, as they should be in a rosé. 
 
I don’t believe that this wine is available in the U.S.  I found it was just €6.90 (about $8) on a German site and at the Chiorri winery it is just around €5.20 (around $6).  Ridiculously inexpensive for such a quality wine, and one that I liked better than the Provencal rosés I have been consuming this spring and summer for several dollars more.  There is hope for Sagrantino for me yet, if for now in paler shade than usual for the grape.

​That Osteria Francescana, the famed and Michelin-three-starred restaurant in Modena from chef Massimo Bottura, had been named the best restaurant in the world just a few days earlier was not in our mind when we day-tripped from our hotel in Parma just a thirty-minute or so train ride away.  It was on our mind much earlier, or in mine, at least.  I had first heard about Osteria Francescana maybe fifteen years earlier, and it had long been a restaurant that I had wanted to visit.  The prices at Osteria Francescana precluded a stop during the trip last week: first courses (primi) currently runs from €60-70 and secondi from €90-120 – and I imagine I would want at least one other course, be it an antipasto or dolce – while ten-course tasting menu is €250, which can be paired with wines for another €140, or twelve courses (€270 + €180).  These prices in dollars are nearly 20% more.  Ouch.  And, reservations in its tiny space are fairly precious to come by. 
 
However, Franceschetta58, its casual cohort or “little cousin” according to its website, was very much part of the hopeful itinerary during a quick jag to Modena. The day to Modena was relaxed; unorganized, too.  We were running later than expected as we got into the city and nearing the end of the lunch service, and without reservations.  After getting out of the station, we flagged a cab and after some confusion about whether or not to scrap Franceschetta58 and just head to the nearby Ferrari museum, we decided to make our way to the restaurant, which was somewhat more than the six-minute walk Google Maps had mistakenly shown the night before.
 
The eight of us stumbled somewhat into the quaint wedge-shaped sliver of a restaurant somewhat obliviously.  There isn’t much to the airy, inviting space; tables seating about thirty people and a fairly thin communal strip of wood seating about ten more.  I surprised that it was a small as it was.  As the lead for our hungry group, I was met very affably, and in decent English, by the front of the house twosome, each of whom proved friendly, energetic, and very helpful.  They also seemed to love their jobs, as my mother later commented to one of them, who then smiled broadly.  No luck: they were fully booked.  We milled about the front for maybe ten minutes deciding what to do.  I was about to ask for them to call us taxis to a café that they recommended, as finding food at that time in Modena on a Monday was not easy, but then they said that diners were leaving more quickly than expected and that we could actually be seated if we didn’t mind not sitting together.  I quickly responded that that was no problem, and thanks – there was only one complaint among us that was forgotten with the advent of the meal and wine – and the eight of us were sat among four small tables. 
 
A fixed three-course menu with five choices for the first and second courses, Smart Lunch at €25, is the only option for lunch at Franceschetta58.  It is an excellent value.  Mostly Italian and mostly Emilian in cuisine, but also featuring global dishes and influences, I found nearly all of the choices tempting and likely would have been satisfied with any of them.  As my starter I went with what proved to be an artful presentation of beef tartare with chives, mustard, yogurt, and thin slices of green apple and cucumber.  I didn’t have enough tartare the night before and, though tempted by the “Emilia Burger by Massimo Bottura,” I couldn’t quite pull the trigger on a burger as my first course.  My brother did and quite enjoyed it and its petite patty.  My father and nephew had nearby tables each made very quick work of the beautiful platter of salumi and cheese. Everyone was greatly pleased with their choices.  As for the wine, the list is not long but there are plenty of welcome choice including a number under €25.  A Sauvignon from the Collio did the trick again for my table.
 
When asked, our server recommended for the second course over the roasted octopus the “Chitarra” spaghetti with anchovy cream, chicory and an impressive amount of crispy chile-spiced bread crumbs.  The chitarra was a nod to the fresh spaghetti-like pasta made Abruzzo region, traditionally by a guitar-looking device that renders a noodle with a square cross section.  Heavy on anchovy flavor, saltiness and bread crumbs, this was a pleasantly assertive dish with toothsome pasta that I really enjoyed; a fairly simple dish, nicely upgraded in a clever, chef-y fashion.  It was the favorite among Italian patrons according to our server.  Italians were outnumbered in the dining room when we were admitted.  Both tables next to me, about a foot-and-a-half away, were occupied by Americans, as were at least another or two, plus British accents from the wealthier strata were heard when exiting.  Though I like being about the only tourist at a restaurant, it didn’t detract at all from the experience.  The conviviality of the place along with the evidenced enthusiasm and knowledgeability of the other diners helped to enhance it.  Especially so, the folks next to us – between two tables of us, actually – were in the hospitality industry and had recently stocked with meats to cook at their rental from lauded Tuscan butcher Dario Cecchini, from whom my family had a great steak luncheon several years before.
 
Dessert was Zuppa Inglese, which was chocolate custard, pastry cream and sponge cake, and with a bit of cochineal tea poured over it, if I heard the server correctly.  Nicely bitter, it was enjoyable and different, if not quite a mouthwatering finale.  It was an excellent lunch on all counts.
 
Franceschetta58 is truly “an unexpected deviation from a traditional osteria” as it advertises.  It served the most unique food that we experienced in a couple of weeks of dining in Italy.  The restaurant was not just eminently inviting, but also one with a palpable world class pedigree along with evident talent and passion throughout.
 
Franceschetta58
Via Vignolese, 58, Modena, Italy, +39 059 3091008
franceschetta.it

​The waitress returned about five or ten minutes after the order of our pastas and meat dishes that the gnocchi was no longer available and was it fine to substitute ravioli for the gnocchi while serving it with the same duck ragù.  Talking with family with wine on the table, I quickly said yes without really thinking.  If forgetful at that moment, I certainly knew better, and somewhat predictably, it turned out to be a mistake upon first bite.
 
L’U Wine Bar in the village Torgiano in the region of Umbria a couple of hours north of Rome was recommended at the Lungarotti winery nearby where we had stopped beforehand to taste and purchase wines.  Also owned by the Lungarotti family, the menu states, “LE ZUPPE E LE PASTE FATTE IN CASA”: the soups and pastas are made in house.  The ravioli with its resilient texture and bland taste of the pasta and filling reminded me of the supermarket stuffed pastas that I had long since stopped purchasing.  It proved to be the worst pasta dish of my two weeks in Italy.  More bland and uninteresting than bad, the duck ragù was decent, if soon forgettable.  With the initial batch of gnocchi gone – wiped out by the tour group of two dozen or so on what was otherwise a very empty restaurant – the kitchen seemingly just opened the refrigerator and a couple of packages to complete the orders.
 
I know that restaurants in Italy sometimes resort to pre-packaged ravioli and the like, especially the less ambitious ones or ones less concerned with pleasing tourists.  I’ve had lame from-the-plastic-wrapped-package -to-the-pot I expected something more from this place, which was not only associated with the biggest winery in the region, but also a hotel, and not a cheap hotel but the Le Valle Resort & Spa with five stars.  But, if I was paying attention, I would have asked if the ravioli were made in house because a couple of the previous items I had were evidence that the restaurant was not really trying at all that day, or maybe any day.  My antipasto of Uovo strapazzato con tartufo, eggs with truffles, featured bits of dark truffles without any discernible aroma or taste.  My Parisian-trained chef sister-in-law was convinced that the truffles in those dishes were from a can.  I thought maybe not even a very good can.  The eggs were enjoyable, even without any truffle flavor or welcoming scent.  Also, the bread on the table – for me an indicator of the quality of a restaurant, maybe especially in Italy – was a recently made brownish bread that was not terribly tasty.  The menu itself featured mostly fall and winter dishes; it did not look like it had changed in a while and wasn’t very well suited to that day in the upper 80s and in a dining room without air conditioning. 
 
These things should have moved me to a different dish when prompted by the lack of gnocchi.  I was on vacation, though, and two or three glasses slowed me down, even if it didn’t make the pasta dish any more enjoyable.

​The very first dish to arrive at the table was simply labeled on the menu as “Coconut Jam Toast / yonder way eggs . sweet soy.”  We had no idea what it might actually be.  Maybe it was the jam and toast in the first line of the description that drew us to it, as it was still before noon.  And this was on the only third brunch service for the newly opened UB Preserv, so we had not really heard or read anything about their Sunday morning service.  UB Preserv is the successor to much-loved or, at least much-acclaimed, Underbelly that was just a few blocks down the street.  I was in the significant number of regular Houston diners who much-loved Underbelly.  It was one of my favorite restaurants in Houston.  The two women in our quartet had been less enthusiastic than I was about Underbelly, recalling it as more meat-centric than it eventually became, but excited about checking out a new spot that was getting a fair amount of ink.  I love a good dim sum, and this ‘Dim sum-style brunch’ was an additional attraction for me.
 
That first dish put us all in the good mood.  Well, better mood; the initial sips of the initial cocktails had already helped.  Presented on a wood serving board, the Coconut Jam Toast, etc. consisted of a small glass Mason jar filled with a dark reddish liquid that was in which, upon closer inspection, egg whites were floating in the sweetened not-really-salty soy mixture, three thinly cut pieces of thick, airy toast, and a big dollop of cream-colored coconut jam.  It was terrific, and probably the overall favorite among the four of us.  The flavorful and balanced creamy jam, excellent bread and the light soy mixture-drunk eggs all worked very well together and each on their own. The only downside was that there was not enough bread to sop up all of the egg-soy mix.
 
I enjoyed the two salads that quickly followed the  Coconut Jam Toast even more.  These were not at all dim sum-style, or even Cantonese or Chinese, I don’t believe, not even the Crispy Rice Salad.  This featured puffed and crispy grains of rice providing a welcome textural contrast to the array of fresh herbs and the bright ripe cherry tomatoes.  The Tomato & Avocado Salad that came at the same time also had a medley of fresh herbs, wedges of ripe green avocado and even more tomatoes in hues of deep purple and robust red.  The tomatoes were terrific.  The quality of tomatoes are something I am especially sensitive to these days, eating far too many woefully underripe and amazingly tasteless slices of Franken-tomatoes that seem to come more often than not atop of margherita pizzas in Houston, which I have encountered during the course of my Margherita Pizza Project research.  Not only healthful-tasting, but vibrant and wonderful, these two salads are quick to recommend for any brunch visit here, even if a salad for brunch won’t come to mind for many.
 
The dumplings were good, if not quite as enjoyable as the salads.  The Boiled Pork Dumplings set in a light sauce with chile oil were filled a mixture of ground pork and had a nice flavor though the thin pasta exterior fell apart a little too readily for my tastes, and my chopsticks. The fairly stout dumpling-esque Smoked Boudin Siu Mai were light on the smokiness, which was fine for me and easily enjoyable.  It is one of the many dishes among the two dozen or so that easily and smartly mix some of the different cuisines that get traction among Houston diners.  Executive Chef Chris Shepherd showed over the tenure of Underbelly, and currently at One Fifth Romance Languages, how he and team can combine items from seemingly disparate cooking traditions into something sensibly delicious.  The Xi'An Hot Pocket and larger, seemingly step sibling, the Beef Curry Hand Pie, are both fun and a little messy to share.  The four pieces of the Crispy Snapper Puffs were easier to split.  The fried tendrils extending from the brownish spheres of deep-fried fish added a squid-like appearance that further emphasize the watery provenance, though these were nicely quite clean-tasting, without even much brininess.
 
The eight dishes we split had a nice mix of tastes and textures, with not much in the way of bold flavors or significant spiciness.  Instead, it was a collection subtle flavors – some Chinese, most not, and not even Asian – from obviously excellent ingredients interplaying in a very insightful way, tied together with mostly well-practiced techniques.  And none of the dishes were terribly heavy.  It was easy to keep eating and eating, as the ordering is done in piece-meal fashion, just like dim sum. The somewhat different collection of preparations worked very well together on the table for us, and work well the menu, which includes a large seafood tower and a stuff fried boneless chicken.
 
I really enjoyed my first visit to UB Preserv, as you can probably tell.  Set in the not-so-large space that once housed Poscol and Café Montrose before that in a humble strip center, this is easily the nicest incarnation.  Plenty of easy brown colors and straight lines made this comfortable for lunch, except the loud noises from the cocktail shakers behind the bar in the left half of the two dining areas that rebound a little too easily off all of those hard-edged surfaces.  It would be easier to ignore during the evening, I’m sure. That might be the only demerit.  It’s a cool place and the food is even cooler.
 
UB Preserv
1609 Westheimer (just west of Mandell) 77006, (346) 406-5923
ubpreserv.com


Boiled Pork Dumplings

Unfortunately, it’s been mostly bad and often ugly in my recent margherita pizza research.  Thankfully, the end might truly be in sight for the eating component of my Margherita Pizza Project.  I hope.

Blaze Pizza (Fondren) – Fair / Poor
Capone’s (Richmond) – Satisfactory
Coltivare – Satisfactory
Fuzzy’s (Antoine) – Fair / Satisfactory
Grazia Italian Kitchen (Pearland) – Fair
Gugliani’s – Fair
Little Napoli – Fair 
Original Napoli (Meyerland) – Fair / Poor
Pepperoni’s – Fair / Poor
Pizza Love – Fair
Prima Pasta – Poor – Wow, this place is bad.  Pizza was prefaced by the worst Caesar salad I believe I have ever had.
Reginelli’s – Fair
Romano’s – Fair
Sorrento – Satisfactory / Fair


The attractive Tomato, basil, mozzarella pizza Tomato pizza at Coltivare, which is, unfortunately, more attractive than it is tasty.