Three Houston Treats

This past weekend, we had a chance to eat at three restaurants we had never tried before - edit that, two for my wife as she had been to Andre'. Regardless, two of the three were restaurants we had been wanting to try for a long time - So Vino and 17*. Both were excellent.

Andre' - What I really like about this place is the outdoor patio at Uptown Park. Great location! Both of us had salads which were quite tasty and the desserts are delicious. A great place for a light lunch or early dinner. A second location is open at 2515 River Oaks Blvd.

So Vino - We've gotten to know the chef at So Vino and had talked to him many times about the restaurant. Well, we finally made it there for dinner on "date night". We started with a plate of mixed cheeses - the highlight was a truffle cheese, sottocenere al tartufo, that took me back to Italy. A delicious crab cake then paved the way duck for me and shrimp angel hair pasta for my wife. The star of the show was a sinfully delicious cranberry bread pudding. It's a must! The restaurant's main focus is wines from the southern hemisphere but all major producing countries are represented. Bottle prices were quite reasonable.

*17 - Much has been written up about *17 since it opened in the Alden Hotel - reviews have gushed about *17. We had tried on two other occasions to eat there but had to cancel our reservations. Not this time. We chose *17 as a nice place for a Mother's Day brunch. Mimosas were overpriced but not why we visited. We split a delicious flatbread as an appetizer and both ordered their frittata - a great brunch option. Service was crisp and attentive and the atmosphere is refined and elegant. They did a great job of accommodating our baby, as well. It would be a nice place to visit in the evening, sans baby.