Phaedra Cook Smells 'Wet Dog' at Amalfi

This week, Houston Press critic Phaedra Cook files a review on Amalfi, the ambitious Italian restaurant that Italy native Giancarlo Ferrara opened in November of last year. On two visits, Cook waited for one hour before any food arrived. And one dish was "downright tragic":

"When the terrine hit the table, it was immediately obvious something had gone terribly wrong. It smelled like a wet dog. The dry neon-green pistachio brioche didn't win any fans, either. When the server picked up the mostly uneaten plate, there wasn't even a hint of curiosity about why such a delicacy would go unfinished."

In addition to the lackluster food, service was glacial:

"Amalfi becomes quite busy in the evening and there isn't enough staff to handle the workload. It took more than two and a half hours to get through three courses. While no one was there for fast food, that's ridiculous. There are nine-course tasting menus in this city that take about the same time."

Note that Cook did order the foie gras terrine on another visit and said it was "delightful." So we'll call that one hit or miss. Ultimately Cook will be going elsewhere for upscale Italian fare. She deems Da Marco, Quattro, Tony's and Damian's as better bets.

—James Brock