Think Houston doesn't have any authentic Italian food? The Italian government begs to disagree.

Four Houston restaurants received the "Ospitalità Italiana" Seal, an honor bestowed by the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce of Texas.

Ristorante Cavour at the Hotel Granduca, Carmelo's Ristorante Italiano, Arcodoro and Four Season's Quattro were honored during the third-annual Italian Expo in Houston, in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy. Outside of Houston, the only Texas restaurants to earn the honor are Nicola (with locations in Plano and Dallas), Arcodoro & Pomodoro in Dallas, and Andiamo Ristorante and Carmelo's in Austin.

The award requires restaurants to focus on authentic Italian identity, in everything from decor to wine, olive oil, even the language spoken. "The Italian cuisine must be considered a contribution to the world heritage and has to be defended and protected against adulteration and falsification to preserve the history, culture, quality and authenticity," say the Ospitalità Italiana requirements

"Receiving this prestigious seal and being included among an elite group of Italian restaurants worldwide is a distinct honor of which we’re very proud," Hotel Granduca general manager Mary Grace Gray said in a statement. "Our goal is to create an authentic and memorable dining experience for each and every guest."

Four restaurants in town is certainly a step in the right direction, but it's still significantly behind cities with with a historic Italian culture — Chicago, for example, had 18 restaurants awarded the seal this year.

When it comes to Italian, does authenticity make a big difference? (I'm not talking about The Olive Garden, I'm talking about Italian vs. Italian-American.) What's your favorite Italian restaurant in Houston?