The Houston area has a new Aldo’s. Sixteen years after chef Aldo el Sharif opened and seven years after he closed the celebrated (and famously expensive) Aldo’s Dining con Amore on Lower Westheimer, the new Aldo’s Cucina Italiana is open on I-45 just north of the Woodlands.
With appetizers averaging $8, entrees $14 to $24 and half of the wine selections between $20 and $40, the prices are a fraction of the Aldo’s image of old. Back in those high-flying days, Aldo’s was one of the most expensive restaurants in Houston. “We blew a wad, but we enjoyed one of the most romantic nights in years,” noted an anonymous contributor in the 1999 Zagat Houston Restaurants guidebook. The restaurant was known for preparing anything you wanted, even if not listed on the menu.
Currently open for Monday through Saturday dinner only – plans call for both lunch and brunch in the future – the new Aldo’s is touting regional Italian cuisine, both country rustic and city sophisticated. The feel of the place is homey with an elegant touch in the large dining room; in the more casual bar area, there’s live piano music. Valet-weary city folk will appreciate the large, self-parking lot.
At dinner last week, we enjoyed the crisp calamari, and I loved the classic beef carpaccio with arugula, parmesan, olive oil and lemon studded with big, salty capers. Worth the calories: toasted bruschetta with fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil drizzled with olive oil.
Pastas are made in-house. The mezzaluna pasta with shrimp, roasted peppers and citrus cream sauce was more like ravioli – huge pillows of pasta filled with the tender fresh shrimp filling while the tangy citrus brightened the sauce. Also on the big side: El Sharif takes standard spaghetti and meatballs to the next level with huge meatballs made from Kobe beef and veal for big flavor. The table approved.
The highlight of the meal was our shared bone-in baby “chicken under a brick” served with panzanella (bread salad). The especially juicy, tender chicken was accented by the smokiness of the sear while the bread salad complimented the dish especially well.
We fought our way through to make room for dessert with a plan to have just one bite. But the panna cotta was so lovely in its creamy yet just-firm-enough texture (I do appreciate a little wriggle in my panna cotta), studded with vanilla bean seeds and topped with thin shards of candied orange zest and a sprinkling of chopped pistachios, we couldn’t really stop ourselves and ended up devouring nearly all of it.
Of course if any of this hadn’t been what we’d felt like for dinner, there is a note on the menu reminding us, “If you don’t see your favorite dish, please ask Chef Aldo. He’ll be happy to prepare it for you.” Some things never change, and in this case it’s a good thing.
ALDO’S CUCINA ITALIANA, 18450 I-45 S, north of Research Forest Dr., Shenandoah, 936-447-9623, aldoscucinaitaliana.com