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    Food for Thought

    There's a lot of dough in a pasta world

    Marene Gustin
    Nov 18, 2009 | 7:00 am
    • Chef Giuliano Hazan, at home in the kitchen of Mike and Becky Cemo
    • Participants in the cooking class, a Ronald McDonald fundraiser, watch as ChefHazan demonstrates the steps to preparing the perfect pasta.
    • Chef Hazan adds the final touch to his masterpiece: a dash of olive oil.

    By our best recollection, Houston is home to some 300 Italian restaurants. That’s not quite the level of the roughly, oh, 1,000 or so Tex-Mex, Mexican, Mex-Tex or whatever we’re calling those eateries now, but it’s getting there. And there are more pasta joints everyday: Giacomo’s Cibo e Vino, the Vallone’s new Ciao Bello and even new Stella Sola.

    According to The American Pasta Report commissioned by the National Pasta Association, yes, there is such a trend. Reasons cited for pasta’s increasing popularity are its nutritional value, taste and convenience.

    “Eighty-four percent of consumers consider pasta to be a healthy food and an important part of a well-balanced diet and 77 percent of the 1,003 Americans surveyed said they eat pasta at least once a week, while a third eat it three or more times a week," the report states. "What’s more, consumers who describe themselves as health conscious are more likely than others to eat pasta three or more times a week. In addition, 44 percent of the health conscious are eating more pasta today than they were five years ago.”

    My, that’s a lot of dough.

    Chef Giuliano Hazan has made a name for himself cooking, writing about and teaching classes about pasta. He was in town recently promoting his new cookbook,GiulianoHazan’s 30-Minute Pasta, which contains 100 — you guessed it — 30-minute pasta recipes.

    At a Ronald McDonald house fundraiser in the River Oaks manse of Mike and Becky Cemo, Hazan was teaching a group of about 25 folks how to create a divine Italian dinner that included a pasta dish with shrimp and porcini.

    “It’s just a really healthy dish,” Hanzan said. “You don’t eat as much meat as you would otherwise, and it’s very economical. Nowadays that’s important.”

    From anellini to zitoni, whatever your pasta favorite style, shape or flavor, it’s a good bet your can get a box of it for under two bucks. Even if you choose organic or high quality. Throw in a little sea salt, whip up some simple butter and garlic sauce and you’ve got a belly-filling comfort meal for pretty darn cheap.

    Of course, you can spend a lot more than that. Houston is home to both mom-and-pop Italian eateries, as well as national chains — we’re talking about your Olive Garden — and several high-end spots such as Da Marco and the granddaddy of them all, Tony’s. And yes, Tony’s bills itself as contemporary European with a menu ranging from sushi to soufflés, but it is still the lasagnette and that osso buco ravioli that we go there for.

    As for Mike Cemo — the host of the Hazan party — it’s Nino’s that wows him. “I love the food there,” Cemo said, patting his substantial girth. “The baked penne with three cheeses and meat sauce is just unbelievably good.”

    Cemo has a theory why we have so many great Italian restaurants here. Of Sicilian descent himself, Cemo says the pasta proliferation came from second-generation Italians.

    “That generation was looking for something to do,” he explained. “The Mandolas, the Carrabas. So they started restaurants.”

    With 1.6 percent of the city’s two-plus million folks being of Italian lineage, there’s a built-in love of Italian food here. But even the steak and Tex-Mex eaters among us love to tuck into a plate of warm and aromatic pasta once in a while.

    Buon Appetito!

    unspecified
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    Where to Eat Now

    13 Houston eateries celebrating summer with peach-based bites and sips

    Brianna Griff
    Jun 24, 2025 | 12:15 pm
    ​Brasserie 19's Chamomile panna cotta
    Photo by Michael Hoffman
    Brasserie 19's Chamomile panna cotta is layered with Texas peach and bourbon jam, almond florentine, and orange mint.

    Peak peach season is in full bloom, with Houston restaurants placing the stone fruit front and center with dishes and drinks. From savory salads to decadent desserts, here’s where you can celebrate peach season across the city.

    Barbacana
    At chef Christian Hernandez's downtown restaurant, pastry chef Priscilla Treviño puts an elevated spin on peaches and cream with a plate of semifreddo, peach sauce anglaise, and a delicate peach tuile.

    Baso
    The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards’ Restaurant of the Year brings a Basque-inspired twist to peach season. Its endive salad balances the vegetable’s slight bitterness with the sweetness of fresh peaches.

    Brasserie 19
    For a decadent treat, the River Oaks staple is elevating its classic Chamomile panna cotta by layering it with Texas peach and bourbon jam, almond florentine, and orange mint.

    Good God, Nadine's
    The recently-opened cocktail bar near Washington Avenue uses peaches from Lightsey Farms in Mexia for its Peach Whiskey Smash. The cocktail is made with Jameson whiskey, muddled peaches, mint, lemon juice, simple syrup, and walnut bitters.

    Guard and Grace
    The modern steakhouse in downtown is peach-focused this summer. Highlights include oak-grilled king crab with a watercress and peach salad, yellowtail sashimi with peach, Benton’s ham carpaccio with Palisade peach salsa, and oak-grilled pork tenderloin with grilled peaches and tomatillo farro risotto. Sip on a smoked peach bourbon cocktail or a jalapeno peach mojito to complete the experience.


    Honeychild's Sweet Creams peach ice creamHoneychild's Sweet Creams will be serving a range of peach-based flavors this summer.Courtesy of Honeychild's Sweet Creams

    Honeychild's Sweet Creams
    The Heights’ M-K-T creamery is serving a refreshing peach bay leaf sorbet, with more seasonal offerings coming soon, such as peach cobbler ice cream, white peach shortbread, peach ring ice cream with house-made chamoy, peach jam, caramelized peaches, and candied peaches.

    House of Pies
    Houston’s pie destination packs fresh, yellow California peaches into a pie crust, crowned with dollops of whipped cream. The pie will be available until mid-July, while supplies of peaches last.

    Jane and the Lion Bakehouse
    Already a favorite, the newly opened Heights bakery and cafe is taking full advantage of peach season, packing fresh fruits from local growers into numerous baked goods. Peach-forward bites include: spiced peaches and cream hand pies, peach bread pudding, and peach-strawberry gluten-free muffins.

    On the savory side, diners will find a Texas peach and pecan sourdough with bacon and peaches, basil focaccia, and the ricotta getaway toast with basil pesto and peach on sourdough. For a summer entrée, select the Panzanella Peach, which combines tomatoes, radicchio, peaches, and sourdough.

    Latuli
    Chef Brian Caswell’s newest addition to the Houston dining scene is already making waves, serving peach-focused plates, including a roasted grouper with peach and a peach cobbler for dessert.

    Leaf and Grain
    A fan-favorite seasonal salad, the Peach Panzanella features roasted chicken thighs, croutons, Danish feta, and a honey-white balsamic vinaigrette.

    The Marigold Club
    Goodnight Hospitality’s French-inspired restaurant offers a refined ode to the classic peach Melba. The treat is composed of vanilla gelato, peach-whipped ganache, peach compote, and a raspberry sauce, then finished with a delicate rosemary tuile.

    Pizaro's Pizza
    Starting July 1, patrons can pair one of the restaurant's pizza with a peach caprese salad. The dish features a bed of spring mix greens, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze, topped with fresh-cut peaches, imported Italian stracciatella, and pistachios.

    Relish
    At both locations of the popular comfort food restaurant, diners can dig into a seasonal burrata featuring pickled peaches paired with heirloom tomatoes, tart gooseberries, peppery arugula, prosciutto, and croutons in saba. Follow the salad with the hearty grilled pork chop, accompanied by pickled peaches, brandy cream, parsnip puree, and bacon-braised collard greens.

    \u200bBrasserie 19's Chamomile panna cotta
      

    Photo by Michael Hoffman

    Brasserie 19's Chamomile panna cotta is layered with Texas peach and bourbon jam, almond florentine, and orange mint.

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