—————————————————— Out of my Gourd | Restaurants | Houston | Houston Press | The Leading Independent News Source in Houston, Texas

Out of my Gourd

Ravioli di zucca or butternut squash ravioli tossed with sage butter sauce ($11)? Somehow, the English description of this dish at Mingalone Italian Bar & Grill (540 Texas Avenue, 713-223-0088) sounds a lot better than the Italian. Nothing, however, can fully describe the splendor of the six large homemade, misshapen ravioli encircling thin strips of zucchini and carrots sprouting from the center of the plate. A cream-colored sauce covers all -- the bright orange interior of the ravioli revealing itself only after you've sunk your fork in for the first bite. While sage normally imparts a robust flavor, here it stays in the background exuding a mere hint of its musty mint taste.

KEEP THE HOUSTON PRESS FREE... Since we started the Houston Press, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Houston, and we'd like to keep it that way. With local media under siege, it's more important than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" program, allowing us to keep offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food and culture with no paywalls.
Paul Galvani