Dining
BY JOVANNA AGUILAR
D’Alba blends global avors with locally sourced ingredients
Founded on Alba Street in the Heights, owner Daut Elshani said he opened D’Alba in 2021 to bring a modern and timeless eatery with locally sourced ingredients. In 2025, the eatery expanded with a new location at FM 2978 in the Magnolia area. “The idea really was to bring in a fresh take on all the local ingredients that we have here in Texas, and to deliver fresh cuisine that combines all aspects of what Houston is—a very diverse city,” Elshani said. What’s special about it? Made with ingredients locally sourced in Texas, Elshani said D’Alba o ers cuisine re ecting Hous- ton’s diversity. “Houston is the most diverse city, so we brought the menu together, re ecting that and really elevat- ing it and giving it a modern take,” Elshani said. With an ambiance representing an everyday, casual atmosphere, D’Alba specializes in menu items made with fresh ingredients, Elshani said. “It’s been such a great hit that we decided to get the second location.. And with Montgomery County having one of the biggest booms and growth that it’s experienced in the past few years, we wanted to explore the great location that has that potential,”
The wagyu blend burger ($18) includes fontina cheese, house aioli, pickles and bruleed onion on fresh challah.
PHOTOS COURTESY BECCA WRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY D’ALBA
The beet salad ($15) includes spinach, endive, feta, pecans, strawberries, beets and lemon.
D’Alba o ers oysters for $1 each during happy hour on weekdays from 2 6 p.m.
Elshani said. On the menu
With 90% of its ingredients sourced from local distributors, D’Alba said its fruit and produce are daily delivered to ensure fresh cuisine. Another locally sourced ingredient is the ground beef wagyu blend sourced from Bryan. “Everyone that does try our food are blown away by why it is di erent,” Elshani said. “You know, it tastes so great and you’re not over full or bloated but we’re still serving a great burger and we’re still serving a great salad. The only di erence is that we’re providing them with fresh ingredients.” With several favorites o ered, Elshani said some of their most ordered menu items are inspired by “happy accidents,” or menu items created during its trial process. One of those includes the balloon bread made from pizza dough in a wood red oven that balloons up and includes basil pesto and tru e honey. “A lot of people kind of have a ‘Wow’ factor with it just by looking at it. But, again, the aromas are between the parmesan and the pine nuts and fresh basil out of a pesto, and then you’re also getting
that fresh tru e and honey, it’s one of our happy accidents. So that’s what we typically recommend to everyone,” Elshani said. A few other must-have menu items at D’Alba include its wood oven pizzas, oysters, burgers and salads, Elshani said. “Every single item that we o er has a multi-lay- ered avor pro le, where you’re not just experi- encing one avor by itself,” Elshani said. Desserts o ered include the freshly baked choco- late chip cookie and raspberry sauce cheesecake. It’s ve o’clock somewhere Along with a diverse cuisine menu, D’Alba boasts a drink menu. Specialty drinks o ered include its updated old fashioned made with roasted pumpkin seeds infused with dates for 72 hours. With happy hour taking place weekdays from 2-6 p.m., the eatery o ers half-o drinks and $1 oysters. A few drinks o ered on the happy hour menu include the alba red mule, underground blonde and the Maddalena pinot grigio.
D’Alba is owned by co-owners Fatos Barileva, Daut Elshani, Filiz Elshani and Leon Barileva.
HONEA EGYPT RD.
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32823 FM 2978, Ste. A, Magnolia www.dalbahtx.com
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THE WOODLANDS EDITION
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