When we got word that Damian's will be closing, friends thought we ought to pay homage before this institution is gone forever.
After all, they've been in Houston for over 41 years, it really is an institution. But, what was it that made us stop going there in the first place?
I will tell you after talking about the food.
Had to start with Calamari - the server was kind enough to ask if we wish to swap out some of the shrimps. It was thoughtful of him to ask and we opted for them. You can rarely go wrong with fried anything.... so all good there.
For entree, ordered the Veal Marsala. It's been ages since I've had that. That said, the veal is fine, the wine sauce is fine, nothing spectacular, it's decent. I liked the Fettuccini Alfredo more, the sauce was nice and creamy and it has chopped prosciutto in there. That part was great.
After dinner, we got a cup of decaf cappuccino. I've learned that most places has the regular on hand and it's easy to pour, they may have been siting there for a bit, but it's also ready to serve. If you order decaf, for sure it's made fresh. Since this is espresso-based, it has to be made fresh, so even better.
For dessert, our server recommended his favorite, the Italian Cake, it has pecan, mascarpone in the middle and coconut on the side. The whole bite is nicely evened out, goes very well with the coffee.
Lastly, we got tiramisu. How can we go to an Italian restaurant and not get tiramisu. While this looks nice, you can skip the calories on this one. There's no taste of coffee or chocolate, the mascarpone overwhelmed the other two flavors, and it's supposed to be rum-infused, cannot taste any of that either. I think we all gave up on this one after a few bites.
Here's the answer from the beginning of the post. That is, why did we stop coming if this is such an institution? We arrived a few minutes after our reservation time turns out, it really wasn't needed, there were plenty of tables to be had. And for good 30 mins even during peak dinner hours, we were the youngest people in the dining room - that is, if you don't count someone's grandkid amongst the guests.
Given that backdrop, we were seated right away by one of the owners; no, not one of the Mandola's. But we sat, catching up, realizing we don't have menus at hand. Trying to get the attention of anyone is like playing a game of dodge, dodging eye contact that is. On top of that, no one came to even pour water. This went on for good 7-10 minutes. I've never had that happened before.
Alright, finally got our menu, and ordered our food. Food was fine, it wasn't spectacular, but it wasn't inedible. But when your side is better than your main attraction; meaning: our server was funny and engaging while running between tables and taking care of guests; where you main attraction should be the food, you know why they can no longer sustain business.
Listen, I, too, am sad to see a restaurant goes down. But this visit reminded me of why. Heck, truly, they over stayed their time. Institution as they may have been, the place is clean but also dark, very old school and atmosphere is also stiff. Food was tolerable but not great. I am always happy to pay the dollar and calories for great food. But when service, food, and ambience were all strike outs, I see the reason for the demise.
Go pay homage if you want one last chance. But do not go in with high expectation. I think the hey day of this place was late 90s and early 00s, where people do dine there and hitch a ride to the theaters. Now, they charge $5 to get on the shuttle and it's really simple and easy for folks to eat before going to see a show, and if the food is not great to boot, I understand the decline.
Their last day is supposed to be Aug 18th, but depending on how things goes, it may be sooner.
Damina's Cuccina Italiana
3011 Smith St
Houston, TX 77006
713-522-0439
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