Every so often, a restaurant comes along that feels less like a place to eat and more like a mirror. For me, that restaurant is Coltivare in the Heights. A restaurant built around a vegetable garden? That is literally my personality come to life.
The whole place is laid out like a garden that happens to have a restaurant attached, not the other way around. There’s indoor seating and outdoor seating, and we didn’t even debate it. We took a table outside, right in the garden, where dinner came with a view of exactly the kind of thing that ends up on a plate. It’s the closest I’ll ever get to a dinner party in my dream backyard.
The Idea Behind the Garden
Coltivare is Italian for “to cultivate,” and it has been living up to the name since it opened in January 2014. That makes it nearly thirteen years old, which in restaurant years is roughly a century. Chef Ryan Pera and Morgan Weber, the pair behind Revival Market just down the street, built it around a 3,000-square-foot garden in the side yard.
Getting the doors open was not simple. They spent six or seven months negotiating with the City of Houston for permission to use that space as a garden instead of a parking lot. Somewhere out there, a parking lot was robbed of its destiny, and the rest of us are better for it.
The thinking behind it is refreshingly unfussy. Pera put it plainly around opening time: “We’re a neighborhood restaurant, not trying to be fancy in any way.” What you get is Italian cooking with a Gulf Coast point of view, shaped by what Houston’s growing seasons actually deliver rather than what looks impressive on a menu. In a city where August has opinions about every living thing, that is a bold commitment, and you can taste it.
What We Ate
We started with focaccia and a side of tomato sauce, which is exactly the right way to begin. Then came the fried heirloom okra with tomatoes and black garlic aioli, and it was one of our favorite dishes of the night. I do not say that lightly about okra.
The pastas were the real stars. The spaghetti with black pepper, parmesan, and olive oil proves that three ingredients can carry a whole plate when everyone involved is confident. The pumpkin ravioli with sage brown butter, walnut, and pomegranate bitters tasted like fall decided to dress up. My husband went with the tagliatelle verde with Texas wild boar ragu bianco, fennel, lemon, and pecorino toscano, and I am not going to pretend I didn’t steal a bite.
The kids got a pepperoni pizza that was to die for, and that tells you everything about a kitchen. We closed with vanilla gelato and an old-fashioned chocolate layer cake. What tied it all together was freshness. The pasta tasted fresh, the vegetables tasted fresh, and everything tasted like someone cared where it came from, which, with a garden right there, someone clearly does.
This is going on the short list of restaurants we’ll keep coming back to, and the location is a big part of why. It’s in the Heights, one of the most walkable pockets of the city, so for anyone lucky enough to live nearby, this is a weeknight walk I would happily take with my family to go eat here.
It’s also exactly why I love pointing out what Houston has tucked beneath the surface. Plenty of people already know and love Coltivare, but Houston is a huge city, and nobody can keep up with every gem in it. So consider this your nudge to support a local, small-business favorite that I think everyone should try at least once. Go once. Order the okra.
Good to Know
Where: Coltivare, 3320 White Oak Drive, Houston, TX 77007
Order: The fried heirloom okra, the black pepper spaghetti, and whatever pasta is calling your name.
Sit: Outside in the garden if the weather cooperates.
Reservations: Walk-ins are welcome, and reservations are available online, so book ahead for a weekend dinner. Check their website for current hours.
Neighborhood tip: Park once and make an evening of it. The Heights is made for wandering.
