by Sandra Crittenden

I try to attend the wine dinners at Ciao Bello as much as possible. I do this for the authentic Italian cuisine, the surprising array of wines, the excellent service and the always festive atmosphere. My husband and I attended the Marche wine dinner last night and it was no exception. The menu featured items from the Marche region of Italy that are not seen regularly at the restaurant which makes each experience at these dinners fresh and unique. As expected, there was a full house of enthusiastic guests so it is best to book your spot for these events early. Check the restaurant's website for more information on upcoming dinners. The wine dinners at Ciao Bello are always highly recommended. Edit -This restaurant closed in the summer of 2018. Check out the higher end sister restaurant, Tony's , a staple of the city's fine dining scene.

Though it has been open for less than two years, Peska quickly became one of my favorite restaurants in Houston. I have celebrated my birthday there, eaten many dinners, enjoyed a couple of Happy Hours and a few ladies lunches. Last weekend was my first time to try their Sunday Brunch. My husband and I arrived shortly after the 11:00 opening time. We were immediately seated and given the lowdown on how this brunch operates. For $46 per person, guests have the opportunity to order some items directly from the kitchen and also visit a raw bar station inside by the bar and a grill station out on the patio. Drink specials include bottomless Mimosas or Sangria for $6, Bloody Mary's and Mojitos for $7 a piece and discounts off bottles of wine. We decided to start with a bottle of pink Burgundy bubbles and ordered some fish empanadas from the kitchen to get started. We then decided not to sit and wait but to hit the raw bar station. The options seemed endless with a choice of fr

This was our third time to be at La Table for Sunday brunch in less than two month. Although I've confined my excitement to only writing about it twice here, it is unquestionably becoming one of our top restaurants in Houston and we haven't even tried dinner yet. This time, we decided to sit downstairs at the bar in La Table's informal dining room, Marche. We indeed found a more casual atmosphere which suited our more simple meal plan for the day. We ordered the Berry Kir Royale brunch cocktail with the collossol crab salad followed by the quiche du jour. We topped that off with coffee and a cinnamon and almond brioche. Tasty, straightforward goodness with entertaining service! After brunching at this establishment three times in three deliciously different ways, I can say it is one of my favorite new restaurants for brunch in the city. Whether you like your brunch formal and fancy or low-key and casual, La Table is one of the best places in Houston to do it. The Br

As originally seen in the July 2016 issue of  Galveston Monthly  magazine

Showcasing this patriotic red, white and blue painting seemed a fitting tribute today during America's celebration of Independence. This untitled acrylic on canvas collage was the fourth in a series by Texas artist Joseph Glasco created in 1989. The sculptural painting is on display at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.