From the highway, the top of Ciro's peaking over the railing of the elevated portion of I-10 looks like a chain restaurant. But Ciro Lampasas, Sr. will explain that his son, Ciro Lampasas, Jr. is a cousin of Damian Mandola and one of the original partners in Damian’s Italian restaurant on Smith Street in Midtown. The charming Italian restaurant is a one-of-a-kind independent establishment. Even more charming is the deliciously surprising food. Italian nachos may seem like a bad idea, but crispy flatbread pieces topped with traditional Italian fixins at Ciro's may well sway some skeptics.