FOOD | ARTS | COMMUNITY | STYLE+LEISURE
OPEN
By Carlos Brandon
CARMELO‘S
CUISINE:ITALIAN
14795 Memorial Dr., Houston, TX 77079
281.531.0696 | www.carmelosrestaurant.com
West Houston residents will surely remember
Carmelo’s Restaurant as a neighborhood staple
of the Memorial district for the past 30 years.
When founder Carmelo Mauro announced last
year that he was shutting the doors of his Italian
classic after so many years, long-time customers
and area residents were crushed. Soon after,
however, restaurateur Benjamin Berg swooped
in to save the day and bought the old ristorante
with intentions to renovate and relaunch. Berg,
Escargot
famous for launching Houston’s hottest and potentially outright best
steakhouse, B&B Butchers, knows a little something about the high-
end dining business. He quickly recruited his famed brother Dan-
iel Berg, an Italian trained chef who has spent the last 12 years
opening successful restaurants in New York, to be his head chef.
Together, the Bergs have designed a new menu of authentic Italian
dishes that is sure to spin heads, and have relaunched Carmelo’s
under the new name, Carmelo’s Cucina Italiana.
The first thing the Bergs did right was introduce fresh pasta. The
kitchen is decked out with a brand-new pasta maker that is pressing
fresh dough all day, every day, making the pappardelle Bolognese
one of the best pasta dishes I have ever tasted in any city. Backing
up a little, the blended ricotta appetizer, as well as the wagyu beef
carpaccio, are absolutely out of this world. Still, the hand’s down
most impressive dish on the new Carmelo’s menu is the bone-in
veal parmesan. A truly enormous veal chop, bone-in and breaded,
baked with a crunchy layer of parmesan, doused in marinara, and
served over a side of fresh spaghetti, it’s up there with the best
dishes in all of Houston.
New Italian restaurants can be a little uninspiring, especially in
a city with so many culinary options. But enjoying truly authentic
Italian cuisine remains one of life’s most satisfying and comforting
experiences. Carmelo’s relaunches with an inspired new menu that
will make anyone feel Italian, if only for the night.
SWEET PARIS NEW LOCATION IN KATY’S LA CENTERRA
CUISINE: CRÊPES
23501 Cinco Ranch Blvd.,S120, Katy, TX 77494 | 281.394.5995
I’ve said it before and I will proudly say it again:
There is nothing you can’t eat in Houston. This
city is a tour de force of worldly cuisines. The
most recent addition to our city’s repertoire of
culinary delights is crepes. Sweet Paris in Rice
Village was among the first local eateries to in-
troduce both savory and sweet crepes to their
menu, and certainly the first to be crepe-centric
through and through. What started as a quaint
French cafe has exploded into an empire with lo-
cations opening in nearly every corner of Hous-
ton, and beyond.
| www.sweetparis.com
The most recent Sweet Paris opening is in Katy’s
La Centerra shopping and residential district.
Other locations include the original Rice Vil-
lage store, a City Centre location and soon to
open storefronts in The Woodlands, Highland
Village and College Station. The Sweet Paris
origin story is one of cravings and inspiration.
When founders Allison Young Chavez and her
husband Ivan went out for crepes one afternoon,
they were disappointed to find that an authentic
creperie had not made its way into the Houston
food scene. Their disappointment quickly turned
to excitement at the obvious opportunity this pre-
sented. After first developing some recipes at
home, and later working with world-class chefs,
Allison and Ivan introduced a menu of afford-
able and inspiring crepe creations that come in
Texas-sized portions.
My wife and I had the enviable pleasure of tast-
ing more crepes than any two people should
ever taste in one sitting. From the Chicken Car-
bonara to the Prosciutto with mozzarella and
basil, it’s near impossible to pick a favorite.
Crêpes
The Chicken Enchilada is a friendly
tip of the hat to their Southwest clien-
tele, and an especially delicious fusion
idea. Dessert was another marathon,
with classics like Nutella Banana and
Dulce de Leche, as well as experimental
new delights like the S’mores and the
all vegan Berry Agave. If Sweet Paris’
crave-inducing menu was not enough,
the founders have also partnered with
the Houston Food Bank to donate 33
cents from select crepe sales towards
helping the Food Bank in its mission to
end hunger in the city.
POSTINO WINE CAFE
CUISINE: MEDITERRANEAN
642 Yale St, Houston, TX 77007
346.223.1111 | www.postinowinecafe.com
Last November, Heights Mercantile market district
opened on 7th Street in the once empty lot be-
tween Yale and Heights. The hyper-chic boutique
shopping center and public space brings a dose
of SoCal color to what is already Houston’s trend-
iest neighborhood. This April, the marketplace
welcomed its most buzzed-about new opening
since the launch of the district itself – Postino
Wine Cafe.
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Postino in the Heights is the first Texas location of the booming wine
bistro concept out of Phoenix, Arizona. “Postino,” in Italian, means
postman, an homage to their first location in a renovated 1940’s
post office. Postino specializes in two things: serving outstanding
wines and creating inspired bruschetta recipes. They happen to
be amazing at both. While the full menu includes an array of
appetizers and entrées, the bruschetta list alone is a thing of beau-
ty. Twelve varieties, each more incredible than the last, and your
choice of four per order. From brie and apples with fig spread to
smoked salmon with pesto, this is bruschetta like you’ve never ex-
perienced before. My personal favorite is the rich and decadently
creamy ricotta with dates and pistachios.
Although a revelation on its own, Postino’s bruschetta menu serves
a higher purpose – pairing with your wine. If you feel slightly over-
whelmed by the prospect of matching such a sophisticated array of
light fare with an even more impressive list of worldly and celebrat-
ed wines, simply ask Sommelier Brent Karlicek for a suggestion.
After all, the Advanced Sommelier handpicked the incredible wine
program himself. Highlighting the best from Europe, from Tuscan
reds to crisp German Riesling, Karlicek’s program also spans the
gamut of new world grapes from Chile to the American Northwest.
The 2016 Washington Merlot is a fine choice for easy drinking
and heavy bruschetta consumption.
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