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: $$
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