We recently shared Phaedra Cook’s SideDish post about Cloud 10 Creamery and Coppa Osteria located in the new Hanover development in Rice Village. Those two eateries are just the beginning: A number of yet-to-open restaurants including Punk’s Simple Southern Food and Cyclone Anaya are in the same center and should debut just after the holidays.
Fellini Caffe, which just opened last month, is an Italian coffee bar located on the opposite side of the square-shaped mixed-use complex — it’s on the Kelvin side. Fellini Caffe is the brainchild of Salvatore Albelice, the president of a specialty coffee and equipment company called Sunbelt Imports, and Paolo Fronza, who previously was at the Italian American Chamber of Commerce.
You can stop in for an early-morning espresso and croissant; parking in the Hanover garage is free until 9 am and the shop opens at 7 am weekdays, 8 am on weekends. Or reboot in the afternoon with a pizzette and cappuccino.
Whatever you do, don’t miss the signature coffee drinks — they’re decadent to say the least, and Albelice is happy to make one for you himself if he happens to be in the building. Our favorite was the crema di mascarpone (mascarpone topped with espresso, photo below left). If you have a sweet tooth, Fellini might be both a blessing and a curse. Authentic Italian pastries are baked on-site each morning, and the drinks menu includes classica Italian-style hot chocolate (photo below right), which is more of a warm thick chocolate pudding with real whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle than anything like the powdered Godiva chocolate mix and hot water served at the nearby Starbucks.
Fellini has a small but tight wine and wine-cocktail program, namely focusing on apertivos in true Italian fashion. Just this morning we spotted the fun apertivo invite, below, on Fellini’s Facebook page. Fronza explains the connection: “In Italy, coffee is a serious sport. You start your day with a quick espresso before work and then return to celebrate the night with friends. We’ve created our dream space and reproduced the same bar we would go to in Italy.” Indeed, it does smell authentic, with an intoxicating fragrance of coffee filling the small modern space. A state-of-the-art Kony coffee grinder delivers precisely ground beans ensuring a consistent espresso every time. The taste and execution of the espresso is made perfect in the sleek Faema Emblema coffee machine designed by automotive legends Giugiaro Design.
Note that while Fellini does serve some savory food, the coffee bar isn’t where you’re going to have many lunch options. At least not yet — they opened only a few weeks ago. I would suspect that after getting a feeling for their customers, a few more food options may become available. When we visited, we tried one of the frittatas and the four-cheese and spinach pizzette, which was the perfect size for one person. Both were perfectly satisfying and very fresh. They also had two or three sandwiches prepared and ready to grab. If you just need a quick and simple bite while taking a break from shopping, then the limited choices are probably going ease your decision making. The food focus is mainly on the dozens of Italian pastries (including a very good cannoli), coffee drinks and apertivos. The cute front courtyard has cafe seating and is often lined with Vespas, offering you an almost-Milanese view on your coffee break.
FELLINI CAFE 5211 Kelvin, 281-888-6654 fellinihouston.com