Love at First Bite

Lest you think we lived on appetizers and rice alone -- although I wouldn't mind doing just that -- we had some stunning entrées, too. My initial favorite was the "lamb T-bone" ($28), a pair of tender, inch-thick lamb chops basted with wine, then grilled and topped with salty slivers of green olive. To my surprise, I also loved the finely minced braised cabbage that accompanied the chops. The mint leaves that sparked the artichoke reappeared in the tomato sauce over the tagliatelle with lobster ($20), and it was a stroke of genius. With that delicate touch of mint, the sauce tasted light and incredibly fresh. The lobster was a tender one-pounder from Maine, not one of those dreadful, tough Caribbean numbers, its claws skillfully removed intact in the kitchen, and the tail meat sliced in circlets over the wide ribbons of noodle. (The plate arrived complete with the lobster's head, just to say hello, I suppose.)

While one of my friends marveled at Da Marco's extensive list of Italian regional wines -- "There's stuff here only real connoisseurs will know," he announced, beaming with pleasure -- the rest of us drooled over the dessert choices. We settled on a pear richly stuffed with mascarpone ($6), its flesh sweetly caramelized a glossy brown. We reveled in the cold, silky panna cotta ($6), flanlike in texture but infinitely fresher and creamier in taste. We even tried the multilayered zuppa inglese ($6), a towering wedge of custard, fruit jam and rum-scented sponge cake so rich it made my head spin.

I don't have to tell you I'm already scheming for my next liaison with Da Marco. I must have the sea bass with grilled grapefruit and balsàmico ($19) and the pork shanks zìa Milena ($18). I can't wait to taste the salad of shaved celery, beets and pecorino ($7). As a matter of fact, I probably won't sleep at night until I've tried everything on the menu.

That's how love goes.

Da Marco, 1520 Westheimer, (713)807-8857.