Hot Plate

Custom crispy critters: Choose half orders of any two grilled items on the menu to compose your own special Mixed Grill plate, $18.95 at the Tuscany Grill [3910-C Kirby, (713)522-4722]. Candidates most worthy of consideration are the plump little quail stuffed with fontina cheese, prosciutto, sun-dried cherries and walnuts, and the spicy ahi tuna steak, rubbed with a tongue-prickling blend of red and black pepper and grilled medium-rare. Whatever your pleasure, the side orders of fluffy mashed potatoes spiked with horseradish, and crunchy grilled vegetables, smoky-salty with soy, are not to be missed.