Sud Italia's Family Dinner

Stuffed Peppers

Sud Italia has been a Rice Village staple for excellent Italian food for the past three years. The recent addition of Chef Maurizio Ferrarese has brought a fresh new menu to the cozy ristorante that is exciting and delicious. Italian food might bring to mind images of heavy sauces and rich pasta dishes, but the focus at Sud Italia is on coastal Italian cuisine with an emphasis on seafood, fresh herbs and seasonal vegetables.

Seafood Pasta

Italian wine expert, Jeremy Parzen, recently invited members of the Houston Food Blogger Collective to preview Sud Italia's upcoming family-style dinner. The Cena di Famiglia (family dinner) will be offered on Wednesdays for $50 and seating is limited. The menu will change weekly, but will feature an assortment of Italian classics such as antipasto, crudo, seafood and meat dishes, and of course pasta.

Laughing and eating with my fellow bloggers reminded me of meals I've had in Italy where dinner is not just about great food, but enjoying the company of others. We started the meal with crostini, olives and stuffed peppers followed by a beautiful octopus salad. The Ahi tuna and snapper crudo were very popular at our table. I was delighted to see a seafood pasta with a gnocchi I learned how to make while in Florence. My absolute favorite dish of the night was the strozzapreti with short rib ragu. 

In addition to the Family Dinner, Sud Italia has several exciting events coming up. On March 8, they will feature a Wines of Ruffino dinner for $59.50. The four-course dinner will include a Greppone Mazzi 2012 Brunello di Montalcino. To celebrate the Feast of San Giuseppe, a special dinner will take place on March 19. The Sicilian-style wine dinner is just $59 and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Houston Food Bank. For reservation call the restaurant at (713) 664-7571.