Dolce Vita
$$ | Montrose
For fresh gourmet pizzas and interesting starters, head directly to buzzing Dolce Vita on lower Westheimer's restaurant row. Extremely casual, with gracious dining areas scattered throughout a restored older house, the restaurant has unexpected appetizers like marinated mussels tossed with capers, parsley, and potatoes, and calamari with mint, orange, and olives. Smoky Neapolitan pies are baked in the 800-degree wood-fired oven and include the crowd-pleasing margarita, with tomato, basil, and buffalo mozzarella and the salsiccia e friarelli, with sausage, rapini, and pecorino. Sit outside in good weather and bad—the patio's covered.
