Caffe Bello

(Yelp limits the reviews to 5000 characters, and this review is longer. Read the full review at http://htownchowdown.blogspot.com/2010/08/new-generation-of-vallone-first-look-at.html )

Excerpts:

Rarely am I a fan of what I call "designer" pizza - I am a devoted pepperoni guy. But this pizza was outstanding - bubbly, crispy, slightly sweet crust, dense, chewy, smoky beef, creamy and herby white cheese, and the tangy bite of the pears made this a dish we'll be reordering as soon as possible. Even my lovely bride, who is not a terribly adventurous diner, found herself drawn to this creation. A pity, because that meant I had to share it with her. But love conquered... at least this time.

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We've always enjoyed Tony's seafood offerings, but this was something totally different. Rich, silky, just-past-al dente scallops were blanketed in thick-sliced, earthy prosciutto, and a sharp, sour caper agresto added a bold note. Served with tomato and grilled asparagus, this small plate demonstrated convincingly that combining the deft Vallone approach with daring Dei Maggi strokes was going to lead us in some deliciously unexpected directions.

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After a brief break, it was time for the entree. I love chicken-fried steaks, and I honestly never expected to see one served at a Vallone place.

Unsurprisingly, this is not a typical chicken-fried steak. Tender sirloin was hand-breaded, and topped with truffle cream gravy - the mild, soulful truffles were a nice bonus. The accompaniment for this dish was the side of whipped potatoes, highlighted with reggiano cheese. We've never before encountered a chicken-fried steak that spoke to us with an Italian accent, but we're glad we tried this one. The quality of the meat alone made a huge difference, and adding the Italian accent elevated this dish to new heights.

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Around this time Jeff Vallone wandered over, and said we had to try something. In this case, "something" proved to be their orecchiette pasta, a simple but unique dish composed of pasta, rapini, grape tomatoes, and breadcrumbs.

Breadcrumbs? The breadcrumbs were crunchy, and added a delightfully new texture to the slightly tart pasta dish, and the rapini added an assertive bitterness that was deftly offset by the acid from the tomatoes. Again, the rule of thumb: If Tony or Jeff suggests something, do not pass it up.

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This remarkable meal speaks volumes about how well things can turn out when you assemble a team with culinary talent and let them do what they do best. And we were again amazed (although by now we should expect it) that a restaurateur who's been successful for over four decades can create a new, cutting edge restaurant, and delight an audience that probably wasn't born when he opened his first location.

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Caffe Bello shows that the master hasn't lost his touch, and that he's assembled a team that can translate the legendary Vallone experience into one that will be embraced by a cutting-edge audience. I think that sums up Tony's philosophy:

The food will always be changing, but excellence never goes out of style

yep, still bad. I thought since my first experience here was due to CB being newly opened, I'd give it another shot. Bad mistake. This time, bad table management, service was lacking and the food was poorly cooked. Here's my story.....
A group of 8 friends thought we should meet there and catch up. I was game considering CB should have improved over the past month and I was really wanting to see if this neighborhood establishment could be a good find. What we got was a terribly long wait for a table....2 hours where we were at the bar. I don't know about you, but waiting at the bar for 2 hours only leads to devastation and a hang over if you're not careful.

We ordered food only after asking for menus twice.
I got a scallops course that was gritty and smelled rank-- no excuse
A friend got gummy pasta that she sent back only to have it reserved overheated (ie: microwaved) to a degree that burned her mouth -- no excuse
Pizzetta appetizer was cold when served
The wine was from an employee's "personal stock" as he served it to us -- really?

My opinion, this place ain't going to last long in Houston. It was crowded when we arrived, but I doubt it will be for long.

Ciao Caffe Bello, you won't be missed.

Whenever I drive past, I think about the bellini pitchers and drunken Sundays at the old La Strada. My, how this place has grown up!

Caffe Bello is warm and romantic inside, and on a nice night they open the window panes facing their gardens and you get a nice breeze. The crowd remains casual - no need to dress up here - but don't let that fool you...

The food here is great! They recently got a new executive chef (previously from Brennan's) and he completely revamped their menu like 2 weeks ago (giving me the honor of being the first to review it!). Ladies and gentlemen, this is not your run-of-the-mill pizza & pasta joint!

What we had:

* Charred shisito peppers w/ sea salt and parmesan: A little aggressive with the salt - You definitely need a cold beer to go with these!

* Pizza Carbonara: A floppy thin crust, lots o' cheese, pancetta, & fresh herbs, and topped with - wait for it - a FRIED EGG. It reminded me more of breakfast than carbonara, but either way it was pretty tasty. I just wish the crust were crispier.

* Short Rib Risotto: I could eat a whole bowl of this! I wanted it to be runnier but no need to split hairs - It was delicious.

* Burrata Cheese w/ roasted asparagus: This is a must have! The creamy Borrata drizzled with reduced balsamic, the slightly charred asparagus, the fresh herb salad... So simple, yet so delicious!

* Butternut Squash Ravioli w/ Sage Cream sauce: Rich, creamy, and naturally sweet, with a hint of nutmeg... Solid dish but nothing out of the ordinary here.

* Softshell Crab w/ Pea Salad & Mint Pea Puree: This was one of the specials, and it was A-MA-ZING. The crabs were delivered that day and were huge and sweet. The batter was crispy and light, letting the crab be the star. The pea salad was delicious, crunchy, and naturally sweet, and thee puree brought everything together. All for $19! What a steal!

* Pan-seared salmon w/ Panzanella: HUGE portion - easily 8-10 ozs of salmon. It had a perfect crisp sear on one side and was seasoned perfectly. The panzanella was okay, but this dish needs a green veg.

* Olive Oil Rosemary Cake w/ Lemon Filling: This is a wonderful, moist cake. The rosemary is subtle but adds a nice aromatic flair to the cake. It is topped with whipped cream and drizzled with strawberry sauce. Not the best presentation, but looks can be deceiving.

In conclusion, Caffe Bello is a great spot for upscale fare in a casual setting. The cozy atmosphere and location can't be beat, and with entrees priced $10-$25, it's sort of an unbeatable value for the type of food they are now serving up!

With help from J-squared:

Cafe Bello is located in the old La Strada Building. It's definitely not the boom boom party room we all may have remembered circa 2004. It's a fairly new restaurant opening in early August.

We walked in wanting to sit upstairs and outside but the hostess said their upstairs isn't open on Mondays. The manager overheard this and said "All it takes is a light switch, you can sit upstairs." He later came to our table to personally check on the service and food of his establishment. Call me impressed.

The restaurant is in a large space. I'm not sure if they can fill it up completely, but perhaps they can when the word spreads.

We ordered three things. First was the Margherita Pizzetta. I have to say the Pizzettas are quite good. They are a great little bite. The crust is cripsy and thin and the pizzettas aren't very heavy. The Margherita pizza was pretty good. It has the typical ingrediants (basil, tomato and cheese -- though in Italy there's no cheese on this type of pizza) and I enjoyed it. The second pizzetta was the Bresaola, Pear, Taleggio and Italian Truffle Honey. I'm a vegetarian so we replaced the Bresaola (beef) with Mushroom and I was very surprised with how good it turned out. Lots of their dishes have truffle flavors to them and how can you not like that? We also had the Goat Cheese Risotto. It wasn't the best risotto I've had but it certainly was quite good.

They have a good wine menu and I was overall impressed with the service. The food is good, not great, but definitely a good place to grab a bite to eat. The food we got was not heavy which to me, was great. I need to come back for dessert.

I'd love to come here for happy hour and try some of their italian sodas and pizzettas at a reduced cost. The menu changes as the season changes so it gives reason to come back.

I'm a fan, but wasn't blown away. I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could.

Let's face it, first dates can be weird, scary, or plagued with awkward moments of silence. But the staff at Caffe Bello is so awesome you could take the world's most boring accountant here and have a great time. The bartender was great and super funny, he loosened me up about my date by sharing some of his own stories about dating drama. Our waitress told us she left her old job to work here because of the reputation of the owner. The manager came by a couple of times to greet us, so as far as the service goes, I definitely would give Caffe Bello an A++. It seems, a lot of reviews were disappointed by the service here. But this is a new establishment and as far as my experience went, I think it's safe to say a majority of the kinks have been worked out.

The food....the menu is very succinct, which is a plus because I hate spending a Godawful amount of time on the menu trying to figure out what to eat. It also shows that the chef is focused. These items are their specialty. I was very pleased with the Margherita Pizzetta, a wonderful blend of seasons and flavor. My mouth was doing a happy dance throughout the evening, it was really a great experience. All of the appetizers are great, you can't go wrong there. Our waitress called them "Italian junk food" lol. My date got the lamb and before I knew it, it was gone. Their menu has a lot of meats so definitely not a place I would recommend bringing a model to. But if you're hungry and ready to step outside of your Italian comfort zone, definitely check this place out! It's new, hip and very modern. I will definitely go back!

I was very excited to try this new place, and I wasn't disappointed. We went on a Wednesday around 8, and it was relatively busy, but there were a lot of empty tables. I am hoping that changes, as I would really love this place to succeed!

Service was great. Our waitress was very knowledgeable about the menu and explained the portion sizes/menu setup very well. We ended up getting one of the small pizzas, two of the smaller pasta portions, and one of the larger plates, and it was perfect for two people to share.

The food was excellent. We started with the margarita pizza- while it wasn't the highlight of the night, it was very good. The two pastas we ordered were the "junk food" pappardelle and the rigatoni bolognese- both were great! The pasta was cooked to a perfect al dente. The burrata combined with the tomatoes in the pappardelle was just the right amount of "creamy," and the flavor was excellent. Bolognese is probably my favorite sauce, and this one was a very good one. I can't remember the exact name of the large dish, but it was linguine with several types of seafood, which my husband very much enjoyed. I'm not much of a seafood person, but I did try the linguine and it was very good (and wonderfully garlicky!).

Wine was well priced, as was the food. There are, unfortunately, quite a few places in Houston right now that just don't feel worth the price- this place is not only priced well, but I definitely felt that it was worth the price, or more. The menu is very varied and interesting, and I can't wait to go back to try other things! I will also be back for the brunch, which apparently has 9.95 bottomless bellinis!

I came here with a gaggle of girlfriends for their $10 bottomless Bellini's and Mimosa's, YUM! The day was beautiful, the view was better, and the ambiance was spectacular! We had nice music and the waiter was really prompt about refilling our drinks (maybe he was afraid of what would happen if you took cocktails away from 10 ladies!) The food came and everything was scrumptious. After a few hours of drinking and eating, they started adding vodka to the Bellini's. The experience after all that liquor was a different story, but that totally wasn't Caffe Bello's fault!

I plan on going here again, frequently!

Went there on a Friday with early reservations around 6:30. When we first arrived the place was about half full and the crowd was geriatric. However, as the night went on it became more crowded with a younger clientele. I like the location and the atmosphere but the food wasn't that great.

The good included the muscles/clams and the dessert. Also a very reasonably priced wine list with some bottles as cheap as $20. I had the chicken fried steak which was good but nothing special (I'd personally rather just order one at Hickory Hollow. I know, I know, it's an Italian restaurant why did you order a CFS?, well many people here on Yelp were raving about it). We had an artichoke appetizer special which was awful and the waitress could tell it was a dud when she took it away. Would I go back, ahh, probably not. There are so many other great Italian restaurants in Houston.

Had the Veggie Pizzetta and the Baked Oysters the other day and both were incredible!! There's a good energy at night with a fun crowd and the John Palmer art, terracotta walls, music and location create a funky vibe.

I'm rating this as 4 stars because, yes, I am a fan and I definitely think the foods was better than "A-OK". Yes, the ambiance and service are a little quirky, but the food more than made up for it.

We went for brunch. It was Sunday. Just past 1 pm. Crowded? Hardly. For an appetizer, I ordered the Vallone Salad. Good, but not memorable. My entree was the "Bacon and Eggs" which as the menu describes is "crispy pork belly, poached eggs, and polenta". The pork belly was more like shredded pork and was not fatty like most pork belly is. The eggs were poached perfectly and the polenta was rich and creamy. I licked the plate clean.

She had the Pansoti, which is butternut squash stuffed pasta. It was a nice balance of sweet and savory. *This is my stamp of approval*
Her appetizer was the shrimp fritatta. I found it dry and boring and seemed pre-prepared; but I make no claims of being a fritatta connoisseur.

Wine and drinks were fine. Would I go back? Maybe. We had a $30 Groupon so that was our excuse. An $85 Sunday lunch is a bit pricey for my taste after going out Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but you never know. Could be a good place to take out-of-town guests.

**I was also slightly annoyed that the restaurant offered valet service, but had blocked off nearly the entire (empty) parking lot and even a place nearby on the street. When are Houston restaurant owners going to get a clue and figure out: 1) Most Houstonians do not need valet; and 2) We definitely don't need it when your parking lot (and restaurant) is/are EMPTY. I do not want to hand my keys to a valet when I can ultimately walk 12 steps to my car which you just parked. I'd rather have your sweaty ass not stink up my brand-new ride a-hole.

Cheers,
Antonio