Generally speaking, restaurants fit into roughly three aesthetic categorizations: restaurants you call "cozy" (think of your 'go-to' local eatery), restaurants you call "modern" (you'll ask yourself  'Do I need to dress-up? Is a button-up okay?') , and restaurants you call "fancy" (you might get heart palpitations when you see the prices on the menu) . Grazia manages to fit into all three, meaning it has both charm and class (heart palpitations included). The walls, coated in reassuring tones of tan and brown, have black crown molding that adds definition to the restaurant. Plenty of modern lights, not fully lit, provided a comforting ambiance. Wooden tables all around had black cushioned chairs neatly tucked in. The bar had square shelving that gave the venue a particularly modern touch. As the night grew older, charming teal and purple lights gave little nooks and corners tasteful coloring. The overall color scheme, lighting, and furniture made Grazia feel warm and comforting while maintaining the air of fine dining.

          I would be remiss to not mention the excellent service provided by Grazia, all the way from those managing reservations with an incredibly friendly demeanor to waiters and waitresses who made sure all patrons were constantly attended to.

         We began our meal with a plate of fired calamari and a plate of bruschetta. In all honesty, I generally am not a huge fan of Calamari - I've had too many experiences in which I reached for an onion ring and ended up taking a bite of a rubbery octopus. However, Grazia's rendition was very palatable, if not a little on the bland side. However, the marinara and lemon both added variety in flavor. The consistency was in-between soft and firm, meaning even the more squeamish eaters would be comfortable with this plate. The bruschetta, in my opinion, was amazing: I was genuinely so frustrated that my table had finished the plate so fast I considered leaving . The combination of tomatoes, garlic, and crisp bread contrasted the sweet balsamic glaze very well. However, the sharpness of the glaze is so strong it would serve well to have another savory flavor, such as a thin slice of roasted ham. The traditional bread served with the meal was a little tough on some pieces, but after indulging myself in 2 or 3 (or 4 or 5 or 6) rolls, I can confirm I had initially eaten an anomaly. The oil-dish ("oil that you dip bread into"? "bread-dipping oil"? "restaurant-style oil for bread"? Damn you, internet.) had a variety of herbs that were to be expected, but also had crushed red pepper that added a pleasant kick.

           My entree, the Mike and Jen (named for reasons I do not know) was a very affordable and tasty dish. Adorable pieces of bow-tie pasta were coated with a velvety, cheesy Romano sauce that in my opinion, came off of the pasta too easily. The dish is smooth and warming: the dish fills you up very quickly but leaves you wanting to eat more and more. The Romano cream almost had a sweetness in it that emphasized the Parmesan and Romano cheeses blended together. The pasta needed to be a tad bit more salted, just so it could "catch"  the sauce a bit more and to contrast the slightly sweet flavor if the dish. The chicken added the most amount of texture to the dish - cooked with a little bit of charred skin to give a rough contrast to the overall smoothness of the pasta.

          With its meticulously-arranged asparagus, basil, and sun-dried tomatoes, the Chicken Limone resembled a work of art rather than a chicken filet. As I began to indulge in the chicken along with the whipped potatoes on the side, it was clear that this dish was just as delicious as it was visually appealing. The tangy lemon flavor of the chicken was evenly distributed throughout the filet and countered by the sweetness of the sun-dried tomatoes placed elegantly on the top of the dish. Furthermore, the chicken was tender enough to be sliced, yet not too soft to the point of lacking texture. Now as for the whipped potatoes, I was pleasantly surprised that the side dish was served at the correct temperature. Ordinarily, I find restaurant potatoes to be too hot or too cold to enjoy any flavor or seasoning; however, Grazia effortlessly delivered a warm whipped potato whose both sweet and savory flavor complimented the lemon chicken.

          The Shrimp Vienna was overall the best dish I tasted - from its rich and creamy bow-tie pesto to its decadent shrimp, the flavors were dynamic. Aesthetically, this dish is in its own league: the vivid greens of the pesto and tan of the shrimp would have made for a picture perfect moment (we took plenty of perfectly pleasing  pictures of prettily plated pesto pasta).The pasta caught the pesto sauce much better than the Mike and Jen, meaning you could enjoy the flavors longer as they linger on your tongue. Cilantro (also known as "Coriander" for my more ethnic (brown) readers ) was not used sparingly, covering most of the dish - the little sprigs added a fresh kick to the plate, complementing the basil incredibly. The 4 pieces of jumbo shrimp, plated beautifully, were cooked to perfection. Each bite was firm yet deeply flavorful. Overall, the pesto pasta and the shrimp paired incredibly well, creating an elegant mix of two relatively "pedestrian" flavors. 

          Grazia is an amazing establishment, both in terms of aesthetics and dishes - be prepared to indulge in a myriad of flavors of both Italian and Texan influence. The appetizers, entrees, and desserts will have you coming back for more.

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Must Tries: Bruschetta, Chicken Marsala, Shrimp Vienna

Price Range: Expect to spend roughly $20-$30.

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​Overall Score: 8/10