Crapitto's Cucina Italiana

​What a Name
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Crapitto is the name of the family who has owned this restaurant for about 15 years. They graciously put up with Jay Leno's comments on two occasions!  I give a solid 3 bonus points for this family embracing their name!

Near Houston's Galleria
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You know I appreciate an interesting exterior, so of course I would  love this 75 year old farm house.  But the fact that this is a block or so from the snarling traffic of the Houston Galleria, makes it an even greater oasis!  5 Bonus points!!

My Dining Partner
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Okay, so Lorrie has been in the dining blog before.  I guess I can't give any bonus points for introducing a new person to the blog.  But, we were out in the morning, experimenting with Lorrie's new camera, so adding Italy to the blog was sort of an add-on to our day.  1 bonus for that!

Food
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This image of my minestrone is a bit lame, but as you can see it has a good helping of parmesan on top!  Ever since I was 11 and experienced my first minestrone in Italy, I've been hoping to taste that amazing mixture of spices and veggies and cheese.  I give 3 points for Crapitto's yummy minestrone, but I may have to go back to Italy (and maybe go back in time) to taste that memory again!

People Encounters
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​This is Armando, our waiter.  His accent was not Italian, but he was a very nice and somewhat serious waiter.  He came a little more to life when asked to pose for this photo.  I hope he was kidding about the $5.00 payment...because I didn't pay him. 

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The person I didn't get to meet was Frank Crapitto. That would have made my day. ( Oddly enough he bought the restaurant from his son, John a few years ago.)  We did get to enjoy looking at a wall of old Crapitto family photos, though.  And we had a quick chat with Justin, the very busy, but accommodating manager. 

I'm afraid we did not  hear one Italian accent. That just makes me crave the old Italian restaurants back in St. Louis on "The Hill."    3 bonus for Armando and Justin.  1 negative point for not meeting an actual Crapitto!
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Atmosphere

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Crapitto's gets a big 7 points for atmosphere, inside and out!  The warm wood floors, white table cloths, small rooms, cozy bar and framed family photos, made the inside  classy and comfy. The patio couldn't have been lovelier, with green umbrellas and shady Live Oaks!  Even the fresh air felt oddly  European!

I really need to come back and enjoy the night atmosphere for sure!
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Crapitto's gets 21 points!!