Houston has no shortage of great restaurants, both big and small, locally-owned or nationally-franchised. It can be a tough decision on where to dine with all of the great options. Sometimes we want to try something new, sometimes we want the comfort of an old favorite. And sometimes, we revisit places to see how they've changed over the years.

I had an afternoon open to spend with a longtime friend, so I headed to her side of town. It was an area off Interstate 45 and FM 1960, or Cypress Creek Parkway, which was close to where I grew up. It had been years since I was in that neck of the woods so when it came to finding a restaurant in the area, there wasn't much from which to choose. I remembered that the Lasagna House was always a preferred choice of my in-laws, who have long since passed away. I saw that the Italian restaurant was still open so I made the suggestion to my friend and that's where we headed.
Lasagna House III is located right off the freeway on Cypress Creek Parkway. If one didn't know it was there already, it would be difficult to spot. The original Lasagna House was founded in 1942 in Chicago by Sicilian immigrant Pete Pizzo who eventually opened Lasagna House locations in Houston. There is still a location on Westheimer, owned by Jeff and Susan Smith who, with Jeff's brother, bought both locations from Pizzo over the years, according to the Houston Chronicle. They sold the 1960 location to Matt Vernon and his wife Mary in 2013. Matt Vernon himself started out as a regular customer before getting employment at the restaurant and working his way up to manager. In 2015, the restaurant was damaged by a fire at a neighboring business and closed for more than two years for renovation. The Vernons opened the Rustica Italian food truck in the interim. It reopened in 2017 but  month later, Hurricane Harvey caused damage to the roof, as reported by Community Impact.

The last time I visited Lasagna House 1960 was with my Italian American in-laws, way before the Vernons took over. My father-in-law loved the gnocchi. My mother-in-law raved about the chicken Marsala. I just remember it being a cozy place to spend a nice meal with family. And I was happy to see that the homey feel was still there.
My friend and I were sat at a hybrid booth and chair table. I appreciated the mix of seating. The curved booths are conducive to conversation with friends or cuddling with a date. We were greeted by a tall, thin waiter who we immediately knew was going to take good care of us. My friend asked about the beer on tap and Henry, our server, offered to bring her a sample. He returned with a sifter sample of Sneaky Snake, a Belgian Pale Ale from Mountain Fork Brewery in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. It wasn't to her taste so she asked for a Coors Light instead. I ordered a glass of Serena Prosecco and was quite pleased with the slightly dry bubbles and awesomely-sized pour.

We noshed on the complimentary garlic bread which was happily old school. The baguette-style bread was buttered lightly with a touch of garlic powder and was soft on the inside with just a touch of crunch on the outer crust. It was served with a side of herb-seasoned olive oil which, at first, I thought completely unnecessary. The bread was already delicious. Then, I added the herbal condiment and realized that it was a lovely addition to the bread. And, for an interesting side note, the Vernons grow a number of herbs and vegetables in an on-site garden. On FM 1960, of all places.
When our calamari arrived, it was served with a chipotle mayo and a side of pomodoro. It was fun to dip the perfectly fried squid pieces back and forth between the two but I preferred the tomato sauce. This was some of the best fried calamari I have had in Houston and it was well-seasoned, unlike some of the over-salted versions one often finds elsewhere. The bonus was the fried artichoke hearts that were intermingled with the squid. They were a heavenly bite that melted in the mouth. If I thought the garlic bread was a nice start, the appetizer was certainly making us look forward to our meals. 

After finishing our first drinks, my friend ordered a glass of house pinot grigio and I opted for a half carafe of the house Chianti. Both were more than adequate for our meals and the Chianti was much smoother than many I have had. Even more appealing, the prices are well below what one would pay at many Houston restaurants.

As we were enjoying catching up, we noticed that the elderly folks who were trickling in seemed to know all the staff, our waiter in particular. It added to the pleasant ambiance of the place and we felt that we made a great choice not only for the food, but the atmosphere.
Our meals arrived in a timely, but unrushed manner. My companion had the Chicago Beef Sandwich while I stuck with an Italian American standard, Eggplant Parmigiana. It has become one of my most-craved dishes thanks to my mother-in-law introducing me to her version years ago.

It's a gamble when it comes to ordering eggplant at a restaurant. It can sometimes be undercooked and that is always a depressing first bite. The eggplant at Lasagna House was not only tender, it was flavorful. It had been cut into rounds that were stacked on top of one another. There was just enough sauce and cheese to let the eggplant flavor come through. I was getting full so I didn't bother with the accompanying spaghetti pomodoro and saved it instead to take home to my husband, Classic Rock Bob.

I wasn't so stuffed, though, that I could resist a  bite, or two, of my friend's Chicago Beef Sandwich. It seemed a bit pricey at $16.50 since it doesn't come with a side but when it arrived, it was split into two sandwiches. A couple could add a side or two and split the order between them. In fact, my friend saved the other half for next day's lunch. And the quality of the thinly-sliced choice ribeye was evident. The bread was the same as the baguette for the garlic bread and the accompanying au jus took it over the top. It was like an a-one French dip, Chicago style.  My friend is lucky that I didn't accidentally take home her doggie bag.
We were very pleased with our experience as we watched our server hug his regular customers and ask about their day. When it finally came our time to depart, he asked if he could hug us as well. That may not be okay for everyone but we're easygoing gals. He also reminded us that the restaurant had half-price bottles of wine on Thursday. I think he was pretty good at reading his clientele.

And we'll be back. My husband was a bit jealous of our adventure, so I'll have to take our family out for a visit. It will be like old times. Almost.

However, I'll have to convince someone to split both the Chicago Beef Sandwich and the Eggplant Parmigiana with me because I will never be able to choose between them.


Lasagna House III
217D Cypress Creek Parkway
281-580-7797
lasagnahouse1960.com