Foodie News

Finding the perfect surprise lunch during Houston Restaurant Weeks

A birthday lunch is a precarious situation. You don't want to overdo it and spoil your appetite, but a deli sandwich isn't going to cut it either. So I consider myself lucky that my birthday falls during Houston Restaurant Weeks — two light courses at a comfortable restaurant sounded perfect.

Ever since I discovered the Texas peach salad at Relish, I've become slightly addicted to it. While I flirted with going for the strawberry salad with goat cheese and honey vinaigrette at Gravitas, in the end the siren call of the peach salad with baby arugula, candied pecans and goat cheese crostini at Haven won me over.

Well, that was the plan, at least. Before I had even fully checked out the Houston Restaurant Weeks menu on the table, my dining buddy was ordering an extra-spicy bloody mary, and my server was recommending the (peachy) Madeira cobbler as a sweeter alternative. Light, fruity and refreshing it was the perfect summer drink. Had I been sitting on the patio I might have had to order three more.

With my peach craving sated, the waitress' description of the pureed corn soup as one of the best that the restaurant makes swayed my decision. Haven, after all, is known for its perfectly simple yet delicious soups. I wasn't disappointed — the warm soup was just the right texture, viscous without being thick, with just a few lighted toasted kernels thrown in for a touch of crunch. My partner ordered the wild boar chili (meaty and full of flavor without being dense) and the pair of us sat there eating our rich, cozy soups as if it wasn't August outside.

For the entrees, I was choosing between the chicken and the chateau loin of beef when the server mentioned that the loin had been replaced on the lunch menu by a flatiron steak stuffed with brie. I was sold before she let me know that this would probably be the last time the dish appeared on the lunch menu this month.

My partner ordered the wild boar chili (meaty and full of flavor without being dense) and the pair of us sat there eating our rich, cozy soups as if it wasn't August outside.

Did I mention how great our waitress was? Honestly, while I've generally had good experiences with the food during Houston Restaurant Weeks, one issue that always seems to crop up is disinterested service. The dining rooms are busy, to be sure, but to me it seems like servers sometimes think the total (and the tip) is a finite number and phone it in a little.

So to have a server who was incredibly competent and knowledgeable as well as friendly and fun to talk to was a fun surprise not because I expect any less from Haven (I don't) but because I've seen how easy it is to be less than enthusiastic, and how it negatively affects the HRW experience. Even if I wasn't already a fan of Haven, I would want to return for more meals from her. That's half the point of Houston Restaurant Weeks, and chef Randy Evans and his staff understand that.

My enthusiasm for the entree was somewhat dampened when the chateau loin arrived instead of the flatiron steak. I'm not sure if there was a switch in the kitchen, and since there was an even likelihood that I would have ordered the loin in the first place, it wasn't a big deal. However, your second-pick food can never really equal how amazing you imagine the first pick was going to taste. The beef medallions were tender, and my friend's shrimp were plump and sweet.

It was good, but not great. Sometimes the first course outdoes the entree, and this was just one of those times.

The plan might have been a lunch of peach salad and chicken, but it's nice to surprise yourself every once in a while. That's what birthdays are for, right?

Houston Restaurant Weeks run through Aug. 31 with $3 of every lunch and $5 of every dinner going to the Houston Food Bank.

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Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

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