Diva Dining IV

Coppa Ristorante Italiano

In their continued quest to find culinary utopia in the city of H-town, the Dining Divas hit Washington Avenue last Friday nite; this time, flexing their taste buds at Coppa Ristorante Italiano (5555 Washington Ave.).

Diva Super K reserved a table for seven and reported no problems with saving the space (although she was told that adding another person to the group would push the time back two hours)… Upon arrival, it became clear to the Divas why squeezing even one extra person might present a problem…. The place was packed!

In addition to every dining room table being occupied, the patio was also full (despite it being one of the coldest nites of the year.) Throughout the course of their dinner, the Divas observed a steady stream of stragglers waiting for tables. Obviously, the place was popular.

But the real question was… Was it popular just because it’s popular (the general theme for Washington hot-spots), or was it popular because it’s really good?  

The space Coppa occupies is generic: a large, open dining room, with high ceilings and as many white-cloth-clad tables as could possibly be fit into its parameters. There is an impressive-looking wall of wine bottles to the west and an open kitchen to the south, where chefs busily work to feed the yuppie masses. The patio is a small, shotgun-style space that manages to stay surprisingly warm in the dead of winter

The biggest problem, off the bat, was the tightness of the table arrangement. The set-up forces diners to be so… ahem… intimate… that the Divas could hardly move an elbow without jamming it into either another chair or (less fortunately) a waiter’s nether regions.

Besides the sardine-like spacing, Coppa is comfy enough. It’s loud but not so loud that a Diva has to shout to be heard. The cocktail menu boast an impressive assortment of fruity craft beverages, and the Divas got right to sampling.  The fig-flavored cocktail is agreeably the best, though a Campari-and-grapefruit spritzer is also tasty. One thing Coppa won’t skimp you on is a decent buzz: these cocktails pack an alcoholic punch.

The wine selection is also decent enough, though the waiter’s knowledge of it was questionable… In fact, the service was mediocre overall. Though he was timely, the Divas’ gentleman servant of the evening seemed more confused than anything else.

As far as the actual food is concerned, Coppa bears no bragging rights. The kitchen serves up Italian fare that is equally as generic as its dining space. Sure, most selections are tasty… But so are most selections at the Olive Garden. And in a city with as much culinary competition as Houston, it takes more than tasty to impress a Diva.

Diva JQ  ordered the lamb sausage with artichoke pasta, while Diva Gabs opted for the half-chicken and polenta. Both ladies enjoyed their plates, and the polenta definitely made the biggest impression of the nite, making its way around the table twice for tasting.   Diva Super K (who's known for her opposition to roughage) decided to give a salad a chance and picked Coppa's arugula variety. While she gave it an overall favorable rating, Diva K thought the dish might have been better if topped with a meat or seafood selection. Divas Len and Lay Lay opted for the crispy artichoke small plate (Coppa’s code word for appetizer), followed by the mushroom risotto. They were both impressed by the first course (aioli was delish!) and disappointed by the second, making for an overall summation of not-half-bad! but certainly not outstanding.

 

As far as pricing goes, any Diva on a budget should be wary of Coppa. While dinner menu prices (ranging from $4 to $34) seem reasonable enough at first glance, portion sizes are meager and quality is mediocre. Tack on a few (well-worth-it) cocktails and a bottle of wine, and a Diva can end up spending enough to cover a mani-pedi without gaining quite the same satisfaction… Priorities, ladies!

Still, the overall consensus on Coppa was that it certainly warrants a visit… Though, perhaps not a second. This Diva’s advice? Skip the full dinner and visit for a light happy hour meal earlier in the evening. That way, you miss the crowd and still have a chance to sample some of the more reasonably priced small plates and admittedly tasty cocktails. Bon appétit!

Staff: B-

Ambience: B

Food: B

Price: $$

Diva Dining III

Liberty Kitchen

Liberty Kitchen is located in the Heights on the corner of Studewood St. and 11th St.   It is a smaller space with interior walls  covered in distressed wood and accent colors of blue and orange.   There is also a cute space outside to sit.  Liberty Kitchen has a very welcoming feel with upbeat music in the background like Rilo Kiley's "Silver Lining." It is has an intimate and cozy, but also an energetic ambiance. This restaurant is for all kinds from casual to dressy and for dates, friends, or families.  The service was great, even Chico, the manager, stopped by to introduce himself to the 5 divas and make sure we were doing all right.  Also, our friendly waiter comped us for a spilled cocktail later on.

Liberty Kitchen has the feel and menu of a refined gastro pub.  The menu was extensive with plenty to choose from.  If you are a breakfast lover you should know they have breakfast all day long.  Diva Gabs ordered the white queso for an appetizer.  It was very good and reminded us of Escalante's white queso appetizer.  Liberty Kitchen was very generous in their portion sizes.  Divas Stine and Special K had the chicken tortilla soup and thought is was yummy and healthy, but the flavor was a bit bland.  The sweet potato served with the soup was excellent.  Another had the burger who said it was delicious but was a tad overcooked.  I had the very tasty Rodeo Reuben which had an interesting distinction from the regular reuben.  The corned beef was substituted for a barbecue brisket and topped with pickles and cheddar cheese.  Any  Texas diva would love this agreeable southern twist.   Diva Gabs (and baby Diva CC) had the smoked salmon salad.  Although it was good, she wished it would have had less toppings on it.  It somewhat resembled a cobb salad and spinach salad mixed together.   Overall the food was good and all the meals had a unique quality.


The drink menu was great.  They also offer locally brewed beer from Karbach Brewing.  Two divas had the Liberty and said it was a bit weak.  I had the Shepard Heights which was a vodka, tequila mix with olive and lime juice.  It was very delicious. 

Overall on a scale from A (the best) to F (the worst)  Ambiance: A Food: B Staff: A Price: $$

Diva Dining II

 Bird and Bear Bistro

This was a packed Diva Dining experience with 7 Divas in attendance.  Since I knew prior that we would have a large group I opted to use the online reservation service and booked it under Diva Dining.  A reminder email was sent the day of the dinner to confirm the reservation and it's introduction was "Dear Diva,".  I loved it.

Bird and Bear Bistro is located close to the corner of Westheimer and Kirby Dr.  It is nestled in a strip center and at first glance does not reveal the true playful elegance of the interior.   After arrival the divas were welcomed by a friendly staff and not to mention a cute waiter.  If you are a diva aged 20-30 years and are looking for an evening in an environment with a similar age bracket this place probably isn't for you.  Our fellow diners were a bit more wise than our group of 20 somethings.  The interior ambiance was definitely pleasing to the eye with modern glam decor and whimsical touches like floating chairs from the ceiling.

All of the divas except for two had a salad with the house dressing.  Unfortunately for Diva Belladenzi, she asked me, the only diva who very very rarely orders salad if I was going to order one.  She was sorely disappointed when the other 5 divas were served their salads.  The divas said the salad was very tasty except that the house dressing did have a very strong lemon taste.  So, for all you lemon haters don't opt for the house dressing.  Quite a few divas had fish and all agreed that it was delicious but might have been a bit over cooked.  Two divas had the rice pilaf which I sampled as well.  We concurred that it was too bland for our spicy taste buds.  I had the seafood lasagna and thought it was great, I had no complaints, and I recommend it.

They had a full bar and great cocktail menu.  We all sampled the different martinis and were pleased.  The Salty Dog Martini stayed true to it's name.  Diva Li Li had the bloody mary and said it was mediocre.  When it came time to pay the bill I think we all gasped when we saw the price.  A dinner at Bird Bear and Bistro is definitely not for the frugal diva.  The West Ave River Oaks center is just around the corner for divas that may want to go out after dinner to say Saint Genevieve or within walking distance there is the Red Room.

Overall scored on scale of 1-10 Ambiance=8 Staff=8 Food=8 Price=$$$$

As Diva Belladenzi said
VIVA LA DIVA!!!