My blog

Author: Sandy Yount

  • Amalfi Ristorante Italian & Bar

    Amalfi Ristorante Italian & Bar

    Amalfi Ristorante Italiano & Bar
    Amalfi Ristorante Italiano & Bar

    6100 Westheimer Rd

    Houston, TX 77057

    (713) 532-2201

    Italy’s western coast brings to mind gorgeous views, salty air, and the freshest seafood produce imaginable. Husband and wife team, Executive Chef/Owner Giancarlo Ferrara, and his wife Manager/Owner Lisa Ferrara invite you to experience the aromas, tastes, and passions of his homeland here in Houston through a culinary experience years in the making.

    Raised in the Amalfi’s Coast largest coastal city, Salerno, Italy, Giancarlo the youngest of 7 children often found himself alongside his mother in the kitchen, where he absorbed many lessons that can only be taught with time, patience, passion, and love. Influenced by his culinary roots, Giancarlo headed to culinary school at Centro Professionale Alberghiero in Salerno, where he finished first in his class, before furthering his education in Master Courses at Scuola Arte Culinaria Etoile. Giancarlo built the culinary foundation for a life in the world’s finest restaurants in Italy and then in Dublin, Ireland at 2-starred Michelin, Patrick Guilbaud. His appreciation for local, and seasonal food of top quality grew, following him in each of his culinary endeavors and becoming the cornerstones for his menus.

    The inspired menu at Amalfi emphasizes fresh seafood, vivid citrus, and the finest Italian olive oil, in addition to fresh pastas, assorted meats, family-made cheeses, cleanly crafted cocktails, and an extensive, thoughtful wine list.

    Amalfi offers a warm setting to celebrate and cherish everyday moments as well as significant milestones. We look forward to sharing our kitchen with you.

  • Roma

    Roma

    2347 University Blvd

    Houston, TX 77005

    (713) 664-7581

    Our restaurant resides in a rustic Rice Village bungalow, so when you want good food that feeds the soul, let Roma be your second home filled with comfort, love, and delicious food–just like Nonna’s house!

    We source local ingredients from right in our vibrant community while also honoring tried and true, traditional, and authentic Italian cooking methods. From gathering the right ingredients to crafting savory dishes to serving you right in our dining room with the perfect wine to complement your dish, you will feel the love we put into everything we do at Roma. Our seasonal menu is ever-changing but always stays true to authentic Italian flavors. View our menus: dinner, cocktail, and wine.

  • B.B. Italia

    B.B. Italia

    16250 City Walk

    Sugar Land, Tx 77479

    (713)-424-7876

    Our Story

    B.B. Italia Bistro & Bar offers a fresh take on classic, Italian-American food in a lively, approachable atmosphere with first-class service. A traditional, family-owned and operated restaurant from Houston-based Berg Hospitality Group, founder Benjamin Berg is committed to sourcing high-quality, Italian products paired with the best local ingredients available. Guests love our homemade pastas, New York-style pizzas, heroes, calzones, classic Italian entrees and more.

  • Cloud 10 Creamery

    Cloud 10 Creamery

    CLOUD 10 CREAMERY
    CLOUD 10 CREAMERY

    711 Heights Blvd.

    Houston, TX 77007

    (713) 485-5106

    Our hand crafted ice creams and sorbets are produced in small batches, with unique flavors and premium ingredients by our own award winning Pastry Chef Chris Leung. Cloud 10’s ice creams and sorbets are made with only the freshest ingredients: no artificial flavoring, no extracts, and no additives. A culture, business and frozen dessert company was born over an American iconic dessert which dates back to 1904, Chef Chris Leung’s award winning banana split encouraged Balcor’s Director Christopher Balat to co-found Cloud 10 Creamery. Since 2011, Cloud 10 has grown from scoop shops to grocery stores and now delivery to your front porch.

  • Edwin Watts Golf

    Edwin Watts Golf

    Edwin Watts Golf
    Edwin Watts Golf

    5395 Westheimer Road

    Houston, TX 77056

    (713) 627-2411

    The Edwin Watts Golf Shops has been serving Golfer throughout the country since 1968. Our unprecedented service, exclusive 90-Day Satisfaction Guarantee, and Custom Club fitting is the cornerstone of our business and has made us the proven leader in golf retail. With stores from the Southeast across to the Southern states we look forward to servicing your golfing needs!

    Edwin Watts Golf Shops is an authorized dealer for all major golf brands; including Titleist, Ping, TaylorMade, Callaway, Bridgestone, Nike, Cobra, Srixon, Puma, Ashworth, TravisMathew, Adidas, Under Armour, Ecco, FootJoy, Acushnet, Cleveland, Mizuno, Scotty Cameron and many more. We take pride in our huge selection of golf products, apparel and accessories.

  • The Gypsy Poet

    2404 Austin St Houston, TX 77003

    1050 Studewood, Houston, Tx

    (281) 888-8663

    A life traveling around the world made me develop an exquisite taste for food, service and good entertainment. This is my studio where all my life-experiences collide into my place of creation. I express my art through many ways; paint, architecture, colors, music, poetry and pizza. Is a Chef an Artist? Is a Poet a Chef?

    Is my oven a canvas or is it the paintbrush?

    This is my Story.

    The Gypsy Poet is a Houston-based pizzeria known for its artisanal, wood-fired pizzas crafted with fresh, high-quality ingredients. The menu features unique creations like the Pepperoni Madness, topped with large pepperoni slices and a drizzle of hot honey, and the Fancy Backpacker, combining prosciutto, truffle oil, and arugula. The restaurant offers a cozy atmosphere with communal seating and an open kitchen, allowing diners to watch the pizza-making process. In addition to its Midtown location, The Gypsy Poet has expanded to the Heights area, continuing to serve its signature pizzas to a growing fan base.

  • Numero 28

    Numero 28

    NUMERO 28
    NUMERO 28

    1801 Yale Street

    Houston, TX 77008

    (713) 244-8448

    Stories of Italian food that have been passed down over the years easily come to mind here at Numero28, and have diners wishing to push repeat on fresh, authentic, pastas, hand-tossed pizzas and classics from the “old country.” To find out how this melodic adagio has woven its melody onto plates of pasta and more – best head to this neighborhood gem located on a cozy corner in Highland Village. Where the friendly, gregarious and yes, very Italian team is eager to meet you with an aperitivo and a smile. Whether you are in the mood for a glass of wine and a quick snack during shopping or on a night that you are all about – dolce far niente – Numero28 fits the bill on so many levels. Dine at the bar, tableside or on the breezy patio – the charming ristorante is an unexpected new amore.

    This snug Italian eatery has quietly captured hearts in its early days of operation. With shareable antipasti to its signature pizzas and pasta Della Casa and Piatti Forti. This is true Italian cuisine that is unabashedly genuine and genially fun! Co-owner and operator Bernardo Nolfo, a restaurant industry veteran and native of Sicily was inspired to move to Texas and open Numero28 Austin in late 2014 and Numero28 North Dallas in late 2020 with partner Leo Gravina. The Texas restaurants were made possible by the endorsement of his partner and long-time friend, Rolando Biamonte and the Biamonte family, founders of Numero28 in New York. Now in Houston, he and long-time collaborator, Marco Borghi and Rolando Biamonte have opened Numero28 in Highland Village. This crew represents the crossroads of Italy – from the North, to Rome, Naples to Calabria to the island of Sicily. The menu is the best of Southern Italian cooking. Modest, and effusive at the same time Bernardo will say, “We are just making good food that we can be proud of, and the people will like. It’s not modern or Nuovo – just food that we grew up with and something for all ages. If you want a cocktail, date night or family dinner; Numero28 is where you come to enjoy life, pizza and pasta!” 

    There are stories woven into each dish, and well-sourced ingredients from Italy give authenticity to each bite. These are true Italian ambassadors of a timeless Italian, cuisine. There are no short-cuts here when it comes to each dish and the love is evident in bite after bite. Breads, pizza dough and pasta’s handmade in-house daily. The pizzas are the bomb and it’s hard to pick just one or, well two or…for the table.

    Numero28 is where you come to enjoy life, pizza and pasta!


  • Killen’s Steakhouse

    Killen’s Steakhouse

    Killen’s Steakhouse
    Killen’s Steakhouse

    1700 Research Forest Drive

    Shenandoah, TX 77381

    (281) 485-0844

    EAT@KILLENSSTEAKHOUSE.COM

    RONNIE KILLEN

    Executive Chef Ronnie Killen began cooking at the age of eight and never looked back. He owned his first restaurant; Killen’s Kountry BBQ at 23 and opened Killen’s Sports Café five years later. While working part-time in a fine dining establishment in Houston, a desire to pursue the culinary arts emerged and a childhood dream became a reality.

    In 1997 Ronnie enrolled in the renowned Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in London. He graduated from the prestigious culinary academy first in his class and with the Honor of Distinction.

    Since graduating Ronnie has added numerous accolades to his resume while working at such fine hotels and resorts as The Omni Mandalay in Irving, Texas, Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri, and The Ritz Carlton in Rancho Mirage, California. You can’t keep a native Texan away for long and in 2003 Ronnie returned home, accepting the post of Executive Chef at Brenner’s Steakhouse. During his tenure at Brenner’s, the steakhouse was awarded the title of “Best Steakhouse” by the Houston Press and the Business Journal. In February of 2005, Ronnie was awarded the opportunity of a lifetime, a chance at the position of Executive Chef at the White House. He was a finalist but was not ultimately chosen. He was, however, asked by the new Executive Chef to interview for the title of Assistant Executive Chef. Chef Killen still considers this honor to be one of the highlights of his illustrious culinary career.

    2005 was a banner year for Chef Killen as he was named a Certified Executive Chef by the American Culinary Federation, after only five months of examinations and practicals. This process usually takes a year or more and is an honor only held by approximately 1,200 chefs across the United States.

    Ronnie’s love of fine dining brought him home once more as he opened the acclaimed Killen’s Steakhouse in his hometown of Pearland, Texas. Since its inception in 2006, Killen’s has gained numerous awards and achieved resounding praise even being called the “Ultimate Steakhouse” by the Houston Chronicle and was named one of Texas’ best steakhouses by Texas Monthly. Ronnie also had his signature dessert, Crème Brulee Bread Pudding, named one of the Top Ten Dishes in the United States by Food and Wine magazine in 2008. 

    Ronnie’s passion for food and amazing attention to detail are evident in every aspect of his restaurant as he continues to break the mold of stuffy fine dining and constantly brings innovation to the Houston dining scene. “I want your dining experience at Killen’s Steakhouse to be unmatched; enjoying great cuisine at a great value.”

    “My hope is to educate the average diner on the fine art of eating well.” – Chef Ronnie Killen


  • Capone’s Pizza Oven & Bar

    Capone’s Pizza Oven & Bar

    2303 Richmond Ave

    Houston, TX 77098

    (832)767-1794

    Welcome to Capone’s

    Welcome to Capone’s Pizza Oven and Bar, where the charm of the 1920s meets modern culinary excellence. Founded in 2007 by aspiring entrepreneur, Danny Barcus, and Chef Bob Covington. Since it’s founding Capone’s has evolved from a local bar into a renowned full-service restaurant and speakeasy-style venue in Houston’s Upper Kirby district. Our philosophy is simple: serve high-quality food swiftly, with outstanding service in an ambiance that transports you back in time.

    At Capone’s, every meal is an experience. We pride ourselves on using fresh ingredients to create inventive pizzas and beloved classics, ensuring nothing is prepackaged or frozen. Our open late hours, diverse live music ranging from Latin to rock, and unique speakeasy theme with hidden rooms and a tucked-away patio, make us a favorite local haunt and dining destination.

    Our team, largely composed of long-term staff members from three dedicated families, is the backbone of our operations, ensuring every visit to Capone’s is memorable. We are committed to community involvement, supporting local events and charities, including the Houston Livestock and Rodeo and Freedom Fighters Outdoors.

    We invite you to experience the best brick oven pizza in town—perfectly paired with a glass of wine or one of our specialty cocktails. Come for the food, stay for the music and ambiance, and enjoy what Capone’s has to offer.

  • Say No Más

    Say No Más

    1217 W 20th Street

    Houston, TX 77008

    (713) 485-6349

    Bold Tex-Mex in the Heights

    Our Story

    Say No Más brings bold Tex-Mex flavors to Houston’s vibrant Heights neighborhood. Our wood-fired kitchen specializes in the classics done right – the kind of Tex-Mex that honors both Texas tradition and Mexican heritage with every sizzling plate.

    What We Do Best

    Our signature wood-fired half chicken and perfectly seasoned beef fajitas showcase the bold flavors that make Tex-Mex legendary. From our famous nachos to expertly crafted enchiladas, each dish delivers the hearty, satisfying experience Houstonians expect.

    Our Promise

    We deliver classic Tex-Mex flavors with contemporary execution, creating memorable dining experiences in the heart of the Heights.