Eccentric Italian

When we had finished eating, Preteroti came by our table and started talking to us. It's always nice when the restaurant owner comes by your table and asks if everything is all right. It's often enjoyable when they hang around and chat a little, too.

Preteroti told us the history of the restaurant. He first opened in this office-building space 15 years ago under the name Buco di Bacco. Buco means "hole" in Italian. Like the English phrase "hole-in-the-wall," buco is often used to describe small cafes or basement eateries. Bacco is the Italian spelling for the name of the god of wine, Bacchus. Since wine is often kept in a cellar, Buco di Bacco, or Bacchus's Basement, is a popular restaurant name in Italy.

But when the restaurant chain Buco di Beppo came to Houston, the similarity of the two names caused confusion. (Beppo is a nickname for Giuseppe, or Joseph.) A publicly traded company with restaurants across the country, Buco di Beppo made an arrangement with Preteroti. He wouldn't explain the financial details, but in 2003 he changed the name of his place to Perbacco.

He seemed likable at first, but Preteroti began to lose us when he began a melancholy opera solo of his own about how bad business was, how the downtown renovation had taken all his parking spaces and how everybody who worked in the office building was on some silly diet. When he told us how unappreciated his wonderful Italian restaurant really was, we rolled our eyes in unison.

Like Artie Bucco, the owner and head chef of Nuovo Vesuvio on The Sopranos, Preteroti didn't seem to realize when his tableside banter ceased to be entertaining. Or maybe he wanted to go home, and this was his way of getting rid of us. Whatever his motives, we asked for the check and made a hasty exit rather than listen to him anymore.

I wouldn't go back to Perbacco for dinner unless I was on my way to the theater, in which case it really is one of the best of a handful of options. But I highly recommend Perbacco's quick counter service at lunchtime. The prices are reasonable, the food can be good, and the atmosphere is friendly and fun. But learn from my mistakes and ignore the menu. Order the fresh-tasting dishes off the daily-special board instead.