Tony Mandola

Chef Chat, Part 1: Riccardo Palazzo-Giorgio, On Honoring His Mother, And Selling His House and Harley to Finance The Restaurant He Named After Her

This is the first part of a three part Chef Chat series. Parts two and three will run in this same space Thursday and Friday. What's in a name? For Hawthorn's Riccardo Palazzo-Giorgio, it's a reflection of his heritage, his family, a symbol of honor and respect. Granted, the name doesn't roll off t ... More >>

Rounding Up the Best Rodeo Dining Deals in Houston

With the Rodeo headed to town starting this weekend, plenty of local restaurants are featuring dining deals all season long. We've rounded up some of the biggest steals below, many of which even include parking deals. (And as anyone who goes to the Rodeo will tell you, parking is by far the least en ... More >>

El Tiempo Cantina on Navigation, Opening Today, Comes Full Circle

In a big, bold move that throws The Original Ninfa's on Navigation an ever-so-slightly threatening glance, El Tiempo Cantina opens today on Navigation Boulevard, just a stone's throw away from Ninfa's. While the El Tiempo building structure is brand spanking new to Navigation, the family that owns t ... More >>

Upcoming Events: Your Chance to Taste Real Kobe Beef is at Killen's

It's not too late to order those Valentine's Day sweets for your sweetie -- and if you order from Fluff Bake Bar, you can make the gift even sweeter: A whopping 40 percent of the proceeds from the bake sale will go to benefit Lucky Dog Rescue. Pastry chef Rebecca Masson has put together a menu of Fl ... More >>

LA Bar: A Cajun Restaurant with an Italian Heritage

One of the biggest surprises I found in the course of dining at LA Bar -- the subject of this week's cafe review -- wasn't how expensive the Gulf oysters on the half-shell were ($12 a dozen) nor how much better those oysters tasted when topped with garlic butter and chargrilled (as seen above), but ... More >>

The Dan Marino Restaurants

The 13 restaurants that nearly made our 30 essential Texas restaurants list.

Top 10 Restaurants in River Oaks

The last time we tackled the Top 10 restaurants in River Oaks, Tony Mandola's was still open in what is now Brasserie 19's spot in the River Oaks Shopping Center. Needless to say, things have changed a bit in three years. And in spite of its ritzy exterior, River Oaks still has plenty of inexpensive ... More >>

Flaming Young

Ten food-related words you need to stop misspelling

The Texas Chefs Hall of Fame: 1981 and Now

Assistant music editor Craig Hlavaty recently purchased a 1981 edition of The Genuine Texas Handbook, a guide to all things Texan. It's an often-tongue-in-cheek look at the people, places, outfits, songs, foods and more that made someone Texan 31 years ago. Incidentally, the book and I are the same ... More >>

The Rest of the Best: Houston's Top 10 Seafood Restaurants

For the next 20 weeks, we'll be rounding up the runners-up to our 2011 Best of Houston® winners. In many categories, picking each year's winner is no easy task. We'll be spotlighting 20 of those categories, in which the winner had hefty competition from other Houston bars and restaurants.

First Look at The Bird & The Bear

Fried green tomatoes and bacon on brioche...these are a few of my favorite things.​The corner restaurant on the end of a River Oaks strip mall at 2810 Westheimer has been a lot of things. It's been Rickshaw, it's been Fins, it was even temporarily home to Tony Mandola's Gulf Coast Kitchen whil ... More >>

Openings & Closings: The End of an ERA

The big closing news of last week happened right after we wrapped up our last Openings & Closings post, because Houston is apparently the city that never stops closing restaurants overnight. That closing was ERA, the pizzeria on Market Square that had one of our 100 Favorite Dishes of the year, the ... More >>

That's Rich

Brasserie 19 is the place to see and be seen in River Oaks.

The Summer of the Fried Green Tomato

Photo by Katharine ShilcuttThe Viola Lee taco is suitable for vegetarians and vegetable-loving carnivores alike.​Although I love making fried green tomatoes at home, I'm not that good at it. But when summer gets in full swing, I begin to crave the things like mad. And luckily, this year, an in ... More >>

Prometheus Unbound: Young Chefs Set Their Sights on Houston as the New Culinary Frontier

Photo by Adrienne ByardSeth Siegel-Gardner, left, and Terrence Gallivan in the kitchen at Revival Market.​The living room at Seth and Hannah Siegel-Gardner's tidy blue house in the Heights is packed: two chefs and their wives, a journalist, three dogs, a massive cookbook collection and a flat- ... More >>

Openings & Closings: The Chock Full o'Nuts Edition

Yeah, I don't understand this either.​Remember last week, when we blithely reported that it had been such a wonderful week of good news? Prepare yourself for a mixed bag this week -- and it's a big bag -- starting with the ugly stuff. After Caffe Bello's abrupt closure, there were rumors that ... More >>

Openings & Closings

Pure Luck ravioli with warm tiny beets, brown butter and hazelnut puree.​With an opening date seemingly in sight, the latest food buzz is centered around Chef Michael Gaspard's Brasserie 19. Gaspard's partners in the new venture, Charles Clark and Grant Cooper, are already old hands at shaping ... More >>

Openings & Closings: January 2011

​As the first month of the new year ended, restaurant openings picked up and Houston saw a busy week for new places. At long last, Philippe (1800 Post Oak Boulevard, 713-439-1000) has finally opened its doors. And lest you think the food is out of your price range, check out the bargain-price ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 3: Tony Mandola

Blackened snapper.​After we spoke withTony Mandola for this week's chef chat, he brought out a bowl of Mama's famous gumbo. The roux was deeply brown and aromatic, with tons of Gulf Coast seafood and fresh vegetables. The accompanying rice was fluffy and made an excellent base for the deliciou ... More >>

Openings & Closings

​Earlier this week on Twitter, the Chron's Alison Cook noted disapprovingly that Rico's Luchadores had experienced a makeunder: "There goes the neighborhood: Rico's Luchadores has ditched the wrestling theme for more tasteful 'Frida' motif. Say it ain't so." Indeed, Rico's has been transformed ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 2: Tony Mandola

​Yesterday, we spoke with Tony Mandola about his new restaurant opening in the spring, appropriately named Tony Mandola's (1212 Waugh). Today as we ask him about his recent award and how it really feels to be a Mandola. Eating Our Words: Your wife, Phyllis, of course, is part of a big Housto ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 1: Tony Mandola

Plans for the new digs.​EOW recently sat down with Tony Mandola to get the inside scoop on his new restaurant. We met at Tony Mandola's Gulf Coast Kitchen for a chat. Eating Our Words: Hello Tony! It is so nice to meet you. We have so many things we are dying to ask you, but let's just st ... More >>

Happy Hour Scene: Tony Mandola's Gulf Coast Kitchen

Photo by Paul Knight​The Place: Tony Mandola's Gulf Coast Kitchen1962 West Gray St. 713-528-3474www.tonymandolas.comThe Hours: Monday through Friday 2-6 p.m.The Deals: Domestic bottles are $2, pints of Bud Light are $2.75, and pints of Ziegenbock are $3. House wines are $3.75 and select wines are ... More >>

Celestial Sandwiches - Day Five

Turkey and brie at Kraftsmen Baking.​Here it is -- our final installment of celestial sandwiches. And though with this entry we now have listed 25 big ones, we didn't even mention all of our favorites. Yes, that's how much we love sandwiches. If you haven't seen them yet, here's Monday's, Tues ... More >>

This Week In Deliciousness

Photo by J.C. ReidBAM! Goddamn peanut butter and bacon burger IN YOUR FACE. We're through the looking glass here, people!Welcome back to the weekly round-up of our food blog, Eating Our Words, where the beef isn't jerky but a couple of the maitre-d's are. Robb Walsh started us off this week with a v ... More >>

TONY MANDOLA'S ITALIANTINI

Stirred and Shaken: Tony Mandola's Italiantini

Photo by Daniel KramerWhen you start with one of my favorite drinks, the vodka martini, and you introduce a little creativity from a savvy bartender at my favorite restaurant in the city, Tony Mandola's Gulf Coast Kitchen (1962 W. Gray, 713-528-3474), the result is a can't-miss. The Italiantini, whi ... More >>

Deck the Halls

Danseparc and Robert Tatum spin a hipster holiday party

All In The Family

Dominic Mandola

Fish Fraud

Passing off cheap fish for expensive red snapper is against the law. But no one enforces the regulations. So Texas restaurants are free to rip you off.

Forever On His Toes

Ben Stevenson has built Houston Ballet into one of the biggest companies in the country. So why does his job often seem in jeopardy?

Dish

Out of Left Field

Variety Club Follies

How the curtain came down -- for the time being -- at the "show biz" charity

Diner's Notebook

Old & New

Family Feast

At Mandola's Family Table, small portions aren't on the menu

The Other Mandola's

An East End deli with Italian-American soul

The Other Mandola's

An East End deli with Italian-American soul

Mexican Workout

An East End gym is transformed into a classic Mexican cafe