Coltivare Still Stuns; The Dunlavy Earns Raves

This week, the Houston Press’s Nicholas Hall traveled to Coltivare, the Italian eatery in the Heights that continually manages to stay packed. As part of the longtime Houston resident's travels back through the city's restaurant scene, Hall visited the two-year-old Coltivare, and found plenty to love:

A deep bowl of caserecci with oxtail sugo and pearl onions was the closest we came to a hiccup, its stubby twists of pasta just a bit more firm to the bite than I might have liked. Other than that, the sugo was nuanced and bright where it could have been heavy, further punctuated by pickled pearl onions. It was rich and warming and comforting, homey but carefully constructed. That's a good description for most of the food at Coltivare.

Elsewhere, Houstonia’s Mai Pham scoped out The Kitchen at The Dunlavy, a spot where you can dine underneath “shimmering crystal chandeliers of all sizes” and amongst a “sprawling” indoor oak tree that Pham declares one of the most Instagrammed spots in Houston. In addition to the restaurant’s chic aesthetic, Pham also found that the space was well-matched by Chef Brandi Key's cuisine:

It’s a winning combination. The Dunlavy serves up style in spades and it’s arguably one of the most—if not the most—beautiful restaurants in Houston at the moment. Combine that with a well-executed, chef-driven menu and an ambience that invites you in, whether you’re wearing yoga pants or dressed to the nines, and you’ve got a contender for one of Houston’s best new restaurants—even if it only serves breakfast and lunch.

All in all, a solid week for Houston’s restaurants – at least where the critics are concerned.