Ciao Bello

The Capitol at St. Germain: Closed for Renovations or Closed for Good?

Last week, The Capitol at St. Germain posted the above image on its Facebook page. The downtown restaurant that was once so promising when it opened in late 2011 suffered in the wake of losing its two opening chefs, Kevin Bryant and Mark Parmley. Lately, every time I walked by The Capitol past happy ... More >>

Where to Eat on Christmas Day

Your stress-free dining guide to the holidays.

Openings & Closings: The Proof Is In the... Rooftop

I've long said that Houston doesn't have enough cool rooftop spaces, especially close to downtown. That's finally changing with the opening of two fun new spots... The first opened several weeks ago at the Houston Pavilions: the reincarnation of Scott Gertner's Sky Bar on Montrose, which is now -- a ... More >>

Philly Poutine

A first look at the new Pappa Geno's in Bellaire.

Top 10 Restaurants in the Galleria

Long the bastion of boring chain restaurants and overly expensive hotspots, the Galleria has seen a resurgence in the past few years when it comes to food. Chef-owned-and-driven restaurants are upping the ante along Post Oak Boulevard while places like E-Tao and White Oak Kitchen Drinks are showin ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 3: Bobby Matos of Ciao Bello and His Crave-Worthy Italian Classics

Bobby Matos Ciao Bello 5161 San Felipe 713-960-0333 ciaobellohouston.com This is third and final part of a three-part chef chat series. You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. This week, Chef Bobby Matos of Ciao Bello chatted with us about the foods his Italian grandmother used to make, the mer ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 2: Bobby Matos of Ciao Bello, On Learning on the Fly in the Kitchen

Bobby Matos Ciao Bello 5161 San Felipe 713-960-0333 ciaobellohouston.com This is the second part of a three-part chef chat series. Read Part 1 here and look for Part 3 in this same space Friday. Yesterday, we chatted with Chef Bobby Matos about why he became a chef, and why he chose culinary sch ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 1: Bobby Matos of Ciao Bello, On Whether Culinary School Is Worth It

Bobby Matos Ciao Bello 5161 San Felipe 713-960-0333 ciaobellohouston.com This is the first part of a three-part chef chat series. Look for parts 2 and 3 in this same space Thursday and Friday. Ciao Bello, Tony Vallone's lighter, more casual version of his iconic Tony's in River Oaks, offers some ... More >>

My Surprise Lunch at Ciao Bello

Friday the 13 was probably one of the luckiest days I've had this summer. Although the master barista demonstration I originally came for at Ciao Bello had been delayed a couple of hours, I was surprised by an unforgettable media lunch. The owner's son, Jeff Vallone, offered to let me sample a few ... More >>

An Espresso Lesson at Ciao Bello with Master Barista Giorgio Milos

Espresso is more than just a beverage -- it's the base ingredient used to create an array of specialty drinks: cocktails, frappes, cappuccinos and other classic coffee beverages. Master barista Giorgio Milos arrived at Ciao Bello Friday, after being stuck in an airport for six hours due to the mas ... More >>

The Rest of the Best: Houston's Top 5 Restaurant Playlists

The only times I notice the music in a restaurant is when it's really bad (Christmas music playing year round at Sichuan Cuisine), really out of place (Nine Inch Nails blaring out of the speakers at now-closed Tony Vallone joint Ciao Bello or Cannibal Corpse washing over the line of patrons at Amy's ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 2: Grant Gordon of Tony's

Mai PhamExecutive Chef Grant Gordon of Tony's​Yesterday, we chatted with Grant Gordon about his road to becoming a Executive Chef at Tony's. See our chat here. Today, we talk about his role at Tony's and some of of his favorite things about Houston. EOW: So what do you do here at Tony's? G ... More >>

Openings & Closings

The chopped brisket sandwich at Ray's Real Pit BBQ.​It's been a week of changes for Houston restaurants -- menu changes, chef changes, location changes -- and some of those changes include at least one shocking closure. That closure was Caffe Bello, which quietly closed its doors on Monday. T ... More >>

Free Pizza at Ciao Bello for Happy Hour

Pepperoni Pizza at Ciao Bello​I've gotten to the point where the thought of free food doesn't excite me anymore. That's why I'd never made the effort to try out Ciao Bello's happy hour even though I knew that they had free pizza. When I found myself in the Galleria area one afternoon around 4 ... More >>

Dining Deals in Houston

Our deal of the day is even better than this. ​Times are tight, and we're all looking for ways to pinch a penny here and there. But the current recession has led to the meteoric rise in online coupon sites, offering fantastic savings of up to 90 percent on everything from clothing to Caribbean ... More >>

R.I.P.: A Toast to the Restaurants We'll Miss the Most

Photo by Robb WalshAlas! No more salchi-burgers from Brisa Cocina Mexicana.​While toasts are usually reserved for happier events or for New Year's Eve, we thought it appropriate to toast the dearly departed restaurants which closed this past year, wishing those who had to close them future suc ... More >>

Openings & Closings

Still one of my favorite photos. Welcome back, Leon's.​More great news for the Heights this week as it was announced that D'Amico's Italian Market has set its sights on White Oak Boulevard for its second location. The popular restaurant has been operating at 5510 Morningside in Rice Village si ... More >>

Openings & Closings

Jellies out for tasting at the new Kraftsmen Cafe in the Heights.​The biggest news of the week seems to be the revolving doors at some of Houston's more popular restaurants: BRC Gastropub, Caffe Bello and the Inn at Dos Brisas (which, okay, is up the road in Independence, but we still claim it ... More >>

Montrose Match

The Vallones somehow fit right in with Houston's funkiest neighborhood.

Robb Walsh's 100 Favorite Houston Dishes #46 Ice Cream at Hank's

​Over the course of the next few months, I'm counting down 100 of my favorite Houston dishes. I chose some because they are such quintessential Houston creations, others for their cultural or historical significance, and others because they are just so damn tasty. Share your own nominations in ... More >>

Robb Walsh's 100 Favorite Houston Dishes: #47 Pasta with Fresh Peas, Ham and Mushrooms at Ciao Bello

​Over the course of the next few months, I'm counting down 100 of my favorite Houston dishes. I chose some because they are such quintessential Houston creations, others for their cultural or historical significance, and others because they are just so damn tasty. Share your own nominations in ... More >>

Top 10 Restaurants in the Galleria Area

Photo by Erika RayStocking up on salsas at Chacho's.​The Galleria has more than 26 million visitors per year. While a significant amount of those people are tourists -- what wouldn't we give to visit a city just to shop there! -- many are Houstonians who gravitate toward the Uptown Park area o ... More >>

Openings and Closings: 2009 Edition

​The year gone by marked some very exciting restaurant openings (such as Haven, Branchwater Tavern, Yelapa Playa Mexicana and Stella Sola) and some equally important closings (such as Cafe Annie, Bedford, Las Alamedas and Felix Mexican Restaurant). To close out the yea ... More >>

Hot aphrodisiacs at Ciao Bello

Ciao Bello