We love to eat, and we love to eat out. Our friends frequently ask us for dining recommendations, and we try to stay current with all the new restaurant openings. We aren't professional restaurant critics, and our day jobs have nothing to do with the food or restaurant industry. We pay for all our meals.
There's just two of us, so we may only have the opportunity to visit a restaurant once before writing a review. We won't have been able to try a number of the menu items, so we invite you to share your experiences.
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This entry was posted on 3/16/2008 5:50 PM and is filed under Italian.
We had not dined recently at this well-established Houston restaurant, which for many years was lauded as the best Italian in town. Opening in the early 1980's, Damian's introduced Houston to one of its first upscale Italian dining experiences. Although we note the sentiment expressed in the Fearless Critic Houston Restaurant Guide that Damians doesn't serve true "cucina italiana." Like Grotto and La Griglia, among others, Damian's serves the American version of continentalized Italian.
Our last visit to Damian's was during the Calamari Travels when we stopped in for a glass of wine and to sample their version of the popular appetizer. We weren't impressed with Damian's calamari, and it didn't make our top 10. A weekend evening at the ballet occasioned an early dinner, followed by Damian's complimentary transportation service to the theater district. We were surprised at how busy the place was at 6:00, practically full. Reservations are strongly advisable and necessary if you want to use the transportation service.
As soon as we were seated, we were greeted with the bread basket. It hasn't changed much over the years and, while perhaps not the best in town, the foccacia is pretty tasty. The ubiquitous olive oil dipping sauce included some welcome additions of garlic, basil, and chili flakes. We shared as a starter the cold seafood salad, which was a medley of scallops, squid, and shrimp. It was o'kay but lacked some zest, needing more citrus. For our entrées, we had the chicken and pork tortellini and a veal special. The tortellini was appropriately rich and gooey, the pasta tender, the filling flavorful. The veal special -- sautéed scallopini with a lemon white wine sauce, topped with crab meat -- missed the mark. The dish just didn't quite work; perhaps it was the overly thick sauce that overwhelmed the veal. And it's not true that lump crab added to anything improves the dish.
The service at Damian's is consistently good. Many of the waiters have been there for years. And they are happy to accommodate special requests. Will we return any time soon? Probably not, but we wish continued good things for this restaurant that has managed to survive and thrive for so many years.
