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    South of France Meets Italy

    A sumptuous affair: "Ooh la la" and "la bella vita" converge at Hotel Granduca dinner

    Davon D.E. Hatchett
    Davon D.E. Hatchett
    Mar 2, 2013 | 1:00 pm

    Ristorante Cavour at Hotel Granduca recently served as the lush and intimate setting for a fortunate dinner crowd of about two dozen, at an exclusive culinary experience orchestrated by celebrated Michelin-star French chef Xavier Mathieu and Ristorante Cavour Italian Master Chef Renato De Pirro.

    The luxurious five-course meal was indeed a taste of "la bella vita," or "the beautiful life," as the two gastronomical masterminds conspired to delight both the eyes and the appetite. To complement the phenomenal menu, wines provided by premier importer Maisons Marques & Domaines were matched to perfection and poured generously with every course.

    The first course was less like an appetizer and more like a mélange of amuse-bouches instead, and each bite definitely delighted the palate. The course consisted of marinated salmon with tarragon oil, foie gras with quince and orange blossom, poached quail egg and vegetables in anchoïade and cumin and cucumber gazpacho.

    The luxurious five-course meal was indeed a taste of "la bella vita," as the two gastronomical masterminds conspired to delight both the eyes and the appetite.

    The surprise of the bunch was the gazpacho, which was truly elevated by the addition of the cumin. It paired with the Roederer Estate sparkling wine which, with its crisp flavors, was the consummate foil to each of the very different taste sensations presented during the course.

    Mushroom risotto with black truffles, paired with 2009 Domaines Schlumberger Pinot Gris, made up the second course, followed by a braised beef cheek and oxtail with beet mustard and honey carrots — one of the dazzling highlights of the meal.

    The supple, flavorful shreds of beef were enveloped in a savory sauce which perfectly complemented the sweet carrots. Even more palate pleasing was the 2009 Delas Châteauneuf-du-Pape served with it. With a single sip one can fully understand what all of the storied Châteauneuf fuss is about.

    The fourth course, as any Francophile worth his or her salt might expect, was a cheese course consisting of Banon, a French goat milk cheese, and a quintessential Italian Parmesan cheese. The chocolaty, intense cherry-berry richness of the 2004 Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Ramos Pinto port served alongside the cheese course was particularly well-played against the crumbly, salty parmesan.

    Knowing that you can't go wrong with Nutella, the grand finale was a profiterole filled with the creamy chocolate-hazelnut spread, served with a lavender white chocolate and lemon sorbet.

    The night wasn't solely about deliciousness though: A portion of the proceeds was donated by the Consulate of France to the Texan French Alliance for the Arts, an organization dedicated to the promotion of cultural exchanges between France and Texas.

    This culinary collaborative effort was an exquisitely successful meeting of chef minds that was only elevated by perfect wine pairings. As Masisons Marques & Domaines representative Dominique Moran said, "It is not difficult to fall in love with great wines."

    The delectable first course

    Davon, Granduca dinner, South of France Meets Italy, March 2013, First Course
      
    Photo by Davon Hatchett
    The delectable first course
    unspecified
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    What's Eric Eating Episodes 459 and 460

    Meet the men behind Houston's most under-the-radar Italian restaurant

    CultureMap Staff
    Apr 18, 2025 | 5:00 pm
    Fernando Rios Mike Sammons Mimo
    Courtesy of Mimo
    Chef Fernando Rios and sommelier Mike Sammons are this week's guests.

    On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” sommelier Mike Sammons and chef Fernando Rios join CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss Mimo, their Italian restaurant in the East End. The duo, whose history goes back to when they worked together at iconic Houston fine dining restaurant Da Marco, opened Mimo in 2023.



    The conversation begins with Rios explaining the progression of a career that took him from Backstreet Cafe to Da Marco to Weights + Measures, where he worked as the chef de cuisine while Sammons was a partner who oversaw the beverage program. Since they both live in the East End, they saw an opportunity to team up by claiming the former Kanomwan space on Telephone Rd.

    They discuss several aspects of the restaurant’s business, including Rios’ changes to the menu, the evolution of Mimo’s wine list, and how its been received by residents of the East End. A digression about Da Marco prompts Sandler to ask about its chef-owner Marco Wiles, who generally stays out of the media spotlight. Sammons shares that Wiles is the only chef or restaurateur who makes him nervous when he dines at Mimo.

    “He’s really not forgiving about things. This is very consistent with the Italian way of looking at things — there’s a right way to do things and that’s it. If it isn’t done that way, it’s wrong. A lot of my other mentors and friends can be more forgiving, but the standards Marco has kept for years has motivated me,” Sammons says.

    “He’s still the same way,” Rios adds. “That was insane to me. I thought, you get older, you’d be more relaxed, but the way he looks at you makes you nervous. Working in the kitchen, there was times he’d throw all my stuff away and say ‘start over.’”

    Was he right, Sandler asks.

    “Absolutely, yes. He was right all the time. I just think he was one of the best to do it,” Rios affirms.

    Listen to the full interview to hear both men discuss the one thing they’re most proud of about Mimo. They also discuss their plans for the future.



    In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Mary Clarkson discuss the news of the week. Their topics include Houston’s finalists in this year’s James Beard Awards, the owners of Jūn adding a daytime concept called Third Place, and Aaron Bludorn promoting chef Allie Pena to be Bludorn’s new executive chef.

    In the restaurant of the week segment, Sandler and Clarkson visit Camaraderie, chef Shawn Gawle’s new restaurant in the Heights. They share their thoughts on the restaurant’s prix fixe menu, as well as its decor and beverage offerings.

    -----

    Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hear it Sunday at 9 am on ESPN 97.5.

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