Acclaimed Houston artist John Ross Palmer’s works adorn the walls of both Ciao Bello and Tony’s. John Palmer and his husband and business partner Ryan Lindsay created the Vallone Award in 2011 to recognize outstanding contributions to the world of art and to honor their close friends and patrons (one of the first couple’s to collect John’s work and to display it in their restaurants), Donna and Tony Vallone.

Artist John Ross Palmer’s husband, attorney Ryan Lindsay, began regularly writing the John Palmer Art Blog when he joined John’s business in 2009. 

During Art Chicago 2009, John bragged to the Art Chicago Sales Director, Lisa Witherite, that Ryan writes that Blog “every single day.”  While Ryan was pleased with John’s enthusiasm, he then was thrust into the difficult job of typing out and posting the funny, inspiring and informative John Palmer Art Blog every day.

But Ryan got into a groove and began to thoroughly love telling stories about John, their travel adventures, cherished art collectors and, of course, their pets. Over time, the John Palmer Art Blog became extremely popular–with literally hundreds of visitors per day. At the conclusion of 2009, there was a Count-Down on the John Palmer Art Blog with the subject entitled “Noteworthy Collectors & Individuals.” This list was determined solely by Ryan and John. They looked back at the entire year and wrote down names of individuals or organizations that had the most positive impact on the business of John Palmer Art. These individuals or organizations did not always did not have to be collectors of John’s art—they could also be included if they helped us out tremendously in circumstances not related to sales. For example, John and Ryan’s Executive Assistant Amanda Assali made the list because she stuck with them through crushing economic times. Ryan’s former boss, Mr. Donn Fullenweider, made the list because he supported Ryan’s new career move and gave his blessing to Ryan’s dream of working with John and promoting his career as a professional artist.

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING AND READ ABOUT PAST AND PRESENT WINNERS OF THE VALLONE AWARD.

Please call (713) 960-0333 to reserve…

Our Valentine’s Day menu includes three-courses and wine pairings selected by Tony Vallone himself.

Just $45 per person.
Not including tax and gratuity.

Our authentic Italian Valentine’s Day Menu follows below!

Buon San Valentino!

VALENTINE’S DAY MENU

Primi

CHOICE OF:

Vallone Salad
Italian Homestyle Salad with Provolone

Risotto
Wild Mushroom & Black Truffle

Tomato Basil Soup
Smoked Mozzarella

Warm Goat Cheese Salad
Medjool Dates, Candied Walnuts, Wild Arugula, Pomegranate

Cioppino
Genovese Shellfish Soup

Polpette
Vallone Family Meatball over Cheesy Polenta

Pansoti
Roasted Butternut Squash, Sage Sauce

Beef Carpaccio
Gorgonzola Dolce, Black Truffle Vinaigrette, Pickled Grapes

Tuna Tonnato
Ahi Tuna, Micro Herbs, Spicy Mayo

Pappardelle Bolognese
The Classic Meat Sauce of Bologna

Gnocchi
Vodka Sauce, Pancetta

Tortellini
Roasted Chestnut, Sage Brown Butter

Texas Strawberries and Burrata
Mint Pesto, Saba (Supp. $7)

Secondi

CHOICE OF:

Spaghetti Meatball
Meat Sauce or Marinara

Thin Roman Crust Pizza (choice of)
Margherita, Pepperoni Meatball, Caprino, Sausage and Peppers

Veal Romana
Wild Mushrooms, Crispy Capers, Long Stem Artichokes

Duck Two Ways
Ricotta Gnocchi, Duck Confit, Saba Jus

Diver Scallops
Texas Citrus, Marinated Crab, Sicilian Blood Orange Sauce

Red Snapper Tesoro
Crab, Shrimp, Vermouth, Bianco Sauce

Bombolloti Amatricana
Pancetta, Tomato, Basil

Prime Filet
Parmesan & Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Wild Mushrooms

Chicken or Eggplant Parmigiana
Fedellini Marinara

Lasagne
Thin Pasta Sheets, Classic Meat Sauce of Bologna, Marinara

Veal Osso Buco
Saffron Risotto (Supp. $20)

Seafood Cannelloni
Pesto, Crispy Calamari, Fresh Gulf Seafood

Dessert

CHOICE OF:

OMG
Cheesecake
Cassata
Panna Cotta with Amerene
Mezzanote

Vallone, Nero d’Avola Bianco, (Sicily), ’0810/36
Bianca Vigna, Prosecco, (Veneto), NV9/35

$45 per person
Tax & Gratuity not included

Here at Ciao Bello, chef de cuisine Bobby Matos is serving his heirloom Berkshire Pork Chop Tuscany style, accompanied by white cannellini beans that have been slow-cooked with a kiss of Calvados and then dressed with Tony Vallone’s own extra-virgin olive oil from Sicily.

Click here to see what’s new on the dinner menu at Ciao Bello!

But Panna Cotta is so much more than just one of Italy’s greatest contributions to the great dessert menus of the world.

Panna Cotta is a litmus test, a benchmark, a true test of any great chef. In Italy, if you can’t make a great Panna Cotta, you have no business working in a restaurant’s kitchen.

A Panna Cotta must wiggle but it must not ever lose its shape (that is, until you dig in with your spoon!).

It must be sweet but not cloyingly so: the dish’s sweetness should rest in balance with the delicious creme.

And Panna Cotta must be beautiful…

Chef de cuisine Bobby Matos also offers guests nouvelle cuisine dishes, like seared tuna served with heirloom tomato salad.

Fresh tuna — no matter where it is prepared or served — reamins a true expression of classical Mediterranean aromas and flavors.

After all, can you imagine Sicilian or Sardinian cooking without Tuna?

Click here for current menus at Ciao Bello…

LUNCH

DINNER (page 1)

DINNER (page 2)

BRUNCH

WINE

(Mac/Safari users: please click here to download wine list)

PRIVATE DINING/PRIVATE PARTIES
CORPORATE EVENTS

Italian Sponge Cake (Pan di Spagna) dusted with roast almonds. Photo by Jessica Matos.

Some might call it “Italian casual.” Others would call it “Italian comfort food.” And those who frequent Tony’s on Richmond might even call it “Tony’s lite.” We just call it “great food to be shared with family and friends.”

When legendary Houston restaurateur Tony Vallone decided to open Ciao Bello two years ago, his intention was to bring classic Italian cuisine made with authentic ingredients to the Galleria neighborhood (not far from the original Tony’s, which opened in 1965).

“Tony Vallone is the consummate classicist when it comes to wine and food,” wrote wine writer Dale Robertson in a recent edition of the Houston Chronicle. “You don’t stay open for nearly half a century by heading off willy-nilly in all directions.”

The Houston Press has called Ciao Bello one of the “top ten restaurants in the Galleria area” and veteran Houston restaurant reviewer Rob Walsh listed one of Ciao Bello’s housemade pastas as one of his “100 favorite Houston dishes.”

One of the highlights was this amazing Cacciucco alla Livornese (kah-CHOO-koh AHL-lah LEE-vohr-NEH-zeh), Livorno-style fish stew made with locally fished ingredients from the Gulf of Mexico.

At Ciao Bello, Tony has always maintained a balance of classic Italian cuisine created with locally sourced ingredients.

And while you’ll also find a number of American standbys on the menu as well (like one of our guests’ favorites, braised short ribs), the heart and soul of the Ciao Bello kitchen is authentic Italian.

Here are some of the other dishes that Tony chose especially for our dinner…

A Margherita Pizza — tomato, basil, and mozzarella — done in the Roman “sottile” (thin crust) style.

Ragù alla Bolognese, a litmus test of any great Italian kitchen. Although tagliatelle are the canonical pasta for this dish, Tony likes to do his with pappardelle which are broader. “I find they absorb the sauce better,” said Tony.

We’ve really enjoyed following Houston author J.C. Reid’s series on the Italian classic Carbonara.

And when one of the guests at dinner remarked how much she loved the Carbonara and wondered out loud if there was any chance of tasting Tony’s Amatriciana, it didn’t take long… Tomato sauce prepared with guanciale (cured pig’s jowl) and onions, served over bucatini. “It’s important to use a pasta like bucatini or perciatelli,” i.e., with a hole running through the middle of the noodle, said Tony. “Its what allows the pasta to entirely absorb the sauce.”

At Ciao Bello, Tony likes to make his with fresh cod.

“It allows me to make the dish less salty than with traditional salt cod,” says Tony. “Baccalà needs to be soaked for days and days to purge it of its salt. By using fresh cod, chef [de cuisine] Bobby [Matos] can create the dish to order, with just the right amount of saltiness.”

While most people think of baccalà mantecato as a classic Venetian dish, it’s also become a part of the Neapolitan gastronomic canon, notes Tony.

“You don’t just find it in Venice and the Veneto anymore. It’s one of those great dishes of Italy.”

Pizza, Peroni beer, and pigskins… who could ask for more?

From the NFL Game Center…

This is a rematch of a game the Ravens won at home earlier this season after a pretty good struggle for three quarters. Of course, that was about two quarterbacks ago for Houston, which still had Matt Schaub under center at the time. The Texans were also without Andre Johnson then. Johnson is back, but wasn’t quite himself last week. The Ravens are hoping the injury woes that dogged Ray Lewis andEd Reed late in the season have subsided after they had a bye week to rest.

Quarterback Joe Flacco shines in Baltimore, where he’ll be leading the Ravens in their first home playoff game since the 2006 season. Houston quarterback T.J. Yates enjoyed a cocoon-like environment last week, but he’ll be in a totally different environment, especially with an offensive line that is geared more toward pushing forward and getting to the second level than it is toward pass protection. Baltimore, always stout against the run, will do whatever it takes to stifle the rushing attack of Arian Foster and Ben Tate. Will Yates be able to find Johnson enough to keep the Ravens honest?

Baltimore could throw Ricky Williams in the mix a little more than usual. With receiver Anquan Boldin playing in his first game after having knee surgery, keeping their young tight ends active will be imperative for the Ravens. Expect them to set up deep attempts to Torrey Smith off of play action with heavy doses of their run game. The Ravens love making explosive passing plays off of turnovers.

New Yorkers will tell you that New York-style “pizza by the slice” is the best. And who hasn’t enjoyed a reheated slice of pepperoni pizza on a Lower Eastside street corner after a late-night of club going?

In Chicago, it’s all about the “deep dish.” Oversized appetites love oversized pizzas and even though the Chicago style is among the farthest from the dish’s authentic Italian roots, we say: when in Chicago, do as the Chicagoans do…

From Brooklyn to Santa Monica, the so-called “pizza wars” have consumed restaurateurs and restaurant-goers alike. These days, it seems that folks are so busy arguing about their pizza that they have forgotten to take time out to enjoy it!

At Ciao Bello, Tony prefers to serve classic Roman-style pizza — the sottile (soht-TEE-leh) thin-crust classic of the Eternal City (above). This is the type of pizza you will find in the famous trattorie (traht-toh-REE-eh, plural of trattoria, traht-toh-REE-ah) of the Trastevere (trahs-TEH-veh-reh) district of Rome, where locals and tourists and young people and families all share a common love of this Italian classic dish.

The toppings range from the classic like the Margherita (mozzarella, tomato, and basil) to the exotic like the Fresca al Solare (above, goat cheese, Asian pear, roast garlic, truffle oil, and arugula).