RED ZONE

Can Anyone recommend a restaurant in the Houston area that specializes in Northern Italian cuisine?

My favorite BBQ in Houston is The County Line. Yes they are a chain, but the BBQ is memorable. I personally prefer the combo platter that gives you brisket, sausage and beef ribs, along with cole slaw and beans. The loaves of bread served with the meal complement the meal nicely and you can't leave this restaurant without feeling like you are about to pop. I recollect being in the restaurant sometime about 1983 or 1984 and 6 football players from the University of Houston were in the place and ate somewhere around 6 - 8 platters of beef ribs that must have had 30 ribs per platter. Maybe they haven't won a national championship but they can win an eating contest. I think the restaurant comped them out of awe or maybe fear.

I grew up in Tennnesse where pork BBQ is King, and ground zero is Memphis. If you ever get there, you should try Charlie Vergos Rendezvous located in the basement of the Sheraton Peabody Hotel, which is dry rub pork ribs at their best, and Leonards Pit BBQ which is noted for their flavorful sauce. Nuff said....

I went to 5 Guys this past week. I lived in California and and patronized In-N-Out regularly. I know In-N-Out, and 5 Guys is not In-N-Out. I had a two patty hamburger with cajun fries and soda, and it cost $9.72. That's $9.72 I'll never get back. Unless you have a nostalgia attachment to this place, I wouldn't waste the gas or time.

The mushroom caps were easy. Remove the stems and dice them with an equal quanity of onion. Saute in butter, add cream cheese, lots of chopped fresh dill, salt and pepper. Stuff the caps, and dust with parmesan and drizzle with melted butter. Very hot oven. Enjoy!

Thanks so much

I'm new to town and was wondering where in Houston can i get great pizza. Please help! Dominoes, Pizza Hut,Mr. Gatti's is not an option.

You might try Corelli's Italian Restaurant. They have a Galleria and Sugar Land location that I know of. Their selection is not extensive, but I've never had a bad one.

Some other restaurants I remember:

La Hacienda de Los Morales - Located at West Belt and Deerwood They had the best frozen margaritas I've ever tasted; very nice ambiance and good food, though I remember that this was an expensive place for me at that time.

The Mexicatessen - Downtown next to the original Treebeards. Cheap meals with fresh ingrediants. Ate there around 1980-1981. And then one day it was gone....

The Flying Tiger - near the corner of Gessner and Westheimer in the Woodlake Shopping Center. Around 1979-1981. Lots of great memories. Might have been the dates more than the food.

Wow - I just today googled Arno's and saw your post. I used to cook at Arno's at the Bellaire location. In fact, I'm making the dill-stuffed mushrooms for a dinner party tonight! I haven't been in touch with the owners for years and now am a lawyer in Washington, DC but still make lots of our old favorites from those days!

Would you be willing to share some of those recipes? Especially the mushroom caps.....

My favorite restaurant that has gone missing in Houston is Arno's. They were originally located on Cedar St. in Bellaire, adjacent to the Bellaire Triangle. Though nothing more than a hole in the wall in a non-descript strip center, they had Nothern Italian cuisine to die for. I especially enjoyed the stuffed mushroom caps appetizer and any of the main entrees. I recollect that Arno's moved to Montrose Blvd. in the early 80's and most of the ambiance and great tasting food did not make the move with the restaurant( I always wondered if someone else bought the restaurant because the food just wasn't the same). I would be thrilled if the original owners recreated the original Arno's again

ScottP said:

The Tomball location is the only one I know of right now. I will let you know if I hear of any more, though.

The restaurant I remember was on the far south side of Meyerland Plaza, close to the stand alone theater. I remember it being called the Houston Oil Company. The food was good but I only ate there if I was dating a girl that lived in that part of town.

Edit: Houston Oil Company Restaurant - Booze & Eatery 

Subdude:

http://www.houstonpress.com/bestof/2004/be.../bestrest3.html

Help Please!!!!

I am looking for any restaurant in the Houston metro area that makes a good meat Cannelloni. I have been unable to find many that even know what I am talking about. any suggestions?

Maybe it was where Beck's Prime is now.

I moved to Houston in 1977, and at that time worked in Greenway Plaza. I distinctly remember eating at an SnS on Kirby just north of 59 and south of Richmond (I actually think the restaurant was south of Norfolk). I remember a Jaguar dealership nearby. I also remember eating at an SnS that was on Gessner between Beechnut and 59. I have fond though faded memories of Onion Rings to die for, juicy steakburgers and milkshakes more easily devoured via spoon rather than straw. I noticed the 1960 location is on the SnS website, but hope they blanket the city with locations.

I made the 50 mile round trip today, 7-31-8 to see for myself if the restaurant really still had the "goods". IMO it was a fond trip back to 1977 and if I closed my eyes, I even felt 30 years younger for that brief moment. I had the chili, ( I like my chili with beans), a double steakburger w/cheese, and onion rings, along with a chocolate shake. I think you should skip the fries and order the onion rings. I expected something other than what my taste buds remembered, but they still tasted the same to me....great.

I did ask the manager about future expansion plans and he said the next store will probably be in Sugar Land and the Woodlands. Also sites were being scouted in Katy, and possibly Memorial City and Clear Lake. So keep the faith aficionados. After a 30 year wait you could see an SnS in your neighborhood sometime in the next year to two years.