This past Friday, my wife and I decided to try out Raffa's American Bistro, 1660 West Lake Houston Parkway in King's Harbor. We made a reservation for 6:30 p.m. and when we arrived were shown to a table near the entrance. We saw vacant tables near the windows and requested one of those and our request was honored. Sitting at the window table gave us a splendid view of the river and surrounding landscapes.

The restaurant itself is quite large with both indoor and outdoor tables. It is an impressive place with clean cut lines and a feeling of spaciousness. The large square bar seemed to be filled and very busy.

Upon being seated both our waiter and bus boy were quick on the scene with the waiter bringing the menus and the bus boy glasses of well-iced water. We ordered cocktails and watched as the wine glasses and the wine list were rapidly removed from our table.

The drinks arrived promptly and the waiter detailed the specials of the evening. There were quite a few of them so we wondered if “specials” was the right word. We ordered from the menu which is quite extensive in itself.

The salad came accompanied by sesame seed coated garlic bread which was quite nice. For her entree, my wife ordered the flounder stuffed with crab and shrimp, with a lemon sauce. It was accompanied by sautéed mixed green vegetables. It made for a pretty plate and she reported was very tasty.

I opted for the grilled salmon on spinach with a tangy orange sauce and mandarin orange pieces. For a vegetable I ordered the baked cauliflower with bacon, which was very good. The salmon was cooked perfectly; the spinach and the sauce complimented the dish.

The service was very prompt and very attentive and made for an enjoyable meal. We will return to Raffa's to try the other delectable sounding items on their menu.

We scanned the desert menu and it was enticing, but opted for Blue Bell ice cream from the Two Gems ice cream parlor next door. We took our ice cream and sat by the fountain listening to what I would call Texas Slow Rock music by a foursome group that made for easy listening. We sat and enjoyed watching the children run in and out of the fountain that was designed with them in mind. All in all, it was a delightful evening and we were glad that we had gone to Raffa's.