Palazzo's Trattoria
Houston, TXDinner
December 17, 2009
The Set-Up - We found this charming and reasonably-priced Italian restaurant in the tony River Oaks section of Houston while were staying in town for awhile in early 2009.
You can spend somewhat more money (Frank's Chop House) to a lot more money (Morton's) and not get a significantly better meal in nicer surroundings.
The Meal - I ordered grilled rainbow trout from the 3-course fixed price menu ($19.95). With it came a choice of soup or salad. I chose the tomato-basil soup. It was hot and tasty. The submerged croutons were a particular treat.
Palazzo's does bread very well. Their garlic breadsticks were outstanding. I had control myself so as not to eat too many before the main food came. We think they are made out of pizza crust - making a note to order pizza on one trip.
Kay had her usual - the filet mignon with a brandy shallot demiglace ($21.95), though sometimes we get an extra side and split this dish. It comes with garlic mashed potatoes and spinach, also drenched in garlic. All delicious. I got leftovers on everything but the steak, which Kay saved for our daughter back in Louisiana.
My rainbow trout was also outstanding - perfectly grilled with no bones. With it came grilled vegetables (squash, zucchini, tomato and roasted red pepper). They even included a half-lemon, so I didn't have to ask. I didn't leave a single bite.
Wine was a bargain at $13 for a half-liter of a nice chianti. This allowed me one glass (my limit) and rest for Kay at a very reasonable price - maybe $4 per glass.
Dessert was the meal's only disappointment. I ordered the tiramisu, but switched to banana carrot cake, thinking that I'd seen it on a past visit. I wish I'd stuck with tiramisu. The bananas made the carrot cake too gluey and the banana flavor didn't add much. I suggested that they try a pecan carrot cake like the one I get in Baton Rouge. But with all the value I'd gotten from the breadsticks, soup, fish and vegetables, the dessert seemed like a freebie.
Ambience - Atmosphere-wise, Palazzo's Trattoria is nothing spectacular - just comfortable and quiet. There's a single TV in the bar if you need to keep up with a game. There was a decent-sized crowd on Thursday night, but we had no trouble getting a table at 7:30 p.m.
The Check - Our bill for two for dinner was about $75 with tax and tip.
The Scoreboard (one-to-five scale)
Food - five (all but dessert excellent)Dessert - two (carrot cake disappointing)
Drinks - five (reasonably-priced wine)
Ambience - four (comfortable, unpretentious)
Service - five (friendly - server chatted with us about crummy Houston weather)
Price/Value - five (particularly given the location)
Overall Assessment
Special Occasion
Favorite - This was at least our sixth visit to Palazzo's Trattoria. We've brought both family and friends there and always had a good meal. You will too.
Very Good
Good Enough
Keep Driving and Looking
More good news - Palazzo's Trattoria is open seven days a week.
Hours of Operation
Sunday - 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Monday to Thursday - 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday - 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
There are two other Palazzo locations in Houston. This review refers to Palazzo's Trattoria at 2300 Westheimer Drive.
713.522.6777
www.palazzoscafe.com
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