Comfort Food at D'Amico's

Celebrating After The Doc
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This cozy little family owned cafe/store was my pick for lunch the other day.  We were downtown for my post-op doctor's appointment.  I felt like celebrating my decent report with lunch in Rice Village.  

But I still felt the desire for a little comfort food!

Appointment Before Lunch
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I took my donkey mascot along to my doctor's appointment.  We both enjoyed the view.

My post-op appointment was with my surgeon, for a lumpectomy 2 weeks earlier. My doc had gotten results from some, but not all lab work.  It looked like my cancer was actually not stage 2, but stage 1.  I was also thrilled when the doctor said there was a chance I might not need to do chemo.  That was worth celebrating.

I Need Italian
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It was about 100 degrees, but I was in the mood for this little cafe that serves pasta and bread... my favorite comfort foods.  We came in through the back and found the atmosphere pleasantly busy.

Passing Through
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The back room was  a cozy with a small bar on one side. The opposite side had a wall of posters and stacked boxes on a high shelf. 

Front Room
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A very efficient waiter seated us at a tiny table in the front, next to arched windows. This cafe is only 20 years old, but it felt pretty
​authentic... 

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at least for Houston.  If not Italy, then I could at least pretend I was back in St. Louis at one of the many cozy Italian spots on "The Hill". 

Lunch Special
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It had been a long time since I'd been to D'Amico's.  I'd forgotten they have a daily lunch special that offers 3 items for $8.95. That's pretty decent for Rice Village.

Our Orders
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Our waiter was friendly and I could at least pretend his accent was Italian. He didn't roll his eyes when we asked if you could pick 2 entrees.  So Don got a Caesar salad, Tilapia Grandeza & Chicken Amore. I got salad, Bolognese Lasagna and mushroom soup. All hit the spot, with the fresh bread and olive oil. 
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Off to Explore

Before the food arrived I decided I should "powder my nose" as an excuse to explore.  Mona greeted me with her smirk, from the Ladies' Room door.  I forgot to look at the Mens' Room door to see what character they might have had.  Leonardo himself, maybe?

Gelato and Ravioli
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I peeked at the colorful gelato choices and hoped I'd have room for dessert.  I could also see some dinner options, if we wanted to take home some fresh Mushroom Tortellini.

Shopping
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And I peeked at the shelves stacked with jars and cartons of foods, imported from Italy.  There was a huge container of olive oil on one shelf, where we could fill, or refill bottles of D'Amico's oil.  I even liked the shopper who had been dining behind us earlier.  He was dressed like an Italian gentlemen!  

The Patio
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​I had fond memories of eating lunch on the patio with my mom and sister about 10 years ago. It had been comfort food for us, after my mom's long appointment at Baylor Medical Center. 

It had been heavenly weather back then, but maybe I could just buy a gelato and sit by the fountain.. and gaze at the statue of David.  But when we stepped out, I could see the patio had been updated.  Had I just dreamed up the fountain and David?  Where were they?  Oh well it was too hot anyway.  We headed out with happy stomachs and some leftovers as well.