La Trattoria Tuscano

Ham said his passion for cooking began at age 10 from his father, John Ham, who emigrated from Prague and worked as an executive chef at an exclusive country club in New York City. The younger Ham learned technique and presentation at culinary school before opening his first restaurant at the age of 20. Ham switched to the hotel industry in 1975, where he helped open hotels for the Hilton and Sheraton corporations.

Ham said he believes La Trattoria Tuscano stands out from other Italian restaurants because of the freshness and distinctiveness of the menu, which changes once or twice a year. He goes to great lengths to keep the menu fresh, recently traveling to Italy to study culinary techniques in Naples and Rome.

"Everything we have over here, from the desserts to the salad dressings, is made from scratch," Ham said. "We have a lot of forethought with each of the menu items that we pick. We do a lot of testing."

Although the restaurant offers traditional pasta dishes such as chicken Parmesan and spaghetti with meatballs, Ham said they offer distinctive dishes, such as the Rigatoni a la Roberto, a pasta dish with spicy and mild sausage, rigatoni and fresh vegetables.

Ham said the restaurant has two or three specials a night and is known for its seafood dishes, such as steamed mussels, crab-stuffed shrimp and the crab fingers Tuscano, which are crab fingers sauted in garlic, butter, white wine, parsley and basil.

"That's our claim to fame," he said. "It just has a great sauce that people go wild for."

Chef recommendations

• Crab Fingers Tuscano: One half-pound of crab fingers sauted in garlic, lemon butter and herbs ($15.95)
• Insalata la Trattoria: Crispy calamari with mixed greens, tomatoes, roasted red pepper and homemade house vinaigrette ($12.95)
• Italiano Steamed Mussels: Mussels steamed in garlic, tomatoes, onions, white wine, parsley, basil, thyme, butter and olive oil ($13.50)
• Italiano Chopped Salad: Chopped iceberg lettuce and grilled chicken with celery, tomato, chopped egg, pepperoncini, gorgonzola cheese and pecans, served with a homemade house vinaigrette ($11.95)
• Rigatoni a la Roberto: Rigatoni pasta with sauted spinach, mild and spicy Italian sausage, Portobello mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, black olives, basil, and garlic, topped with Romano cheese ($13.95)
• Pizza: Thin-crust pizzas include Margherita, pepperoni, a veggie pizza and the works ($9.95–$12.95)
• Triple Chocolate Irish Crme Brownie: Rich brownie with chunks of white, milk and dark chocolate soaked with Bailey's Irish Crme and topped with fresh whipped cream ($5.95). Add vanilla bean gelato ($2)

Special events

• Monday Madness: Wine connoisseurs can enjoy bottles of wine at half-price on Mondays.
• Wine dinners: Once a month, the restaurant offers a five-course meal with wines and hosts the winemaker to discuss the featured wines.
• Private parties: The restaurant houses two rooms capable of seating 35 people apiece for private parties, business meetings, receptions and even weddings.
• Patio dining: Outdoor dining on the patio is covered, but the cover can be lifted so customers can enjoy a starlit dinner.

La Trattoria Tuscano, 4223 Research Forest Drive, Ste. 950, The Woodlands, 281-419-2252, www.latrattoriatuscano.com

Hours: Mon.–Thu. 11 a.m.—10 p.m.; Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.—11 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.—9 p.m.