La Strada
La Strada is a restaurant
of the times -- a constantly changing backdrop for people, food
and artwork with the atmosphere of a street scene. The restaurant's
clientele ranges from Montrose neighborhood residents to the
business crowds from Greenway Plaza, the Galleria and city sophisticates
from a wide area.
They come for an eclectic
blend of food from Italian classics to dishes with Southwestern
overtones. The emphasis is on healthy lighter presentations such
as grilled fish and pasta with fresh tomato sauces. Owner Aldo
Catania, who prefers to be called just "Aldo" comes
from a restaurant family. The family owned The Godfather, formerly
on the La Strada site, and Cafe de la Paix as well as a group
of Coney Island shops.
La Strada opened when the
Houston economy was in a downturn. It was designed to be sophisticated
but casual - a place "where you could go out but not get
stuck with a big check," says Aldo. Because of his interest
in the arts, he frequently hosts benefit or cast parties such
as the recent black-white-and-red theme event for the cast of
the musical Jekyll & Hyde A motorcycle buff who rides a Harley
Davidson, Aldo recently organized a charity bike ride.
La Strada's menu reflects
Aldo's passionate interest in nutrition and body building. He
says that runners deserve the credit for popularizing pasta as
a great fitness food since it "provides excellent muscle
fuel." Some of his favorite pasta dishes on the menu are
a jalapeno fettucine made with grilled chicken, tomatoes, cilantro
and black beans, a super spinach fettucini made with shrimp and
sweet peppers and Kathy Ruiz's grilled sausage and chicken served
over a garlic chive pasta.
The restaurant is also high
on pizza as a "fine fitness food." The homemade pizzas
are baked in a special brick oven and have thin tender crusts
that are light and delicious. The most exotic, pizza Cristina,
is topped with grilled leeks, pancetta (unsmoked lightly spiced
bacon), sundried tomatoes and goat cheese. Other first-rate pizzas
include a Pizza Italia that is topped with sausage, roasted sweet
yellow and red peppers, and a Pizza Lingo with grilled shrimp,
roasted poblano peppers and
spicy salsa verde. Also on the menu are classic Italian specialties
such as lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, grilled veal scaloppini
and steamed mussels in a white wine or marinara sauce.
Houston, Texas, USA
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