"Bari Ristorante offers a distinctly Houston view: a long Astroturf lawn outside a luxury retail store. Though still pricey, the Italian restaurant in River Oaks District might be one of the least expensive options at the high-end open-air mall, apart from a bucket of popcorn at the nearby movie theater. Along with refreshing cocktails and a dining room that transforms into an al fresco patio, Bari serves relatively good food. The creamy risotto puttanesca tastes like the vegetables were plucked from a nearby garden, and the delicately-fried fritto misto seafood (once dunked in calabrian chili oil) may as well be fancy, delicious spicy popcorn shrimp. Bari also makes a showy truffle pasta that’s whipped up tableside inside a giant wheel of parmesan. But the dish feels like it’s mostly for social media, because even after all that flashy parmesan cheese wheel-flair, the approximately five pounds of shaved truffle grated on top makes the pasta taste overwhelmingly earthy. Bari works as a relaxing shopping spree pit stop with a few light bites and a couple of fruit-juice-spiked mezcal or vodka cocktails. The ability to walk right out of the dining room and touch something resembling grass feels exhilarating after navigating the district’s parking towers. " - Chelsea Thomas
