The Best New Restaurants, 2005
By JOHN MARIANI
The first Tony's opened back in 1965, when Houston was still a dry town; the second opened in the Galleria area in 1972,
and Tony Vallone carefully built a glamorous society clientele that came as much for the scene as for the fine
Continental-Italian food. (Frank Sinatra once ordered food brought out to his limo.) Tony's third incarnation is a radical
departure.
At a new location with 150 seats, a theatrical design, and works by Robert Rauschenberg on the wall, Vallone has cannily
aimed at a younger, hipper crowd, and it's arrived. Olivier Ciesielski is the best chef Tony's ever had, adapting his French
background to Vallone's Italian. House-made tagliarini comes heaped with Gulf-coast baby shrimp, tomatoes, shaved garlic, and
basil. A waiter cracks open the salt crust on a succulent red snapper, napped with a reduction of Barolo wine. A ranch-sized
filet mignon is treated with truffle butter and whipped potatoes enriched with Doux de Montagne cheese. And do you really want
to leave without trying the sixteen-layer chocolate cake with chocolate mousse?
Copyright 2005 Esquire Magazine
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