Houston Italian Restaurant Brings Traditional Delicacies to Washington Avenue

Passerella, one in all Houston Meals Finder’s greatest new eating places of 2022, has opened a second location. The brand new spot is positioned at 6011 Washington, close to the roundabout and away from the road’s heaviest site visitors. It options the identical menu as the unique at The Boardwalk at Towne Lake in Cypress, so friends can get pleasure from the identical nice Italian and Italian-American fare with out touring leaving the 610 Loop. Houston Meals Finder was invited to take a look at the brand new location.

Passerella doesn’t reinvent the wheel, as a substitute serving an expansive menu of tried-and-true classics. Starting with complimentary herb-loaded focaccia, it turns into obvious shortly, the meals won’t be bland. In case you are a fan of charcuterie boards, Passerella gives a must-try assortment. The restaurant makes what it could actually in-house, such because the breads and pickled greens, and is meticulous about sourcing the remainder of the components. The board is available in two sizes and, on our go to, had out-of-the-ordinary, scrumptious cheeses with rosemary and mustard because the driving flavors. One other appetizer, Italian beef meatballs served on a mattress of garlic confit polenta, might simply work as an entrée. The Texas Wagyu meatballs (yeah, I don’t get the concept of floor Wagyu, both), are lined in skinny pomodoro sauce and topped with fresh-cut basil. As a polenta fan with excessive requirements, I’m comfortable to report that a number of experiences with it have been nice. It’s well-cooked, with the correct quantity of moisture, and carries the richness from the garlic, in addition to savory acid from the tomato within the pomodoro.

Until you’re an anchovy fan, seeing flash-fried anchovies on high of your Caesar salad could also be intimidating, however have religion that it is going to be nice. The traditional salad additionally options crisp child romaine tossed with a pleasantly salty, savory and spicy housemade dressing that gives extra thickness than the bottled varieties, and is completed with breadcrumbs and crunchy Grana Padano tuiles, all on high of a garlic confit paste. Equally, the Tuscan Soup (suppose Olive Backyard’s under-appreciated Zuppa Toscana, however higher), is aesthetically easy however full of taste. Not a standard sight on menus, the soup has a mild, creamy base, made hearty with spinach, potatoes and pancetta, and spiced up with Italian sausage.

There are a couple of kinds of entrées out there, resembling pizza, pasta and protein/vegetable combos. There are a couple of pizza choices listed on the menu, in addition to a chef’s particular. The Diavola has been out there for each journeys, and it’s topped with mozzarella, basil and charred, spicy salami.

Passerella has greater than half-a-dozen pasta dishes to select from, together with fettuccine Alfredo, spaghetti and meatballs, hen marsala and Chef Ed’s Seven Layer Lasagna. If the opposite pastas are something just like the lasagna, you received’t be leaving hungry, no matter which you order. Even stacked with sheets of pasta and layers of cheese, the meat is well-seasoned in order to nonetheless stand out. Non-pasta primary programs embody herb-crusted lamb, pan-seared duck and New York strip steak.

For dessert, Passerella has a couple of choices resembling almond butter cake, salted caramel budino and a tiramisu assembled table-side. The restaurant has a full bar, with a couple of cocktails that characteristic an Italian affect, resembling a home amaro boulevardier, the Sicily or the “I”talian Margherita, which replaces the orange liqueur with amaretto. There’s a quick however respectable by-the-glass wine listing, in addition to a prolonged bottle choice. The by-the-glass alternatives come from a wide range of areas, however bottle alternatives have loads of Italian choices.

Passerella is open Monday by Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m to 10 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations can be found by the web site.