Simposio Ristorante Italiano

A GuestLife Houston
Great Restaurant

To experience the best in Houston’s fine dining, try Simposio, rated by Esquire magazine and Zagat Survey 2006 as one of the best Italian restaurants in the United States, and 2006 first-place winner of The Houston Press' "Menu of Menus Extravaganza." Acclaimed chef and General Manager Domenico Festa’s homemade pastas, Focaccia bread and made-in-heaven dessert creations are prepared fresh daily. Festa's nightly specials, which often include venison, lamb chop, quail, Chilean sea bass or lobster, give the restaurant a unique excellence. Festa accommodates customer's special requests. The menu includes offerings from various parts of Italy, and food is prepared in "Northern Italian style" by rubbing vegetables with herbs and spices. The result is a healthy, delicious combination.

Simposio's owner is Vasco Luti, who, born in Tuscany, splits time between Houston and Venezuela, where his family owned the famous Da Vasco's Restaurant for 30 years. Luti combines family recipes with Festa's exciting creations and wants Simposio's clientele "to fall in love with this restaurant because the food is excellent and the customer appreciates what we’re doing."

I certainly fell in love with Simposio myself.

Among the kitchen's unforgettable creations are grilled halibut with sautéed golden potatoes, asparagus and cremini mushrooms in a balsamic reduction sauce — it literally melted in my mouth. The risotto with eggplant, sausage and Parmesan cheese is outstanding, and Festa puts his own twist on traditional dishes such as Caesar's salad. A freshly cut rose on each table adds to Simposio's sophisticated ambiance, and the striking, original artwork from Venezuela's Adahm Dalloul, a professor at Zulia University, gives Simposio a romantic, classical atmosphere.

Don't leave without trying the masterful desserts. Simposio's crème brûlée is a perfect combination of outer crust and carefully blended interior with fresh fruit; Festa's unique recipe for tiramisú includes a hint of espresso and ladyfingers, which yield the diner a pleasantly satisfying gastronomical experience.

Menu Highlights

Antipasti

Frittura mista
Lightly fried calamari, shrimp and scallops

Insalate

Insalate Simposio
Arugula, Belgian endive, mushrooms, and Parmesan shavings

Pasta

Fettuccine alla Bolognese
Fettuccine with Bolognese-style meat sauce

Linguini ai frutti di mare
Linguini with mixed seafood in a lightly spiced tomato sauce

Pesce

Brodetto di pesce
Mediterranean-style mixed seafood soup with grilled garlic bread

Carne

Scaloppine di vitello
Veal scaloppini in a white wine sauce

Garetto d’agnello
Braised lamb shank with rosemary mashed potatoes

pictured above: Fried Mixed Seafood with Grilled Prawns and Braised Lentils, Bone-in Veal Chop with Garlic Spinach and Asparagus, Linguini with Fresh Mixed Seafood, Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée with Fresh Berries, Beef Tenderloin Carpacio and Sliced Parmesan in Olive Oil, and Oven Roasted Veal Osso Bucco with Saffron Risotto.

Simposio Ristorante Italiano:
5591 Richmond Ave. (at Chimney Rock),
Houston, Texas 77053,
(713) 532-0550.
Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m.- 10 p.m., Friday 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Saturday 5-10:30 p.m. Open Sundays only for private parties.

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