We visited Mastrantos for Valentines Day and really enjoyed our dinner! They had a selection of 3…read morepre-fixed menus: one for meat eaters, one for the pescatarians, and one for the vegetarians (menu attached). My husband did the red menu and I did the blue menu. We both greatly enjoyed our respective menus. I loved my beet carpaccio and burrata salad. The beets were cooked perfectly and were so fresh. I enjoyed my pan-seared branzino. The tamarind, lime, & habanero sauce that went with it was delicious. I was initially worried about the habanero because I'm not a huge fan of spicy food, but pairing it with the fish toned down the spice. The merengue dessert was so yummy. The service was great - our waitress was kind and attentive. The ambiance was cozy. They did a great job with the lighting and setting a romantic valentines day dinner vibe. We will be back!

Came here on a weekday for dinner. Located on Studewood in the Heights. There's plenty of parking…read moreright next to the restaurant. The interior is pretty casual with a full bar in the middle. Our server was friendly and made couple solid recommendations on appetizers. Two dishes stood out for me: Watermelon and tomato salad - this is my favorite thing from the dinner, the sweetness from the watermelon worked surprisingly well with the balsamic glaze and pesto, very refreshing. TexQueno - nice cheese stick made with Venezuelan cheese, paired well with the cilantro sauce. We also tried the shrimp ceviche, which was solid, but nothing too special. For the main, we went with pastas, which were let downs. For the Cioppino Linguini, the seafood was overcooked, the pasta texture wasn't great, and the dish tasted pretty bland and lack the garlicky tomato flavor you'd expect from a traditional Cioppino Linguini. The wild mushroom pasta had a bit heavy sauce, also not the best pastas, but the mushrooms were cooked well.

Coltivare is one of the cutest spots for a girls' night out or a date night. The atmosphere is…read morecharming and cozy, and I love the concept of growing ingredients right outside in their garden. I got lucky and found a parking spot right next to the restaurant, but otherwise you'll likely need to rely on street parking. We ordered several dishes to share around the table, and everything was delicious. The wings were especially flavorful and ended up being one of my favorite dishes of the night. The pasta was also very good! It had a lot of garlic! For dessert, we tried the new cherry chocolate cake, and it was amazing. The texture was so smooth, the sweetness was perfectly balanced, and the cherries paired beautifully with the chocolate. The cocktails were also dangerously good. You barely taste the alcohol. Between the food, drinks, good service, and ambiance, it's definitely a spot I'll be returning to.

I went to Coltivare with my girlfriends on a Saturday night, and I'm really glad we made a…read morereservation because the place was packed. The parking situation wasn't great -- mostly street parking, and it felt pretty hectic. The restaurant itself is quaint but small, so it gets crowded and loud inside. We had a patio reservation and were seated in the covered patio, which ended up being perfect since it was freezing outside and much quieter than the main dining room. For food and drinks, I ordered a nonalcoholic spritz, which was really refreshing. We shared a pizza that was pretty good, and I ordered the black pepper and parmesan spaghetti. It was okay -- not bad, but nothing too memorable. Overall, we enjoyed our food, and our waiter was very nice and attentive. I'd recommend trying it out and definitely making a reservation.

Came by to sample their weekly cheese rotation and somehow walked out with more than planned (zero…read moreregrets). We ended up leaving with the Salva Cremasco (my BF's pick) while I chose a random interesting-looking cheese called Screamer--because sometimes the mystery pick just calls to you. Half the fun here is getting to try cheeses you'd probably never think to bring home otherwise. The Salva Cremasco was surprisingly easy to love. Mild, buttery, and savory in a way that felt approachable rather than intimidating, with a smooth semi-firm texture that got creamier as you ate it. At first, it tasted very clean and milky with a light nuttiness, but the finish had this subtle earthy, almost mushroomy/vegetal note that kept things interesting without ever becoming funky or sharp. It felt like the kind of cheese you accidentally keep cutting "one more slice" of until suddenly... half of it is gone. We were also sold on trying the FLUFF Bake Bar cookies made with goat milk, which honestly felt very on-brand for the whole experience. Dangerous place for impulse purchases--but in the best possible way. What really keeps making this place memorable, though, is the people. I love the knowledgeable and warm welcome we always get from the staff. Even on a visit that barely lasted 15 minutes, they somehow still made the experience feel memorable--like you stopped by to chat with people who genuinely love what they do and want to share it with you.

I can't believe I've lived in Houston for this many years and never stopped by Houston Dairymaids…read more I learned that they're the backbones of many restaurants' cheese selections, and I had to trace it back to the origin. A small, discreet shop with a backyard-like parking lot, it's unassuming on the outside but full of character on the inside. Upon entering, you're welcomed with samples of the five cheeses of the week, generally going from soft to firmer and stronger. Their cheeses are displayed in a small fridge, but you can always request varietals ahead of time if you've got something in mind. We bought blue cheese they had on sample (the "Ewe Calf to be Kidding" from Wisconsin, a triple-milk (sheep, cow, and goat)) and the last of their Capricorn Goat Blue cheeses for about $10/piece. Since they rotate out their cheeses weekly, it may become a regular stop on our weekend grocery trips (they mention that many people do that). They also mentioned that their wines rotate out and they have a good relationship with local distributors to understand what pairs well with their cheeses. They also let you start an account so that you can keep a history of all the cheese you buy. You better bet that I signed up. They're celebrating their 20 year anniversary in Houston. I wish I had come earlier to experience some of those years. It's got to be a cornerstone of Houston cheese and probably the among the best cheesemongers in Houston.

This place is amazing! It's such a cool vibe! The service is always top notch and the food is so…read moredelicious! The bruschetta is perfection. The meatballs, and chicken parm sandwich are also the best. This place does not disappoint and is truly a favorite of ours!

We went for brunch and it's a really cute place inside and out. We opted for inside since it was a…read morebit humid out. I had the focaccia stack and Bellini. The Bellini was tasty though light on the bubbly and too heavy on the juice. The focaccia stack was also very tasty and a great choice if you want a meal on the lighter side. I was expecting more of a stack with thicker or multiple slices of bread, so that was a little disappointing but it still satisfied the stomach. The service left a lot to be desired. They were busy but we felt forgotten about more than once and that shouldn't happen.

My youth group needed a caterer for our banquet, and Chef Triola blew the roof off with the food!…read moreHe was the friendliest of all Sicilians and made sure that we had everything taken care of. Our menu included chicken parmigiana, beef tenderloin, pasta Alfredo, salad, breadsticks and dessert. Our party of 55 ate wonderfully; our compliments to the chef please! 100% recommend. I've been to their restaurant and it's truly a gem. Will come back for a dine-in experience soon!

Anddd I'm back at the best Italian food in Houston! This time we had the Parmesan crusted asparagus…read morewith lump crab. It was SO flavorful and the crisp of the asparagus went well with the soft lump crab. The Caesar salad is our fave so it was a no brainer. For the mains we had Chilean sea bass and grilled chicken Vincent. We split the entrees into two and y'all...It was SO much. One thing I love about this place is how generous the portions are. It's always plenty. Ok let's talk desserts. The cannolis. THE CANNOLIS HOLY MOLY. Yes I've been to Italy. Yes I've been to Little Italy and hopped all over other parts of New York City. Ive had all the cannolis. I've even made my own cannolis (yes I'm a baker). However, this cannoli. Chef Triola--I salute you. I'm still dreaming about this dessert. Wow. I don't know what else to say. We also had the Key lime pie and somehow the chocolate chip cookie crust with the tang from the lime works in harmony. It was incredible per usual. All I can say is, this restaurant continues to leave me happy and satisfied. The staff is consistently attentive. The chef is very involved and personally comes out to talk as if we are guests in his home. You can tell he genuinely enjoys cooking and truly cares about his customers. I would recommend this place to everyone. If you want good quality Italian food, this is it!!

Amazing! Wonderful experience dining here for the first time. Our waiter was great! Very…read moreknowledgeable and personable. I wish I remembered his name. We were immediately served 2 complimentary small portions of the Fried Arancini and knew we were in the right place! The Terrace area was beautiful and intimate. I hope to come back at nighttime one day soon. Happy Hour food/prices are excellent. We were not expecting to order soo much food, but everything was worth it. Even the leftovers! Best Italian dining experience we have had in a while! Looking forward to coming back very soon! My Chicken Parmigiana was excellent. Crispy and moist and lots of cheese. The Arancini were outstanding! The salsa verde aioli underneath was very good. I absolutely loved the Lamb meatballs and the bread and sauce that accompanied them were very filling. Next time, we will not get the bread basket. It was underwhelming for us, although the smoked paprika aioli was delicious. Again, this was a fantastic dining experience from start to finish. Can't wait to return!

We stopped by on a Friday night, and the vibes of this spot did not disappoint! The ambiance was…read moretop tier and love a restaurant with a moody vibe. We ordered a bit of everything from the menu including the Pomodoro + chicken, Margherita Pizza, Whipped Ricotta, and the Olive Oil cake. Food was good but there are a few other spots in Houston that are a bit better. The Pomodoro sauce lacked in flavor and we may have preferred a vodka sauce or pesto dish - but all personal preference. We did have a reservation and were sat in the bar area. They were pretty busy and it did take awhile to get our server for things like a dessert order or the check. Best bet is to get a table in the dining room. Glad we had the chance to stop by and will definitely be back to try other dishes in the future.

Nut allergy friendly: No issues with what we ordered after letting the waiter know. They initially…read moreremoved the fava beans from our cheese board but they gave it to us on the side after we asked about it. Fava beans aren't nuts! Parking: Tons of parking here surprisingly, both a paved lot and a pebble lot. We had a reservation for 3 at 7PM and were promptly seated at a booth after a small line of people. Order-to-Appetizer: 15 Minutes Order-to-Entrees: 30 MInutes For three people, we ordered: Dairymaid's Cheese Board (4/5): Comes with four cheeses, five small pieces of sourdough, honey-spritzed grapes, green Granny Smith apples, and fava beans. I wish they gave us more bread with the cheeses and preserves. The four cheeses provided were slices of a five-year aged Cheddar, Oveja Anejo, Tomarashi, and Gruyere. I enjoyed the Tomarashi the most. It is a bit pricey for what you get, but very sharable and a great starter. Shady Acres Pizza with prosciutto (3.5/5): I really don't like getting thin crust pizza that isn't crispy, and unfortunately this was a soggy thin crust pizza. The toppings themselves were very flavorful, and the end parts were crispy enough. 5 Cheese Calzone with chicken (3.5/5): Whew, five cheeses makes for a salty calzone. The side marinara sauce provides a good balance. It's very filling. Chicken might have been a good addition because prosciutto might have made it too salty. It was larger than expected which was nice for sharability. Service was kind of iffy. They were pretty rude with not providing us utensils and seeming almost angry that we asked for some for the cheese board. They mixed up our order (we asked for chicken on the pizza and prosciutto on the calzone and they flipped it) and seemed almost apologetically serving us afterwards. Overall, would recommend as a relaxed date spot at a reasonable price. I paid via inKind and applied referral credit with no issues. Would come back with inKind credit, probably not at full price.

Went with friends for a chill Saturday lunch !…read more Service‍ - chill and attentive staff What we ordered * shady acres + prosciutto * the goodfella burrata * tipsy calamri Overall the food was very solid! Vibe 6 /10 - has a family friendly patio outside! price $30 ish per person party of 4 people I give 6/10 04/25/26

Its good for what it is, texas style Italian. Service was exceptional, pricing affordable, however…read morethe food was very underwhelming. This is a great place to take the family out on the cheap and you'll have a good time though.

I came to Spaghetti Western at Shepherd a few times with my friends. We usually sit in the back…read moreroom because we have a large group. Service was okay. Food was flavorful. The restroom entrance was located inconveniently right at the dining room. I like the pasta dishes. Parking situation can be a little wonky. I have to be here at the right time to find parking at night.