Day to day.It’s the way we’ve been living for the past three months and it’s how some Houston-area restaurants are responding to the recent uptick in the number of Covid cases, having to close their doors temporarily for dine-in service.
David Cook is manager and a partner at Prego, an Italian restaurant in Rice Village that is taking the hit again out of concern for their loyal customer base and their staff. It’s been one thing after another. When Covid first arrived in Houston there were issues with supply chains. “Apart from those initial six to eight weeks, where things did skyrocket in price or the steak we were used to getting wasn’t available, but now it’s come back down and there’s different options.
The Federal Grille, which had challenged the original stay at home order and opened for dine-in a few days early, has decided to return to curbside and deliver for the time being. No one knows if we’re talking days, or weeks?
Cook says for restaurants like Prego with a very faithful following it’s been hard for the bottom line but it’s especially hard emotionally. “We love to be here providing the nourishment and the experience that they’ve come to rely on us for, and something that soothes them,” he says. But the decision was made, after much consultation with other industry members, to take every precaution to keep their staff safe and return to meal plans designed to be gourmet and convenient. “We’re doing pans of lasagna, pans of eggplant parmesan, parmesan chicken, with salad and bread. So you can come pick those up and take those home.”
There is no end date, Cook says. “We are probably targeting sometime after the Fourth of July, but everything has been so day to day to begin with.” Here's the menu:
ANTIPASTI
PIATTO DI FORMAGGIO
$16.00
Grana Padano/Taleggio/Burrata GF
Add Prosciutto & Soppressata Salami
6.00
GNOCCHI DI PATATA DOLCE
$12.00
sweet potato gnocchi/brown butter/sage
OSTRICHE
$14.00
cornmeal crusted gulf oysters/pancetta/garlic/parsley/bianco GF
CALAMARI FRITTO
$14.00
fried calamari/roasted tomato sauce
VONGOLE
$16.00
little-neck clams/white-wine/pancetta/scallions
DITA DI GRANCHIO
$14.00
¼ lb crab fingers/lemon garlic/grilled bread
Add ¼ lb
24.00
INSALATA E ZUPPA
BURRATA
$14.00
burrata/tomatoes/basil * GF
CAPRESE
$12.00
slow-roasted tomatoes/fresh mozzarella/basil GF
TRICOLORE
$9.00
arugula/radicchio/endive/hazelnuts/grana/citrus vinaigrette * GF
POLLO
$18.00
mixed greens/walnuts/gorgonzola/pear/grilled chicken breast
CAESAR
$8.00
romaine hearts/garlic vinaigrette/grana/anchovy GF
Add grilled chicken breast or sautéed gulf shrimp
16.00
MISTA
$8.00
mixed greens/ricotta salata/olives/carrots/tomatoes * GF
MINESTRONE
$10.00
vegetable soup ** GF
PEPE
$10.00
roasted red pepper/poblano pepper soup *
RAVIOLI E PASTA
PREGO RAVIOLI
$18.00
fresh mozzarella/ricotta/vodka sauce/mushrooms *
SPAGHETTI CARBONARA
$18.00
pancetta/scallions/parmesan cream/fried egg
FUNGHI RAVIOLI
$20.00
crimini/oyster/porcini/marsala
LASAGNA
$18.00
beef meatballs/tomato sauce/mozzarella/basil pesto
TAGLIERINI POMODORO
$16.00
thin-ribbon pasta/tomato/garlic/basil *
RAVIOLI DI ZUCCA
$18.00
butternut squash/brown butter/sage/walnuts *
SPAGHETTI CON POLPETTE
$18.00
beef meatballs/pancetta/leek/tomato sauce
PEPERONCINO VERDE
$16.00
jalapeño fettuccine/grilled chicken/tomato/black beans cilantro/avocado
RISOTTO
FUNGHI
$22.00
porcini/oyster/crimini * GF
VERDURE
$22.00
asparagus/leek/roasted corn/crimini/pecorino * GF
ZUCCA
$24.00
butternut squash/gulf shrimp/pancetta GF
PIZZA
MARGHERITA
$18.00
cherry tomato/basil *
SALSICCIA
$18.00
sausage/red & yellow pepper/onion
PREGO
$18.00
prosciutto/arugula
FUNGHI
$18.00
crimini/porcini/green onion *
SPINACI
$18.00
spinach/roasted garlic *
FRUTTI DI MARE
GAMBERI E GRANCHIO
$28.00
shrimp scampi/crabmeat/rapini/spaghetti aglio e olio GF
SPAGHETTI CON VONGOLE
$24.00
little neck clams/onion/pancetta
PESCATORE
$28.00
spaghetti/gulf shrimp/mussels/calamari/clams/fra diavlo or bianco
SALMONE
$28.00
wild-caught grilled salmon/lemon/carrots/asparagus/potato gnocchi
TROTA
$28.00
grilled trout/peppers/olives/capers/lemon/spinach/penne aglio olio GF
PESCE ZUCCA
$28.00
pumpkin seed crusted red snapper/tomato/corn-scallion bianco/spinach/roasted butternut squash
PIATTO FORTE
MELANZANA PARMIGIANA
$20.00
eggplant parmesan/mozzarella/penne pomodoro *
POLLO ROMANO
$20.00
parmesan chicken/tomato bianco/spinach/mashed potatoes
POLLO ALLA GRIGLIA
$20.00
grilled chicken/tapenade/spinach/cappellini aglio e olio
VITELLO MARSALA
$28.00
veal scaloppini/marsala sauce/mushroom ravioli/asparagus
VITELLO PREGO
$26.00
veal scaloppini/lemon bianco/spinach/fettuccine/tomato & basil