Culinary Forces Collaborate on Festive New Italian Restaurant — Make Holiday Rezzies Now

Brian Kennedy
Culinary Forces Collaborate on Festive New Italian Restaurant — Make Holiday Rezzies Now

THE CULINARY FORCES behind several of Houston’s best restaurants have quietly been collaborating on a new restaurant, Tavola, which opens on Post Oak just in time for all the festivities and feasts of the holiday season.


Berg Hospitality (B&B Butchers, Trattoria Sofia, Turner's) and The Bastion Collection (Le Jardinier, Café Leonelli) will debut the upscale Italian eatery in BLVD Place on Wednesday, Dec. 13. Polished and glamorous, it aims to be the next see-and-be scene in a neighborhood known for them.

Designed by Gail McCleese of Sensitori along with The Bastion Collection team and Ben Berg, Tavola, with an enclosed patio and brasserie-style bar, seats 118. A palette of "millennial mauve" and a Pantone-approved shade of peach sets the tone for a modern dining experience accented by unexpected details like a burl-wood Michelangelo mosaic and an opera-style enclave with a gold ceiling, perfect for small groups.

The executive chef of the restaurant is Luca Di Benedetto, a Milan-born industry vet who trained under Gualtiero Marchesi and has helmed kitchens of several Michelin-starred restaurants and luxury hotels. Tavola's "culinary experience" was "designed in partnership and oversight from The Bastion Collection’s Michelin-Starred Corporate Chef Salvatore Martone, a Joël Robuchon protege," per a release.

Di Benedetto is particularly excited about his cacio e pepe, which features agnolotti (instead of spaghetti) filled with roasted artichokes that “explode with flavor.” His ragu has wild boar, and his seven-layer lasagna is made with beef brisket, pancetta and pork butt. As if that's not enough, the dessert menu touts a "showstopper" tiramisu, and EVOO gelato.

The restaurant will serve lunch and dinner daily.

Food

OVER THE PAST five years or so, Spring Branch, which was founded in the late 1800s, has established itself as one of Houston’s most diverse and foodie-friendly neighborhoods. Newcomers like Blind Goat, Wild Oats and La Cruderia have denizens heading out to dinner more often.

Keep Reading Show less
Food

Alira Med Spa Owner, World Travel Blogger, Influencer, Philanthropist

Med Spa Owner

As a small business owner, I get to wear many hats. I became an Aesthetician to gain more knowledge about the services my business was going to provide, thinking that I will only focus on the administrative side of the business. Soon I became the business administrator and the lead Aesthetician. Currently, I am hands-on with our social media and marketing promotions, in addition to my regular facial clients. As time has passed, I realized I needed it to ramp up my services and technology to keep up with our competitors and now we offer a wide variety of Medical Spa services such as injectables and laser treatments. Visit aliramedspa.com to book an appointment today!

Keep Reading Show less