Tony Mandola's Press
Tony and Phyllis Mandola are Houston restaurateurs, not New York drycleaners like sitcom characters George and Louise Jefferson. Even so, every time I ate at Tony Mandola’s, the Mandolas’ deluxe new operation, I kept thinking of the theme song of The Jeffersons and its celebration of “movin’ on up.”
Not that the Mandolas had to make much of a journey, of course. Long-haul movers were not needed for the relocation from West Gray, where Tony Mandola’s Gulf Coast Kitchen had been a River Oaks fixture from 1988 until its recent relocation, to the shiny new eatery just a few blocks away on Waugh Drive near the equally new Whole Foods Market. But the switch from intimate storefront to large made-to-order building definitely constitutes a step up.
Tony Mandola’s is still called Tony Mandola’s Gulf Coast Kitchen on the credit card receipts, and many of the original’ mainstay dishes are still on the menu, but the shortened name and expanded bill of fare reflect a more polished identity.
A hint of Cajun seafood joint is provided by the small silver tray that many fish shacks use to deliver bread and crackers. The jazz-themed posters on the walls lend a down-and-dirty Big Easy vibe. The place seems to do a lot of take-out business even though there is no drive-through window. And the giant trophy fish with a clock in its belly that hangs on one wall shouts bait shop. But the marble floors and snazzy bar are decidedly upscale. I suspect packets of lowly saltines are now available only on request. The service is almost comically fastidious (the attentive waiters lay down chilled forks for the salad course and cold desserts). And the clientele seems anything but the pick-up truck and bib-overall set. The parking lot overflows with luxury cars, and although I am lousy at recognizing movers and shakers I did spot high-profile lawyer Rusty Hardin in the bar one night. (So did several other customers who stopped by his table to pay their respects.)
If Tony Mandola’s Gulf Coast Kitchen served pizza, I know I never had one there. But the new Tony Mandola’s boasts a flame-spouting oven and turns out several species of pie, including one with a crab and gumbo-style topping. I tried instead the pizza topped with nuggets of Italian sausage and a scatter of red, green and yellow bell peppers. Even though the artfully thin crust was soft rather than crisp, the order made a fine shared starter. For appetizers with stronger Gulf Coast roots, though, it would be hard to beat what’s billed as Mama Mandola’s Creole-style seafood gumbo, a helping of luscious smoked corn and crab chowder, or a plate of fried green tomatoes, each cornmeal-dusted slice supporting a petite boiled shrimp and some bracingly spicy remoulade sauce.
The kitchen is hardly doctrinaire when it comes to Cajun grub, though. I mean, a Cajun chalupa? But then, the wall behind the receptionist’s desk sports a black-and-white photo of Mama Mandola and a color portrait of Tex-Mex pioneer (and Italian in married name only) Ninfa Laurenzo, which explain it all. These are the mothers of Tony Mandola and his wife Phyllis. And anyway, purists would be ill-advised to shun this hybrid starter: a large crispy corn tortilla heaped with red beans, roasted peppers, corn, avocado, pico de gallo and, for the ultimate Louisiana touch, crawfish tails. As irresistible as kudzu, it’s also big enough to serve as a light lunch.
Just one ingredient of several atop that chalupa, shellfish flies solo in a decadent dish of crab au gratin, the cheesy sauce the luscious lump crabmeat swims in further enriched with cream and a shot of brandy. Crustaceans share the spotlight in Drunken Shrimp, in which sautéed jumbo shrimp surf atop a dish of linguini tossed with a zingy tequila lime butter sauce. They also play a major role in the ensemble effort called the Blue Combo. In this festival of fried seafood, shrimp share platter space with oysters, crab balls and a catfish filet. Replace the crab balls with boudin balls and this homey but expertly prepared medley would be right at home in any fish shack or Cajun dive whose floor was sawdust-sprinkled planks rather than marble and whose décor included a big trophy fish with a clock in its stomach.
Furthermore, a serving of chicken parmesan and a dish of plain old spaghetti and meatballs (two honking specimens rather than the miniatures called polpette) bear witness to the proprietor’s claims that “many of our dishes are our mamas’ recipes” and this attractive new restaurant is “dedicated to the preservation of the art of our mamas’ cooking.”
The Cajun-Italian nexus dominates the regular menu, but the dessert selections include some European and American items. New Orleans-style bread pudding with bourbon sauce is on offer, of course, and mercifully light. But the first item in the printed dessert batting order (everything is also brought to the table on a big tray to make forbearance more difficult) is banana key lime pie. I gather key lime pie was a signature sweet at Tony Mandola’s Gulf Coast Kitchen, and here it is augmented (but needlessly) with super-thin banana slices between the custard and the graham cracker crust. But refreshing citrus tartness can also be had in the crêpes filled with lemon-spiked mascarpone cheese and drizzled with lemon-raspberry sauce. Cut into wide ribbons in the kitchen, they are great finger food. But blackberry and raspberry cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream on the side also makes a superb (and All-American) meal-ender.
RESERVATIONS
Click on the OpenTable logo below to make a Reservation Online.
PRIVATE DINING
SUNDAY BRUNCH
We are now open for Sunday Brunch from 11am - 2pm. Our full menu is available in addition to our new Sunday Brunch Menu.CATERING
GIFT CERTIFICATES
HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday - Thursday
11am - 10pm
Friday & Saturday
11am - 11pm
Sunday
Brunch: 11am - 2pm
Dinner: 5pm - 9pm