Brian Brossa, the general manager and co-owner of Enoteca Rossa, said he was kicked out of the kitchen of his Italian-American family as a child more often than he was invited to help. “It’s not like somebody was nurturing me to cook,” Brossa said. “But there was a lot of passion and a lot of recipes that I use at the house that are generations old, and a few of them I’ve been able to put in here.” Within the brick exterior of Enoteca Rossa is a staff dedicated to wine, pasta, pizza and salads for customers coming for a taste of authentic Italian food, which Brossa said consists of regional Italian cuisine along with takes more familiar to Americans. “We’ve got some traditional recipes from northern Italy, some traditional recipes from southern Italy and then some more Italian-American recipes, so it’s a blend,” Brossa said. “And we’ve had a northern chef and a southern chef.” For the restaurant’s ingredients, Brossa said the pasta is made in-house and staff will pick the best tomatoes and cheeses based on blind taste tests, regardless of the cost. Along with the fresh, authentic cuisine, Brossa takes pride in the wine list of Enoteca Rossa, which translates to “red wine store.” Brossa also hosts wine-tasting classes to help customers develop their palate. “The concept was to have a wine-driven restaurant that was smaller and more intimate,” Brossa said. “All of our pastas are made fresh in-house, and we have fresh fish on a regular basis.” Brossa, who is in charge of which wines make it onto Enoteca Rossa’s wine list, said the list always has over 100 wines and that he personally reviews and changes it every few months. “The balance is trying to fill all of the categories that you have on a wine list without it getting bloated,” Brossa said. “My goal is to put together a nice wine list that exceeds its price point every time. Wine should be on tables like condiments are on tables in a diner.”

Enoteca Rossa

566 Bissonnet St., Bellaire 346-204-4403 www.enotecarossa.com Hours: Sun.-Thu. 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 10:30 a.m.- 10 p.m.