La Trattoria - Real Italian Cuisine

I'm always on the lookout for real Italian restaurants in Houston. At times, the search can be quite daunting - many of the most popular Italian restaurants in town are chains, sadly unauthentic or run by individuals who really don't have a clue.

La Trattoria at 6504 Westheimer, however, would not fall into any of those categories. Carlo Molinari opened La Trattoria in the 1980s. His restaurant focuses on mostly northern Italian cuisine with other Italian classics thrown in for good measure. His wine list is about as extensive as you'll see with typical Italians wines like Chianti and Barolo as well as other great varieties like Valpollicella and Nero D'Avola.

What's great about La Trattoria is that Carlo does not compromise when it comes to his food. Clients looking to add chicken to their pasta will find that La Trattoria will not oblige. Rightfully so as chicken and pasta do not add up in Italy. Some people find Carlo's inflexibility off-putting but I find it refreshing as not often does one find an Italian restaurant that refuses to bend to American ideas of Italian cuisine.