Review of Little Napoli Italian Cuisine on Westheimer

     So, this is not the first time I have dined at Little Napoli. Nor will it be the last. Quite honestly, this is probably one of my favorite Italian places in Houston. This, however, will be my first official review of it. I might do more at a later date since I enjoy the food so much and I am always trying to order something different. Speaking of food, it has everything from pizza to the classics. This place should cover everyone.
    So tonight my wife were having a little mini celebration.  When we were talking about what to do for dinner I suggested Little Napoli because one of the things that I absolutely love about this place is its atmosphere.  It can be great for a casual dinner with friends or accommodate you when you want something a little more intimate.  The lighting is nice and low without being dark.  The music selection is varied ranging from slow romantic music to a peppy Italian ballad to something from the Rat Pack's repertoire. 
   Another I love about the place is the the overall volume is very subdued.  It is not quiet by any means, but I can hear myself talk and hold a conversation with another person without having to resort to screaming.  Maybe this has something to do with the fact that almost every time I have ever been to Little Napoli it has never been full.  Some might see this as a negative, but I see it as quite the opposite. It helps keep the intimacy in my opinion.  Even if the place fills up, I have the feeling that the noise would still not be a problem.
   Now, let's get to the food.  For tonight's repast I ordered the crab cakes as the appetizer.  The plate came with two crab cakes that were covered in a nice pink sauce (mix of tomato and cream) with chunks of tomato and bell pepper that gave the sauce some substance.  The crab cakes themselves were expertly cooked.  Nice and crispy on the outside with a soft and moist, but flaky interior.  They were masterfully seasoned and had a good ratio of crab meat to bread crumbs.
    My wife ordered a staple of ours at Little Napoli: the braised beef and tortellini.  The dish is served in a nice creamy sweet Marsala sauce and has sliced portobellos as well as the tender beef and four cheese tortellini.  There is a reason why this is one of our favorite dishes here and why it is sometimes difficult to stray and try something different.  This dish just screams comfort.  Like your favorite blanket in the cold winter months or a warm hug from your grandmother.  The Marsala sauce is nicely balanced without having an overwhelming flavor of alcohol or being overly sweet.  It is the perfect cream coverall for this dish.  The beef itself is also superbly done.  Both tender and flavorful indicating that they take time to slow cook it to get it just right.  In fact, it would not surprise me to find out if the beef were cooked in Marsala wine and that cooking liquid was then reserved and used to make the sauce.  As for the tortellini, well, lets just say they know how to cook pasta.  It was nice and al dente.
   My choice for the evening was something I had not had here before.  I decided to try the veal piccata for the first time.  I was a little apprehensive at first because one, veal is something that very easily can be done wrong, and two, the piccata sauce did not have any capers as it normally does.  Instead, the dish was made with sun dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts.  The whole thing was also served on a bed of capellini (angel hair) pasta.  As it turns out, I had nothing to worry about.  The veal was cooked to perfection, keeping its tenderness while not turning chewy or tough.  The sauce was magnificently done.  It had all the hints of the white wine while drawing acidity from the lemon juice, tomatoes and artichokes without ever becoming too tart.  The pasta once again was expertly cooked.  Angle hair past is one of those finicky pastas that you have to treat with kid gloves.  Cook it just a bit too long and it falls to pieces.  Not the case here.
    Another great thing about Little Napoli is the wine selection.  It is vast and it is varied.  It has something for everyone and a wide spectrum of price points.  Having arrived at the tail end of happy hour (from 2-7 pm), my wife and I both choose the house shiraz which was a new selection.  I had previously order the house wine and had never been disappointed, especially considering the cost.  Now can I say this was the best wine I have ever had?  No.  But was it fairly good?  Yes, especially if you let it breath from a moment.
   As much as I enjoy Little Napoli, there are a few points of contention I have with it.  First of all, the small salads which are served before the entrees are really just uninspired.  The consist of basically one cucumber slice, one tomato wedge, one ring of a white onion, and bunch of lettuce drenched in vinegar with a bit of seasoning.  You can't really call it a vinaigrette because you would need oil for it to be considered one.  If there was any oil, you could have fooled me.  I enjoy vinegar, but this was just too much.
  Another problem with Little Napoli is the service.  It is not that it is bad necessarily.  The problem lies in that it can be piece meal and confusing at times.  When we walked in, my wife and I were seated by one server who also gave us menus, asked if we had been helped by another, and had our order taken by a third.  When the third waiter asked for our orders, my wife ordered her wine and I ordered our appetizer since I had not made up my mind about what to get yet and also thinking that our original server would take our orders for our entrees.  When our appetizer came out is when we finally gave our entree orders and my wine order, to which our server seemed surprised about. Maybe this was just something caused by the restaurant being not quite so fully, maybe not.  After the point where the staff decided who would be attending us, the service was just fine.
   So, that is just one of my dining experiences at Little Napoli on Westheimer.  This place is well worth looking into for a nice casual evening of Italian dinning or maybe something a little nicer without going into full blown "nice restaurant" category.

Helpful Suggestions for Ordering Counter Side

So, let  me start this post by giving a little explanation.  Most people might be wondering why I, someone who works in the kitchen, would have a valid idea or opinion about ordering at a counter.  Well you see, where I work is set up to I am not only the one preparing the food, but I am also taking your order and serving you.  The way it works is that after I finish prepping everything, I set up a hot line where the customer comes up to a counter of sorts, look at the food and order it.  I think the purpose of this set up is that there will be a better connection from the food to the customer.  After all, who knows the food better than the person who prepared it.  But I digress.  Throughout my years at this job I have found that some customers have some habits when it comes to ordering that just really irk me.  Therefore, I am providing you some insight into what someone on the other side of the counter is thinking.  Hopefully these suggestions are taken to heart and you can improve your next counter side order experience.

My first suggestion is that when you go to order, be ready to order.  I know this might seem intuitive, but I have on more than one occasion encountered someone who came up to me with no clue what they wanted or how they wanted it.  I am not saying don't take your time to make up your mind.  What I am saying is don't expect for everyone to wait for you while you do it.  The worst case of this is when there is a line behind you.  You are just gumming up the works for everyone.  If you are waiting in line, take that time to familiarize yourself with the menu or, as in that case of my place of employment, what food is being served.  That way when you come to the person who is going to take your order/serve your food, you know exactly what you want.  If there is no line, then take as much time to do these things before ordering.

My second talking point ties directly into my first.  When you are ordering please know what you are ordering.  I have lost count the number of times someone has asked me if my vegetarian dish has any meat in it.  Another example of this is asking if what I am serving is something completely different than what it actually is (mashed potatoes vs potato salad).  While every person is entitle to know about the food they are about to consume, It is very irritating when the information is readily available and provided to you. In the case of my job there is a sign in front of every station indicating what is being served and other pertinent information (such as vegetarian dishes or if it contains common allergens).  If you want to know specifics about the dish, such as what fat was used to prepare it or what spices, then I will gladly tell you.  When you come up to me and ask if my spinach and mushroom lasagna has any meat in it, that gets under my skin. 

The final piece of advice is quite simple.  Pay attention.  I mean, that is just a good idea in general.  When you are ordering please respect me enough to give me your full attention.  Our interaction will be short lived and then you may go on about your daily life.  However, if when you come to me and you are on your smart phone or engaged in a conversation with someone else, our interaction will not go smoothly.  An order may be as simple as I want that, but what if there are options?  What if I can't hear you or need clarification on something?  Be giving my your full attention we can address this situations effectively.  I don't want to have to flag you down or snap my fingers to get your attention whenever I need an answer or have a question.  Hopefully you can see that paying attention also pertains to the other two points quite closely.  If you are paying attention, then more than likely you will be looking at the menu or the food so that you can determine what you want and order it once I get to you.

I hope most people take this post for what it is.  As someone who deals with people everyday I have just made some observations and would like to pass them along to others so that they may avoid being the customer that the people behind the counter talk about after he is gone.  I know we are not perfect and I know that on more than one occasion I have done one or more of these things, but I also know I am conscious of them and therefore try to avoid such behavior.  If all this post does is make one of you a better customer, then I couldn't ask for anything more.

Garnish: Not Just Gratituous Greenery

OK, so what is a garnish? What does that mean? Quite simply, a garnish is just something that makes food look better and gives a little pop. Most people think that garnishing food is only reserved for restaurants or the Martha Stewart types out there. I am here to let you in on a little secret. Garnishes don't have to be elaborate or hard. Even the simplest little touches can add a world of eye appeal to a dish or plate.

The basics of garnishing can be broken down into a few guidelines. First of all, your biggest allies are color and contrast. Food is beautiful. Nature has provided us with such a wide palette for us to use that even Bob Ross would be jealous. So, use that vibrancy to your advantage. Chopped herbs, such as parsley or cilantro, provide us with bright greens. Red bell peppers and match stick carrots are some examples of colors outside of your standard greens. The important part is to garnish your food with something that will help it stand out. This is where the contrast comes in. You would not garnish some steamed broccoli with herbs because they will just now show up. However if you use the red bell peppers or the carrots then you have used contrast to great effect. You want that garnish to show up, otherwise what is the point.

Next to consider that the best way to garnish is simplicity. Some chefs (professional and amateur) have great skill at creating works of art with food; carving roses out of tomatoes or sculpting faces into vegetables. However, this is unnecessary to successfully garnish a dish. A garnish can consist of all most anything from a single leaf or sprig of an herb to a strategic sprinkling of something colorful. Therefore, you don't need surgeon like skill to garnish food. Also keep in mind that less is more. This is a garnish after all. It is just there to be a little highlight, not take center stage.

OK, so lets get to what you can use to garnish. Simply put, anything can be used as garnish. That being said, I was taught at school that whatever you use as a garnish it must be edible. That doesn't mean that it will eaten or even that it has to be an integral part of the plate. The garnish can just exist as just that. So let me give you some examples of some simple garnishes you can use at your next dinner party. The very first one is one that I have already talked about, but is also one of the easiest and most versatile. I am talking about chopped herbs. As long as you know how to handle a knife you can chop herbs. All you have to do after that is sprinkle them on your food to give it a touch of green. The beauty of herbs is you can even mix and match. Throw some rosemary and basil into your parsley for a nice fresh Italian herb mix. Mix in some oregano with your cilantro the next time you make enchiladas. Herbs can also work when you leave them whole. By whole I don't mean entire bunches or even big long sprigs. They still have be cut down to size to fit your plate. Single leaves or a sprig placed in the middle of a dish are very elegant and very simple.

Another example of some simple garnishes are nuts and berries. These are pretty much self contained and need little to know work from you. These work wonders for cheese plates or desserts. Once again the key is that less is more. Some berries off to the side add a little color to your plates.

Vegetables themselves also work as wonderful garnishes. Simply shredding some vegetables, such as carrots or cucumbers, will work as a garnish. Or you can always use thinly sliced radishes to provide some flair. Here is a way to dress up your cucumbers the next time you add them to your salad. Instead of completely peeling them, use your peeler in alternating striped fashion. Pretty much any vegetable that has color can be added as a garnish, whether you are slicing, dicing or just shredding them up. If you want to get really fancy, edible flowers are available for your garnishing needs. Please don't think that you can just use anything out of your garden however. Remember what I said earlier about everything on the plate needs to be edible?

After reading this I hope you will play around with and start adding some garnish to your dishes.

Bolognese Sauce

A little preface if you will.  At my current job, I am in charge of the Italian food station.  That means I prepare the daily special as well as preparing the sauces (marinara, alfredo, and pesto) for the pasta bar.  This is an area that I am enjoying very much and am quite good at, if I do say so myself.  Therefore, I will probably write a series of post about Italian food and my work at this station.

That being said, I am covering a quite tasty sauce today. Bolognese sauce, if you have not already figured it out, comes to us from Bologna, Italy.  It is a ragu, in other words, a meat sauce.  If you want to stay traditional, then Bolognese is often slow cooked with vegetables and minced or ground meat such as beef and pork(pancetta) and served only with certain types of pastas.  That is all fine and good.  I am sure there is many an Italian grandma that could thoroughly school me on the finer points of a well made Bolognese sauce.  However, I am here to show you how to make a simply and quite tasty version.

The basics of this sauce are essentially: meat, mushrooms, and tomato.  Now with those basics you could very easily make a Bolonese sauce that would be serviceable, but lets face it.  We want some pazaz!  So, what do we bring to the party to give it a little more flair you ask?  Herbs and spices to start.  Nothing helps Italian food like some nice herbs and spices.  Some black pepper and salt for seasoning, parsley for color and oregano, rosemary and a hint of thyme for flavor.  Onion and garlic will serve as your aromatics.  If you really want to get fancy, you can always add some shallots.

Let's look at those basics again for just a second.  First of all, what do I mean by meat?  Well, generally I am speaking of ground beef.  That being said, you can just as easily use ground turkey, chicken, or pancetta.  Hell, Italian sausage works well with it too.  As far as the mushrooms go, you can go wrong with your everyday white buttons, but once again feel free to experiment.  The tomato part of the equation is also variable.  You can go with ripe tomatoes you picked and diced yourself, although this would add time to your cooking.  You can just as easily open up a jar of your favorite pasta sauce and use that.
Me personally like to use a combination of canned tomatoes (Italian style or with garlic and olive oil) and tomato paste. 

So, let's get stared.  First thing, first.  If you are a culinary professional, then you are taught that before you even get started on the cooking you must get everything prepped.  That means chopping your garlic and herbs, dicing your onion and slicing or chopping your mushrooms if they have not been previously processed.  For the garlic  and herbs keep in mind that while fresh is always better, dried can work. Once you have done this you can begin cooking.  First step is to add a little oil to your sauce pan and heat it up.  Next add your aromatics (onion and garlic) and cook until they get translucent and you can really smell them.

Next add your meat and brown.  Now, you don't have to cook it all the way through. You also have the option of adding your seasoning at this point.  I'm talking about the salt and pepper and all the herbs except the parsley.  After you have browned your meat you can add your mushrooms and cook them a bit Afterward add enough water to mostly cover everything and turn up the heat to full.  This will help that water boil away while it finishes cooking the meat.  If the meat is still in clumps you can break it apart as it cooks.  One other note, if you want to reduce the fat used to cook the sauce, skip the oil in the pan and just add the water at the very beginning.  You won't get browning, but you will still cook everything together.

After the meat is cooked and the water is mostly boiled off, add your tomatoes.  I use canned tomatoes and tomato paste so that I can control the consistency of the sauce.  Too thick, add some more tomatoes.  Too thin, then more paste is needed. Keep in mind that if your sauce is ever too thin, add some tomato paste.  After you have gotten your sauce to the consistency you like, taste it and adjust the seasoning.  Just keep in mind you can always add more, but you can't really take it out. 

Now, just let the sauce simmer for about 15- 20 min.  At the end of this time, add your parsley.  The reason you add it at the very end is so that it keeps its bright green color longer than if you added it earlier.  In fact, another option is just to sprinkle it over the top of the sauce as a garnish.

It is now ready. Just serve it up over or tossed with your favorite pasta. Lastly I just want to say two things: First I have never claimed that this was an authentic Bolognese sauce.  It is just what I have made at work.  Secondly I know I have not included amounts.  This is just general guidelines for making Bolognese sauce.  But for those who need more specific amounts, well here you go:

1 Lbs meat
1 lbs mushrooms
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup parsley
1-2 tablespoons oregano
1-2 tablespoons rosemary
1-2 teaspoons thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 or 2 cans of tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
       OR
1 jar of tomato pasta sauce

Mexican Shrimp Scampi

This is a recipe that a co-worker and I came up with.

1 lbs uncooked shrimp
3 tbls olive oil
2-4 tspn cayenne pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tbls butter
2 roma tomatoes diced with seeds removed
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lime juiced
3 tbls cilantro chopped

Toss the shrimp with the olive oil, salt and pepper, and cayenne making sure all the shrimp are coated.

In a large saute pan, heat the butter.

Saute the garlic and tomatoes until they become aromatic.

Toss in the shrimp and cook until they become pink.

As the shrimp finish cooking, add the fresh lime juice.

When the shrimp are done, add the cilantro and toss together.

Serve this dish over some white rice or with warm corn tortillas.


As they say necessity is the mother of invention, this recipe came from our necessity to do something with some shrimp.  We were tired of just using the same old seasoning packets that were on hand.  So we looked to see what was available in our small refrigerator and pantry.  At first we thought we would make a cream sauce since we had both half-and-half and crema Mexicana.  However, this did not work because we found the much more interesting and rich ingredients listed above.  When we were done making our little concoction we found out that it worked out well and was quite tasty.  I figured it reminded me of scampi, but with a Mexican flair.  Therefore we have the birth of Mexican Shrimp Scampi.

Dinner Party from Hell

   First of all, let me apologize for my lone hiatus from this blog. You have to understand that when I started this blog my place of employment was slowly, but throughly sucking the life force out of me. So much that I had no energy or desire to do anything other than get home and sit in front of the TV and mindlessly watch anything that required little more than the IQ of a tree stump. Even my favorite shows like No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain were getting to cerebral for me. I had even started to doubt if I had chosen the correct direction in my professional life. But since then I have changed jobs and am feeling a resurgence in my passion for my profession. I now work at what is probably as close to an authentic Irish Pub here in Houston, TX. I work at McGonigel's Mucky Duck.

    Now, I started working here a little over a month ago. So I got here right before the holiday season. What the holiday season means for us is dinner parties. Lots and lots of dinner parties. Last week we had four dinner parties in the span of five days, including three back to back. Yeah, that was rough, but not as rough as the first dinner party and our latest dinner party.

    Our first dinner party was a complete mess. We were poorly organized and overwhelmed. The ticket system on which we rely to keep track of what goes where and how much of what we need completely broke down. We had no idea what went where or how much was done and how much needed to be done. I was so glad when that night was done. Luckily for the next party and each subsequent one after we were much better prepared.

    That was until last night. Last night was different for several reasons. First of all, my day started at 11 am. Then we changed the menu. For all the other parties we had soup, salad and a choice of three entees then dessert. For this one, it was all one menu. It was only going to be turkey, green beans, stuffing and gravy. At the last second the owner added soup and salad. And she wanted a new dressing for the salad. So I improvised a raspberry balsamic vinaigrette. I also had to make crostinis for the soup. I had been making them all week, but that was not the problem. No, the problem was, since these were last minute changes, well, we had less that what were ideally needed.

    Another problem we had was that we only had four turkey breasts. Granted, they were freaking huge, but still. Chef Bonnie, the person in charge of the day shift only wanted to cook three, but I convinced her to cook all four. So we had all of our food ready. And the guests started to arrive. Everything was going alright until about half way through the evening. That is when it became apparent that we were going to run out of turkey and green beans. By that time, Bonnie had left.

    If you have ever worked in a kitchen then you know that nightmare. For the rest of you, there is nothing worse than running out of food right in the middle of service. Especially if it is a fixed menu. What do you do? You wing it. In our case we had smoked turkey breast. The kind you find in delis and slice really thin for sandwiches. Well, we threw that in the oven to warm it up, then cut it into pieces and served as the turkey breast we had before we ran out. The green beans we just substituted with asparagus.

    Yeah, it was a wild and crazy night. Especially considering that when it was all said and done I left work at 11 pm. A twelve hour day. I do not like working for twelve hours straight. It is what we in the industry call, not fun. But hey, at least it will make for a nice pay check.

Brian O'Neill's Traditional Irish Pub

Brian O'Neill's is a little Irish Pub that has found its home in Houston, TX right next to the prestigious Rice University. It has great atmosphere and good food. It is a place to meet up with friends once a week or a place to have bigger gatherings. I first discovered Brian O'Neil's my last year at Rice University. I was forced to move off campus and my good friend and roommate at the time came with me. Since we were living off campus and had to depend on ourselves for food, we decided to explore the eateries in the Rice Village, a shopping and retail center close to Rice. One night we just happened to stumble upon Brian O's, as we now lovingly call it. That fateful day, we became life long patrons.

Brian O's may be easy to miss if you are not looking. It is wedged at the bottom of what seems to be an office building with two parking lots as book ends. Well, you might miss it, except for all the people who are out in the patio. In front of the Pub's facade is a sunken patio with plenty of tables and space. There is also a window to the bar where one can order drinks at his leisure.

Once inside you have the bar to your right, tables in front of you, a secluded room ahead next to the kitchen door and the end of the bar. There is also a little lounge type area with comfy couches and a big TV. Next to that area is the Tea Merchant's room. You can close the doors for a private function or just get away from the crowds. In the back left corner is a little alcove with a round table. This little sanctuary is where my friends and I like to meet every Wednesday. I will get into why Wednesday later.

Brian O's has been voted the best place to drink a Guinness at least twice by the Houston Press. And while that is a good reason to go, the food also has to be a large draw. The burgers are fantastic. The steaks are decent and the shepherd's pie is nothing to laugh at. Ah, but our main draw are the burgers. You see, Brian O's is one of those places that has a daily special. And Wednesday just happens to be the Big Ass Beer and Half Price Burger night. Now do you see the appeal of Brian O's on a Wednesday? So yeah, that is our weekly meeting place. This is how we keep up, talk about our jobs, ourselves and future social plans. The prefect place for meeting to talk about this, that, and everything else.

But on to the food. What kind of cooking blog would this be if I did not talk about the food? First, let's mention the burgers themselves. They are the stars of the show. And you have a nice selection too. There is the Smoky Backyard BBQ burger. This is my personal favorite. It is a half pound beef patty cooked to order topped with two large strips of crispy bacon, a smoky barbecue sauce and cheddar cheese. Next is the Swiss Alpine Burger. This one, if you have not guessed already, involves the same beef patty only now it is topped with sauteed mushrooms and swiss cheese. Yum. If you don't like those then try the Black and Bleu Burger. This one has two crispy bacon strips and crumbled blue cheese. Don't like blue cheese. The the last of the burgers on this beef parade is the Ranchero Burger. This one involves pico de gallo, white cheddar cheese and two slices of avocado. So you still have not found a burger you like, well then make your own damnit. Yes, you can create your own burger with whatever you feel like putting on it. Nothing says yummy like beef in the tummy.

So, now that we have covered the main thrust of the plate, lets explore the sides. First of all, all burgers come with a lettuce leaf, tomato and onion slice, and pickle wedge. You do have the option of getting fries, chips, fruit (for the calorie conscious), cole slaw or soup. If you choose the soup, then you get your choice of a cup of chicken tortilla, French onion, or baked potato. All choices of the soup are quite good. Although I can't decide if I like the chicken tortilla or the baked potato better. If you order the fries, you get the typical shoestring fried potatoes. If you order the chips, you get the thickly cut steak fries. Both are good and have their pros and cons. I personally like the chips better.

The other half of the meal is the big ass beer. For $8 you can own your very own 23oz. Brian O's pilsner glass, with free beer. Well, only that first beer is free. After that you have to pay to get refills. But on the plus side you get cheaper refills than if you had bought a normal draft. And you get more. That is a great benefit of the glass.

I have only touched a small portion of what great culinary delights this nifty little Irish Pub holds. But I do hope it has whetted your appetite for this place. So if you ever find yourself in Houston, TX, do yourself a favor and visit Brian O'Neil's Irish Pub.