Interviewer: Lulin Wang

Project: University Of Houston

For Tony Vallone, fine dinning is not defined by the price of the meal or how fancy the dining room's décor is, but rather by the attention to detail, from the selection of ingredients to the way the food is presented to the customers—just the way they like it. One of the most influential restaurateurs in Houston, he opened Tony‟s in 1965, originally where the Galleria stands today. It introduced authentic Italian food to the city of Houston, eventually becoming the longest-lived fine dining establishment in Houston. Over the years, it has served seven presidents, numerous dignitaries, and countless celebrities. Vallone traces his personal history in the business and discusses the past and the present trends of the Houston restaurant scene and the restaurant industry in general. He talks in detail about what constitutes fine dining and how trends in foods and wines have changed over the last fifty years to appeal to the changing and sophisticated palates of Houstonians.