Coltivare

Coltivare

3320 White Oak Dr.

Houston, TX 77077

coltivarehouston.com

Yelp

I was looking for some good Italian food in Houston, but The Annoyer said it doesn't really exist.  Coltivare is new on the dining scene so it was new for him too.  Coltivare reminded me of a Portland restaurant.  It's small.  It had an old, yet contemporary feel to it.  There was a lot of distressed wood.  The kitchen was open.  The menu felt very seasonal and local.  I almost forgot I was in Houston.  

Cauliflower pinenuts, raisins

If you're going to fry a vegetable, your best bet is to fry cauliflower or Brussels sprouts.  Frying brings a a golden caramelization while keeping the vegetable firm and crispy.  There's nothing worse than mushy vegetables.  The raisins added some sweetness while the pinenuts added crunch.  It was a good starter.

Lacinata Kale pickled butternut squash, smoked gouda, pecans, local pears
I was expecting more kale than squash, but was pleased by the interesting preparation of squash.  I've never had pickled squash.  It was crunchy, and a little bit sweet and sour.  The cheese, pecans, and pears really rounded out the picklyness which got a bit tiresome after awhile.  More kale probably would have offset the picklyness too.

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Buona Forchetta

So most of the random followers of this blog who don't actually know me, might be surprised to know that I'm not actually 300lbs.  I just eat like someone who is 300lbs.  I keep off the couple extra pounds by playing a lot of tennis.  I don't mean the recreational crap the housewives at the country club play.  I've played tennis since I was kid, took a huge break during my time severely overworked and underfed, and now am back at it recreationally competitive.  I went to San Diego to play tennis with my ladies doubles league.  After our first day of play where we swept, beating all the tall ass Amazonian chicks (some could possibly have been men in skirts with long hair), we happily celebrated with dinner at Buona Forchetta.

Mama Cracks-that-Whip said to make reservations for TWENTY-SIX people.  You should have seen the horror on my face *insert horrified emoji here.*  My personal preference for group dinners is no more than 6 diners.  So I pretty much tried to find a place 1) that took reservations that large and 2) served simple but delicious food.  It's hard to go wrong with Italian and Buona Forchetta happily accommodated the large group even at the very last minute.  Usually they don't even take reservations.  You should have seen the beehive of hungry patrons swarming outside this place for a table.

I didn't even want to think about the nightmare of splitting the bill among 26 people at the end of the meal, so I just focused on the 5 people sitting around me: Personal Assistant, Potty Pie, Pink LuLu, JoJo, and Shorty Mak Daddy.  We ordered and shared a bunch of things.  While Buona Forchetta is actually known for its pizzas, there were only 2 pizzas ordered among the 26 that night.  Nobody cared to carbo load for our match the next morning.  There's not a lot of running in doubles I guess.

Calamari

The appetizers came out in like a second compared to our entrees.  Not overbattered, not too chewy, just right.

Seafood Risotto

This was the best dish of the night.  Runny enough with each rice granule al dente.  Seafood was plenty.  Mama Cracks-that-Whip made it pretty clear this was her favorite dish.  My ding would be that it was a tad underseasoned.

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Pitfire Pizza @ Culvery City

Dairy Queen (the person, not the fast food chain) really raved about this place. I liked the concept. Interesting twists on pizza, such as green eggs and ham pizza. We also tried the meatballs which were just OK, and the grilled steak salad which needed a better dressing. The place had a nice vibe, with large open spaces, modern decor and menu. I think maybe I'd go back but order different things. The one thing I really like was the Jumbo Chocolate Chunk Cookie with Vanilla Soft Serve from Strauss Family Creamery in Marin topped with Housemade Caramel Sauce and Maldon Salt.



I'm really beginning to appreciate sea salt on sweet foods. Somehow it just enhances the flavors if done correctly. There was also something really special about the soft serve, which I can't describe, but it was creamy, sweet, and perfectly textured. Not too thick, not too melty, not too icy. The cookie could have been softer, but overall it was a winner in my book!

Pitfire Pizza (its a chain, so go to the website to find a location near you)

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