Houston Italian Restaurant Photos ~ Homemade Italian Food to Make Your Grandmother Smile

MANCUSO'S ITALIAN TABLE

While I have not a drop of Italian blood in me by heritage...if the old saying that states "You are what you eat" has any validity...by now I can assume that I am a good percentage Italian. For many years after I was married, every Sunday night consisted of having an Italian styled meal in our home. We started this when living in the cold environs of Wisconsin during the winter months, but expanded it into what had become somewhat of a tradition.

Many of us who were fortunate enough to live close to our grandparents and remember eating meals at their tables probably remember the welcoming and homey atmospheres in addition to the homemade meals that our aproned grandmothers typically prepared with their loving hands.

This is the same type of atmosphere that one finds inside of Mancuso's Italian Table and why in the title I mentioned that this is the type of homemade food that would make your grandmother smile. This is no chain restaurant stamped out with cookie cutter precision and replicated on street corners all across this city of Houston and elsewhere. No indeed! This is a terrific, family friendly place located in an area of the city accessible to many neighborhoods west of the Galleria area and one in which I have had the pleasure of dining several times for lunch and hoping to enjoy many more times. 



Red checkered tablecloths







With a nod to the past, the owners of Mancuso's Italian Table, Jerry Mancuso and Doty Martel have transformed this former Wendy's free standing location into a warm and inviting atmosphere.

It includes the iconic red checkered tablecloths as well as decor that includes framed photos of fresh foods offered for selection by shoppers in open air markets. Other art makes one think of street cafes and other reminiscent sites of what might be viewed in Italy.

There is even an old family portrait on one wall of what appears to be a wedding photo.

Homemade Italian food



As the photo above and to the right shows, while one is perusing the menu and trying to decide upon all kinds of directions one could take with regard to the food offerings, some delicious and fragrant olive oil scented with fresh garlic, herbs and crushed red pepper flakes is brought to the table along with some crusty bread of which the inside is soft and perfect for dipping into that oh so good infused oil.

Homemade soups





The first time I dined at Mancuso's Italian Table with my husband we both had the soup of the day which was a seafood soup.

Oh my gosh!...I wish that I had ordered an entire bowl of it for a meal!



It was chuck full of large lumps of all types of succulent seafood and the broth was well seasoned and perfectly balanced. I have never had a better cup of seafood soup in my entire life!







The next time I wanted to purposely have a cup of soup that is at all times offered on the menu which is their Roasted Tomato and Sweet Basil soup. It is not only delicious but also very pretty in the presentation. A portion of the basil made into a thin pesto type consistency is drizzled over the top. When mixed together, the tomato basil soup is a winner.

My husband chose another soup of the day that was a chicken based soup which was absolutely outstanding! If both examples of the special soup offerings are an example, I would be tempted to always go that route in the future if desiring a soup course just to see what innovative ideas the chef decides to make that particular day.

The chef at Mancuso's Italian Table has a deft hand when it comes to soup making! 



Antipasti

My husband and I love fried calamari and oftentimes order it when it is offered on menus. The light and crispy fried squid at Mancuso's Italian Table is one of the tastiest versions out there! If squid is cooked too long it can become tough and chewy. At Mancuso's it was done to perfection and it is accompanied with a lightly battered and fried lemon slice, a rich and savory tomato sauce and a creamy tarragon dill aioli sauce. While the latter is good for those who like a tartar type of sauce as an accompaniment, my husband and I prefer either the zesty tomato sauce or even just slices of lemon as they typically serve with fried calamari in Italy.

Wood burning fire

The wood burning fire is kept stoked the entire time the restaurant is open and there are eight types of pizza offered on the menu with the ability to add extra ingredients to customize them even further. They include the following:

• Cheese (plus a number of additions per individual choice)
• Margherita (basil, provolone, Roma tomatoes and house-made mozzarella cheese)
• Truffalati (portobello, crimini and button mushrooms, provolone cheese and truffle oil)
• Clam & Pesto (clams, mozzarella, provolone and pesto)
• Mediterranean (grilled chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, goat cheese, pesto, pepperoncini peppers)
• Muffaletta (Genoa salami, capicola, prosciutto, kalamata olives, mozzarella, provolone, Dijon)
• Palermo (Prosciutto, pepperoni, mozzarella, provolone and grilled pineapple)
• Puttanesca (anchovy, kalamata olives, capers, garlic, red chili flakes, house-made mozzarella)

Are you hungry for pizza after reading this list? Personally I think that I would like to try the Clam & Pesto or Truffalati or.....I can see that it will take a while to work through sampling this pizza menu!

Pizza

On a recent visit to Mancuso's my husband and I decided to try one of their wood fired pizzas. Oh the sacrifices we make to be able to add engaging photos to this hub!

The one we chose was the Mediterranean and wow!...was it ever good!

The crust had that slightly charred taste from being wood fired and was chewy and offered a perfect palette for the colorful and delicious ingredients covering the top. The toppings are generous as one can see from these pictures and tantalize the taste-buds as well as presenting a visual feast for the eyes.

My first lunch entree ever ordered was the Chicken Milanese which was a very generous portion described on the menu as: Crispy chicken paillard, cherry pepper, lemon, truffle potatoes, asparagus.

The asparagus was crisp tender...just the way I like it. The chicken was perfectly cooked and still very tender and the delicious mashed potatoes that were mounded under the chicken made for a pretty presentation. Apparently many people choose to squeeze the juices of the pepper over the chicken. I may try that the next time!

Be prepared to take "to go" boxes home with you. As already stated, the portions are more than generous and would sate the heartiest of appetites with their entree portions from what I have seen.

My husband has enjoyed a salad with grilled salmon many times and did so again on my first visit to Mancuso's. He gave me a taste of the salmon and it was cooked to perfection.

The Chicken Dragoncello was tried on another occasion. A chicken paillard with mushrooms in a tarragon, white wine cream sauce is draped and served over sauteed spinach. It is a very rich dish!

Wine

For those who like sharing a glass or bottle of wine at Mancuso's Italian Table, they have a nice selection including one with their own label.

For a corkage fee of $10 people can even bring in bottles from their own wine cellars.

Actually there are few wine cellars in Houston except in rare cases since the topography is so flat. Most people who collect wine in these parts have wine closets or use spaces set aside in their houses for the sole purpose of storing wines.

But whether one has a wine cellar, wine closet or goes to the nearest store selling wine, one is welcomed to add that liquid refreshment to one's meal at Mancuso's.

As Robert Louis Stevenson once stated "Wine is bottled poetry." Cheers to more poetry in our lives! 

Fondue

We were surprised to see fondue on the menu at Mancuso's. It brought back memories of our dating and early married years many decades ago.

There used to be a Houston restaurant called the Swiss Chalet and they seemed to specialize in offering many different kinds of fondue. The fondue pot would be brought to the table with a lighted candle underneath it keeping the contents warmed. Long forks would be provided to spear the pieces of bread into the cheese or cook the pieces of meat to desired doneness or even dip pieces of fruit into chocolatey goodness. That seemed so romantic back then and quite different from the norm.

At Mancuso's Italian Table the use of a large serving spoon helps place the cheesy sauce filled with whole pieces of shrimp, the crab, spinach and seasonings onto the grilled bread. This is not a thin sauce that merely coats a piece of bread such as we were used to having in those days of old. This is a substantial and filling antipasti offering meant to be shared with several diners. The only thing that we would request the next time would be a few more pieces of the grilled ciabatta bread to better match the amount of fondue served. The grilled bread is a nice additional touch. 

Dining alfresco

Mancuso's Italian Table can also accommodate diners who wish to dine in the open air but under cover of a large canopy. That is also where smoking is allowed. While Voss Road gets a bit of traffic, those dining outside also get to gaze across at residential residences and well established landscaping with tall trees.

Houston Italian Restaurant

Okay...for those of you wishing to visit this family friendly place and who are presently unfamiliar, here are a few details in which you might be interested.

The reference on the Mancuso's Italian Table sign referencing "since 1896" goes back to the cooking history of the Jerry Mancuso family. I am sure that there are generations of grandmothers who have influenced the way that things are currently presented along with Chef Greg Moore's spin on serving fresh and homemade Italian cuisine.

Entertainment at this restaurant includes live piano music on Friday and Saturday evenings.

With rare exceptions, Mancuso's is open seven days a week and once opened, they remain open until closing time. Monday to Thursday the hours are 11am to 9:30pm. Fridays, 11am to 10pm; Saturday, 5pm to 10pm and on Sundays dinners can be enjoyed from 5pm to 9pm.

They are located at 2231 South Voss Road, Houston, Texas 77057 and reservations can be made by calling 713-953-9090. Free self parking is available.

The wait staff is extremely friendly, engaging and helpful.

By now you probably realize that we truly like dining at Mancuso's Italian Table...and you are correct in that assumption. We look forward to many more visits in the future.