The once-dingy space has been converted into a light-filled sanctuary, sort of a modern 70’s look with its mint green tables and color splashed walls: There’s a bar for a pre-meal prosecco, a small outdoor area for when the weather allows, and an accommodating staff for all your questions and needs. But of course, the real draw is the food.
Take the minestrone soup, for example. It’s a clean and delicious combination, heavy on the carrots and kale, swimming in a complex vegetarian broth that’s made in house daily. And then there’s the orecchiette, ear-shaped pasta topped with broccoli rabe and lamb meatballs in a light, brothy sauce. The pasta, itself, is good, but the stand-out is the super-spiced waterfall of lamb meatballs which add just the right kick to the otherwise vanilla dish.
The real show-stealer, though, is the half-moon pasta filled with Swiss chard and goat cheese in a sage butter sauce. The handmade pasta packets have that exact texture we wish every noodle could emulate, and the creamy, flavorful filling provides just the right accompaniment. Simple, satisfying, dreamy.
So lovely was my experience that I placed a to-go order on my way out the door to use as my next day’s lunch (and dinner): four of the vegetable sides for $10. Cauliflower with hazelnuts and capers, beets with gorgeous chunks of goat cheese, crisp carrots in a vinaigrette, and a colorful array of roasted peppers -- all of it prepared from scratch daily. I was the envy of the lunch room.
Giacomo’s - 3215 Westheimer at Bammel Lane