Ava Kitchen and Whiskey Bar

Hello Beautiful!  I loved you from the first moment I saw you.  I mean, Look at you!

Ava Kitchen and Whiskey Bar

Ava is vibrant.  Ava is classy.  Ava has clean lines with the perfect splashes of color, where, and when necessary.  Ava is fun.  Ava is light, bright, and airy.  Ava is contemporary with all the goodness of tradition.  And, I've only mentioned the decor.  The staff was friendly and knowledgeable.  And, the food was superb, as well.  A trifecta!

Ava Kitchen and Whiskey Bar

Ava is the newest concept by the Schiller-Del Grande Restaurant Group.  The upstairs casual Alto Pizzeria should be open in a couple of weeks. 

The menu  at Ava offers many great, solid options from burgers to pasta to duck breast to Filet Mignon, and everything in between.  A great selection with fresh, inviting options.  I started with the White Bean Soup with bacon and cippolini onions ($8).   The soup was hearty, with pureed beans, and a few whole beans as well.  Also included were cippolini onions and a few chunks of bacon, more like chunks of pork fat.  The tender onions were roasted prior to their addition, bringing out their sweetness.  The soup could have used a little more seasoning, but really, it was delicious.  It would have been even better paired with some good old garlic bread!  Yum!

White Bean Soup

My dining companion started with the Provencal Tomato Soup with basil citrus pesto ($8).  It was a thick, very tomato-y soup.  Almost like a pasta sauce.  Excellent rich tomato flavor.  Lots of depth to this soup.  The pesto on top was very lemony, a great contrast and compliment to the deep tomato flavor.

Provencal Tomato Soup

For my entree, I ordered the Chicken Salad with artichokes, roasted peppers and mushrooms ($13).  This grilled chicken salad was no run of the mill grilled chicken salad.  It was fresh and innovative.  The ingredients were not new or unusual, yet all of the flavors and components added a fresh perspective to the respected salad.  The dressing served with it was a pesto of sorts.  I ordered it on the side, and was glad I did.  It was pretty heavy, and I was happy it was not completely dressing my salad. 

Grilled Chicken Salad

My dining companion ordered the Nicoise Salad ($14).  This salad held its traditional roots with tuna, olives, eggs, and potatoes.  A great, fresh representation of a Nicoise.  The tuna was cooked well -- tangy and flaky.  Excellent taste and texture.  All of the ingredients worked well together and stood out to be super fresh.

Nicoise Salad

Our experience at this new eatery located in the new, hip West Avenue was excellent. I look forward to going back.  I loved the atmosphere, the food, and the service.  A trifecta!

Ava Kitchen and Whiskey Bar
2800 Kirby Avenue
Houston, Texas 77098
713-386-6460
http://www.avaalto.com/ava/