i'm never full - houston restaurant and food blog

16,000 pounds of mudbugs

2010-05-06T02:23:00.022-05:00

last weekend, king of crawfish aka jim gossen of louisiana foods threw a crawfish boil of colossal proportions for the OTC kick-off party held at U of H every year. the feast of crusteans involved a 16,000 pound order of live louisiana crawfish.

when jim invited me to come by and check out his custom crawfish-cooking mechanism, it was an offer i simply couldn't refuse. this contraption enabled him to dish out 5,000 pounds of crawfish an hour! i walked away in complete awe. and after a six-month plus hiatus from my blog, jim finally gave me a subject that i couldn't wait to report back on.

Take a look at this set-up.

step 1: CLEANING. bags of pre-washed crawfish were dumped into washing tanks for a final rinse. dead crawfish floated to the top of the water and were hand-picked out.

conveyor belts pulled live crawfish from the bottom of the tank and deposited them into huge metal baskets. there were 2 of these machines running simultaneously.

step 2: COOKING. metal baskets filled with crawfish were lifted by 2,000 lb electric hoists and dropped into large boilers.

crawfish were cooked for 4-5 minutes in one of five boilers of seasoned water containing dry and liquid crab boil, and jim's secret ingredient, tabasco mash.

a box of tabasco mash, dried leftover sediment from the Tabasco sauce-making process.

step 3: electric hoists pulled metal baskets out of boiling water and hot, cooked crawfish were dumped into metal chutes where they got a second coating of dry seasonings--louisiana foods' proprietary blend of salt, cayenne powder, lemon, celery powder, and onion powder.

step 4: the bottom of the metal chute was opened and crawfish were transferred into carts and wheeled into the party tent.

crawfish stayed hot in huge, insulated storage containers until guests were served. corn and potatoes were served separately from smaller ice chests.

the stats:

people: 15,000

food: 16,000 lbs. crawfish (2 18-foot trucks worth), 2,000 lbs. potatoes, 8,000 ears corn

boy, would i love to throw one of these shindigs for me and all of my friends (heck, and their friends too). so how much would it cost to throw one of these events? a ballpark figure: $60,000. when i win the lottery, jim will be one of the first people i call... and you're all invited.

photos courtesy of jim gossen

bivalve throwdown

2009-10-24T01:01:00.009-05:00

i've stuffed you with fried chicken and then pork belly until you couldn't move anymore. next up is OYSTERS! the 3rd in the series of houston chowhounds chef throwdowns is coined the bivalve throwdown or #BVTD on twitter.

bryan caswell and bill floyd from REEF are graciously hosting this shindig on Sun, Nov 8th from 4-9ish PM.

BVTD chefs will be required to prepare 2 oyster dishes for the judges in this competition: 1 raw and 1 cooked. chefs will be able to choose from several varieties of live gulf oysters in the shell and freshly shucked oysters. all oysters will be provided for the competition, chefs will only need to bring their other ingredients. to compete, chefs must register by tue, 10/27. the final chef line-up will be announced on Mon, 11/1, so check back soon.

the amateur chef potluck competition will be battle gumbo. 10 houston chowhounds will be competing for bragging rights in this contest that the home cooks take equally seriously.

the event promises to be bigger and more impressive than the last. expect a shucking contest, several raw oyster bars with live shuckers, and -- as always -- a massive spread of gastrodelights.

as always, a wild card judge will also be chosen for the panel of judges. if you would like to be considered, please submit a short essay on "why you should be a BVTD judge" to imneverfull@gmail.com by 10/31.

to purchase tickets, click here.
for official event details and competition guidelines, click here.

big thanks to the event sponsors, REEF, louisiana foods, and saint arnold.

southbound food show #8

2009-09-11T01:31:00.004-05:00

this week we're publishing the podcast links to our upcoming show this weekend a few days early. it's just too hilarious to keep to ourselves for another 48 hours.

the parody of the NEW southbound food show is our response to several recent attempts to sabotage our new radio show by another local radio personality. i think you'll agree that it is quite funny. and big thanks to our special guests this week: the legendary restauranteur tony vallone of tony's & soon-to-open ciao bello and robin goldstein of fearless critic restaurant guide.

this show airs Sat, 9/12 at 11AM on AM 1560 the game. tune in or stream it live from 1560thegame.com

segment 1 - parody of NEW southbound food show, new local restaurants, oyster throwdown announcement
segment 2 - tony vallone discusses his new casual restaurant, ciao bello opening on 9/12
segment 3 - robin goldstein discusses 2nd edition of fearless critic houston restaurant guide & book release party on 9/16

please leave your feedback on the podcast website or email it to southboundfood@gmail.com

southbound food show #7

2009-09-07T11:22:00.006-05:00

great show last weekend with special guests michael dei maggi and robert hall III, of the califonia winemaking family robert hall winery, who will be opening the rockwood room together this october. the restaurant will be located near woodway and chimney rock and will feature iconic american cuisine such as roasted prime rib, charbroiled steaks, and broiled lobster tail.

segment 1 - hosts discuss top chef & various other delicious topics
segment 2 - mike dei maggi discusses the menu at the rockwood room
segment 3 - robert hall discusses the wine program at the rockwood room

next weekend, tony vallone will be stopping by the studio to talk about ciao bello, his new casual, italian eatery opening in the former jimmy wilson's spot on san felipe & sage on sat, sept 12th. we're also delighted to have robin goldstein of fearless critic media and "the wine trials" joining us to discuss the upcoming release of the second edition of the fearless critic houston restaurant guide.

the fearless critic houston restaurant guide 2nd edition book release party will be hosted at new living at 6111 kirby on wed, sept 16th from 5:30 - 8pm. everyone is invited to attend.

september new restos

2009-09-03T16:57:00.007-05:00

fall in houston not only holds the excitement of cooler weather but will also see the opening of lots of new restaurants. this month, check these out:

tesar's in the woodlands had a soft opening last night after a busted piped delayed the opening by one day. the "modern steak & seafood" menu offers parallel tastings of both grass-and-grain-fed beef, 4 types of kobe ribeyes, and fish dishes have an emphasis on whole fish. in addition to the proteins and raw bar, i'm looking forward to trying the butter-poached king crab, beef cheek ravioli with crispy sweetbreads, and cauliflower brulee, the outdoor tesar's burger bar will also offer grass-and-grain-fed beef burgers and handcut fries with your choice of truffle oil, wasabi, or chili. here's is the dinner menu and cocktail & dessert menu.

valentino serving contemporary italian cuisine opens in the hotel derek [corrected: in mid-september]. vin bar complete with an italian raw bar will be opening first and the formal dining room will be in full operations a couple weeks later.

straits serving upscale singaporean cuisine will be opening in town & country's citycentre on sept 28th.

read my write-ups on these new restos on juli b for more info.

in addition, lynette hawkins' giacomo's cibo e vino is set to open on sept 9th in river oaks on westheimer & bammel where pan y agua once stood. hawkins opened the now defunct la mora in the 90's. the menu which features antipasti, panini, pasta, and grilled items has been posted to their website. take a look.

[added: the folks that brought us pink's pizza & dragon bowl is opening lola in the heights on sept 12th. check out 29-95.com to sample their casual comfort food at a special preview event the night before.]

[added 9/7: tony vallone's new casual, italian eatery named ciao bello will be opening in the former jimmy wilson's spot on san felipe & sage on sat, sept 12th. tune into southbound food on sat, sept 12 at 11am to hear tony give us the full deets and the run-down on all the changes they are making.]

southbound food show #6

2009-09-03T16:09:00.006-05:00

here are the podcast links to the southbound food show that aired on sat, 9/29 with special guests gail simmons, from top chef and special projects director for food & wine magazine, and chef jamie zelko who is opening zelko bistro in the heights this fall.

segment 1 - lance zierlein, bryan caswell, & jenny wang discuss top chef & 1560 the game mug awards, jamie zelko talks about zelko bistro & her boss burger coming to the houston heights this fall; everyone "drops" miracle berries

segment 2 - Q&A with gail simmons about cheftestants on new season of top chef, how to judge 12 plates of food in one sitting, how she feels about the the way she is portrayed on the show, and more.

segment 3 - flavor tripping with the berry fairy (jenny wang & lea mckinney) and more with jamie zelko

southbound food show #5

2009-08-27T00:01:00.005-05:00

here are your podcast links to last weekend's southbound food radio show with bryan caswell, jenny wang, and lance zierlein, danny vara, & frank bullington from 1560 the game.

segment 1 - the gang chats about the pork belly throwdown at catalan
segment 2 - pork belly throwdown sound bites: cody vasek (VOICE), jonathan jones (beaver's), ryan pera (the grove), antoine ware (catalan), antonio gianola (catalan), and jenny wang
segment 3 - lennie ambrose from saint arnold brewery & justin vann, houston's newest and youngest advanced sommelier, from vic & anthony's.

special guests next week:
- gail simmons , bravo's top chef judge & special projects director for food & wine magazine.
- jamie zelko, former executive chef of lancaster bistro opening zelko bistro in the heights this fall
- the berry fairy, jenny wang & lea mckinney host an on-air miracle berry flavor tripping to promote their upcoming flavor tripping party at ei8ht lounge on wed, 9/2

tune into 1560 AM at 11AM this Sat morning or stream it live from 1560thegame.com

PBTD write-up in the Houston Chronicle

2009-08-25T15:11:00.002-05:00

greg morago, houston chronicle's food editor wrote a wonderful piece on the houston chowhounds and the pork belly throwdown that took place last week at catalan. The write-up should be in thursday's Preview section of the paper, but you can get a sneak peek on alison cook's blog until then:

http://blogs.chron.com/cookstour/archives/2009/08/the_lowdown_on_1.html#more

PBTD results

2009-08-18T22:51:00.011-05:00

photo by Carlos Meltzer

last night at catalan nearly 200 pork lovers from all over houston convened for an evening of pure gluttony at the houston chowhounds pork belly throwdown. chris shepherd and antonio gianola were our hosts with the roasts - pig roasts that is. huge pans of pigs heads and roasted suckling pigs greeted their food fans upon arrival who were welcome to nosh on a piggie cheek, ear, and anything in between. to a chowhound, absolutely no pig parts are off-limits.

in attendance were a boisterous, hungry crowd of foodies (aka houCHies) and industry folks, most of whom chose to spend their only day off this week gathered together in this eating-for-sport event. there were two competitions this evening: first, battle beans competition by houston chowhounds amateur chefs. this contest was judged by twelve of houston's top chefs who were present to compete in the headlining event: a pork belly cooking contest, or "throwdown."

tonight was a follow-up to the fried chicken throwdown at beaver's two months ago. the two winners of that evening's challenge, randy evans (executive chef of the much anticipated Haven opening in oct) and cody vasek (executive sous chef at VOICE) returned to defend their titles. however, tonight's challenge had only one judging category and could only have one winner.

the judges this evening had the daunting task of tasting twelve different pork belly dishes. the panel included teresa byrne-dodge, publisher/editor of my table magazine; chris shepherd, chef/owner of catalan; chris reid, houston press food blogger; misha govshetyn, tasty bits food blogger; wild card judge - justin basye, chef de cuisine at VOICE; and yours truly. each dish was scored based on (1) originality, (2) plating, and (3) taste. scores for taste counted twice and was double-weighted.

and the winners were...

1st place: Cody Vasek, VOICE. Quartet of Pork Belly: tempura fried pork belly over fermented black rice; pave of pork belly with pickled cherries & sweet corn marmalade; pork and bean ginger snap ice cream sandwich; fried pork belly & chicken skin wrapped scallop. cody received near perfect scores across the board for all categories. the ice cream sandwich was spectacular

photo by Misha Govshetyn

2nd place: Randy Evans, Haven. Pork belly pastor torta. the flavors were both comforting and extremely tasty. randy served this with a bucket of mexican cokes & jarritos, pickled carrots, and homemade salsa verde. it's difficult to imagine that a torta could beat the rest of the dishes you'll see below, but it really was THAT GOOD.

photo by Misha Govshetyn

3rd place: Manubu "Hori" Horiuchi, Kata Robata. Pork Belly Threesome: braised pork belly and green onion crepe w/kim chee sauce; braised pork belly sushi w/grated daikon soy sauce, bonito flakes, & yuzu pepper; "kakuni" sake-braised pork belly w/spinach in sweet soy reduction. this was another dish with high originality and plating scores.

From Pork Belly Throwdown

the other dishes were as follows:

Jonathan Jones, Beaver's. "Bacon, Biscuit and Eggs" - cured, smoked, sous vide berkshire pork belly, buttermilk biscuit, soft scrambled egg, maple "caviar", peach jam. it was served with the Beaver's famous "squealing mary" bloody mary made with bacon-infused vodka and garnished with bacon sugar salt rim and candied bacon. JJ described this dish as tasting like his childhood.

From Pork Belly Throwdown

Ryan Pera, The Grove. Crisp pork belly with sweet and sour watermelon, tamarind vinaigrette and scallion salad.

From Pork Belly Throwdown

Matthew Gray, Chez Roux. Fennel Crusted Home Cured Belly Pork, Seared Scallop, and Apple Puree.

From Pork Belly Throwdown

Paul Lewis, Cullen's Upscale American Grille. Crisp Jolie Vue Farms Pork Belly, Spiced Apple Compote, Housemade "Kim Chee."

photo by Misha Govshetyn

Antoine Ware, Catalan. Brown sugar & bourbon glazed belly of Mr. Hatterman’s Blue Butt Hog, butternut squash.

From Pork Belly Throwdown

Jose Luis Vela, Mockingbird Bistro. Kurobuta Pork Belly "Club" with Foie Gras, Tomato/Orange Marmalade and Brioche. Definitely the most decadent dish of the evening.

From Pork Belly Throwdown

Ronnie Killen, Killen's Steakhouse. Vermont Maple Glazed Kurobuta Pork Belly w/ Cabbage slaw

From Pork Belly Throwdown

Jason Gould, formerly of Gravitas. Molasses braised pork belly, apple & green onion jam, herb bread pudding.

From Pork Belly Throwdown

Randy Rucker, Rainbow Lodge. 36 hour poached Iowa Pork Belly sliced thin and glued to shrimp carpaccio with "TG" and dusted with a powder made from pork fat, isomalt, truffle & tapioca maltodextrin and torched, “rice-less” risotto made from yukon potatoes micro-diced to the size of carnaroli rice, squash blossom kimchee (served in its physical form, pureed, and foamed.

From Pork Belly Throwdown

the results of Battle Beans were as follows:

1st place: Karen Rittinger. Fabada Asturiada.

photo by Carlos Meltzer

2nd place: Steve Philpot. Third Coast Cassoulet.

photo by Carlos Meltzer

3rd place: Cindy Robertson. Cindy was also the winner of the fried chicken throwdown's Battle Mac & Cheese.

left over proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the charles blanton community garden in the 1st ward.

a separate charitable effort in the form of an e-cookbook is also being compiled to benefit recipe for success. the "book" will include the pork belly and bean recipes from the evening's event. copies can be requested with a $5 donation by emailing info@recipe4success.org.

From Pork Belly Throwdown

links to other event write-ups & photos:

houston press write-up & slideshow
great food houston blog
compilation of event photos from photo sets by carlos meltzer, misha govshetyn, jim gossen, and food princess

PBTD line up tonight

2009-08-17T13:18:00.004-05:00

pork belly throwdown judges, please look the other way...
i really couldn't resist posting this list for the PBTD attendees tonight.

a couple things i noted:
- more sweet applications than savory
- 2 dishes incorporating "kim chee"
- 3 dishes incorporating apples

what i'm most surprised about: no one is using pork cracklings
what i'm looking forward to trying the most: pork belly sushi (hori-san)
most over-the-top: PB club w/foie gras (mockingbird)
what i'm most curious about: pork and bean ice cream sandwich (vasek)

Team Beaver’s
Jonathan Jones, Russell Kirkham, & Tad Turrany
"Bacon, Biscuit and Eggs" - cured, smoked, sous vide berkshire pork belly, buttermilk biscuit, soft scrambled egg, maple, peach jam

Team Chez Roux
Matthew Gray & Damien Rice
Fennel Crusted Home Cured Belly Pork, Seared Scallop, and Apple Puree

Team Cullen’s
Paul Lewis & Bruce Trathen
Crisp Jolie Vue Farms Pork Belly, Spiced Apple Compote, Housemade Kim Chee

Jason Gould
Molasses braised pork belly, apple & green onion jam, herb bread pudding

Team Haven
Randy Evans, Kevin Naderi & Ojan Bagher
Pork Belly Torta – a taco truck BLT

Team Kata Robata
Manubu “Hori” Horiuchi & Jean-Phillipe Gaston
Pork belly Threesome (Sushi, Crepes, Kakuni with Spinach)

Team Killen’s Steakhouse
Ronnie Killen & Dee Dee Killen
Vermont Maple Glazed Kurobuta Pork Belly

Team Mockingbird
Jose Luis Vela & John Sheely
Kurobuta Pork Belly "Club" with Foie Gras, Tomato/Orange Marmalade and Brioche

Ryan Pera from The Grove
Crisp pork belly with sweet and sour watermelon, tamarind vinaigrette and scallion salad

Randy Rucker from Rainbow Lodge
IOWA PORK BELLY “rice-less” risotto, shrimp, squash blossom kimchee

Cody Vasek from VOICE
Quartet of pork belly: Sweet n sour pork with smoked rice, sesame powder; Pave of pork with pickled cherries & summer corn marmalade; “pork n bean” ice cream sandwich; and ??????????

Antoine Ware from Catalan
Brown sugar & bourbon glazed belly of Mr. Hatterman’s Blue Butt Hog

let the pork games begin! see you tonight.

southbound food show #4

2009-08-16T20:21:00.003-05:00

here are the podcast links for Southbound Food radio show #4 w/ Bryan Caswell & Lance Zierlein that aired Sat, 8/15. the show has a permanent time slot now @ 11AM on Saturday mornings.

special guests this week: Randy Evans - executive chef of Brennan's who is opening the much anticipated Haven in Oct 2009; Michael Housewright - wine director at Block 7 Wine Company; Heidi Barrett - wine goddess/winemaker of Screaming Eagle, Grace Family, Revana, and her own wine company, La Sirena

segment 1 - randy evans discusses haven
segment 2 - michael housewright discusses block 7 wine co
segment 3 - jenny wang (houston chowhounds) discusses upcoming pork belly throwdown; top chef masters; interview with heidi barrett

tune into 1560 AM saturdays @ 11AM or stream it live from 1560 the game's website.

southbound food show #3

2009-08-13T11:55:00.005-05:00

yes, i suck for not posting these sooner. here are the podcast links for bryan caswell's southbound food radio show #3 which aired last weekend.

special guests: chris shepherd from Catalan, cody vasek (executive sous chef @ VOICE) and me.

we discuss flavor tripping, Chris' trip culinary adventures in Istanbul, Cody's recent throwdown successes, Julie & Julia, food blogging, PBTD, and more:

segment 1
segment 2
segment 3

please send comments or questions for the "ask the chef" segment to southboundfood@gmail.com.

southbound food - take 2

2009-07-25T23:03:00.004-05:00

if you haven't heard about southbound food, then you definitely haven't been following me on twitter. and you probably weren't at the listening party this evening at anvil bar & refuge.

southbound food is the new local food radio talk show hosted by bryan caswell of REEF and little bigs and sports talk show host, lance zierlein on 1560 AM the game. bryan caswell, recently awarded the 2009 best new chef award by food and wine magazine and given his own official houston holiday ( july 21st now goes down in h-town history as bryan caswell day), can seem to do no wrong these days. the show has started with great personalities and momentum and is truly entertaining, albeit a tad racy, and definitely hilarious.

the first test show aired last weekend with special guests, jonathan jones from beavers and mark musatto from airline seafood. this week jonathan jones returned with bobby heugel from anvil and me. ME!

show two first aired last night, again twice today, and tomorrow at 9AM and 6PM. tune into 1560 AM or stream it live from their website. if you haven't been able to catch it and can't wait until tomorrow to tune in, i have the podcast links for you here. there are three segments and i promise the show gets funnier and funnier with each click.

segment 1
segment 2
segment 3

after you listen in, please let the producers know how you feel. leave a comment here or send an email or tweet to lance zierlein. the show will eventually find a permanent time slot on saturday. i'll keep you updated on that! the show is now accepting advertisers too (contact lance for more info). and i'm happy to announce that i've already been invited back to do another show!

PBTD chefs and judges

2009-07-19T22:00:00.006-05:00

Some of you have been anxiously awaiting these Pork Belly Throwdown announcements.

And the judges are...

Jenny Wang (@imneverfull) - 002 Magazine food writer & I'm Never Full food blogger
Chris Shepherd (@cshepherd13) - chef/owner of Catalan Food & Wine
Teresa Byrne-Dodge (@MyTableMagazine) - editor & publisher of My Table Magazine, author of The Ultimate Food Lover's Guide to Houston
J.C. Reid (@houston_foodie) - food blogger for Houston Press' Eating Our Words and Houston Foodie
Misha Govshetyn (@tastybitz) - Tasty Bits food blogger
Justin Basye (@justinbasye) - chef de cuisine, VOICE (*WILD CARD)

And more importantly, the chefs that will be competing are...

Randy Evans (@havenchef), chef/owner of Haven (opening this fall)
Jason Gould (@chefjasongould), chef/owner of Gravitas
Matthew Gray, chef de cuisine of Chez Roux @ La Torretta Del Lago
Manubu "Hori" Horiuchi, executive chef at Kata Robata
Jonathan Jones (@PapaBeav), chef/owner of Beaver's
Ronnie Killen (@ze1chef), chef/owner of Killen's Steakhouse
Paul Lewis, executive chef of Cullen's Upscale American Grille
Ryan Pera, executive chef at The Grove
Randy Rucker (@greensandbeans), executive chef at Rainbow Lodge
Cody Vasek, sous chef at VOICE
Jose Luis Vela, chef de cuisine at Mockingbird Bistro
Antoine Ware (@catalansous), sous chef at Catalan

don't forget: tickets to the throwdown go on sale tomorrow. details will be posted to the houston chowhound yahoo! board.

complete event details on the official website.

live uni demo & dinner

2009-07-08T01:38:00.006-05:00

not really like me to brag about a dinner until after i've actually eaten it. this blog post comes sans tasty photos, only an insane menu!

randy rucker, executive chef at the rainbow lodge has planned an extraordinary dinner for the houston chowhounds next week. LIVE sea urchins (yes, with long black spines still moving and everything) are the guests of honor and will be flown in from santa barbara.

each human attendee gets his/her own sea urchin and randy will give us a lesson on how to open and clean it. afterwards, we'll cure the lovely, sweet roe and enjoy this all-uni, all-star menu!

7.15.09 live uni demo & degustation w/wine pairings

- uni popcorn – uni powder seasoned popcorn served during the demo (served in popcorn bags)

- live uni demo & tasting of live uni with olive oil, persimmon vinegar & chive

- raw uni with smoked miso & brown butter

- baby white geoduck clam & a vinaigrette made from uni, meyer lemon & caramel oil

- lots of different eggs both hot & cold

- almond gnocchi with caviar, coddled buttermilk & uni

- slow poached iowa pork belly seasoned with carbonized onion powder & then re-seared, creamed kimchee & uni toast

- sea urchin frozen yogurt & our papaya ceviche

- uni & white chocolate

this menu is totally *sick* right? 20 attendees max & there are still spots left. RSVP here.

and since we're on the subject of the rainbow lodge, have you read my review from last month's 002 magazine? here it is: page 1, page 2

pork belly throwdown

2009-07-05T04:22:00.008-05:00

if you thought the fried chicken throwdown was over-the-top, this one will definitely make your jaw drop. yes, it's a pork belly throwdown and a prescription for lipitor should probably come with each judge's ballot.

in this round, the throwdown will be more iron chef than throwdown with bobby flay. this time, we have a (not-so) secret ingredient and the chefs will choose to prepare the ingredient anyway they choose as long as it's the main ingredient in the dish. judging criteria will be based on originality, plating, and taste.

and how fun would pork be without beans? (or really, the other way around.) houston chowhounds amateur chefs will competing in a battle beans potluck that the real chefs will be judging. houchies can register to compete on the chowhound discussion board.

the event will be hosted by chris shepherd at catalan on mon, aug 17th. tickets will be $25 each and will go on sale on mon, july 20th after competing chefs and judges are announced. ticket proceeds remaining after covering food costs will benefit the charles v. blanton community garden in the 1st ward.

jonathan jones, the host of our last throwdown; the FCTD throwdown champions, randy evans and cody vasek; and antoine ware, catalan's sous chef, will be guaranteed entry in this throwdown. the remaining spots will be determined by lottery. the registration deadline for chefs to enter the lottery is july 17th @ 5pm.

a wild card judge will also be chosen for the judging panel. if you would like to be considered, please submit a short essay on "why you should be a PBTD judge" to imneverfull@gmail.com by july 17th @ 5pm.

event details, registration information, and judging criteria have been posted here. check the bottom of that webpage, join the houston chowhound discussion board, or follow @imneverfull on twitter for PBTD news and announcements.

2nd annual BBQ smackdown

2009-07-05T03:14:00.007-05:00

summers in houston mean unbearable heat to most people, but for houston chowhounds it also signals that the annual BBQ smackdown is near.

usually scheduled the saturday before july 4th, pearl bar was chosen again as the venue because the 1st annual bbq smackdown was so successful there. however, this year had an attendance of 60 hungry houchies (twice as many attendees as last year) as the group has grown to over 400 members in just 1 year.

the premise was simple. brisket and ribs were brought in from 6 local bbq joints and were blind judged by the attendees. our top three winners (pierson & co, burns, and luling city market) from last year's competition were up against three new competitors. this year our farthest competitor was vincek's in east bernard who was picked because they were listed in texas monthly's top 50 bbq joints last year.

the winners for brisket were:

1st. pierson & co.

2nd. virgie's

3rd. vincek's

the winner for ribs were:

1st. virgie's

2nd. pierson & co.

3rd. vincek's

several chowhounds were shocked that burns didn't place again this year. others were shocked that thelma's placed dead last in each category. it should be mentioned that thelma was sick that day but since we had pre-ordered and prepaid for the food, our order was ready for us that morning, however her restaurant was closed.

here are 2 wonderful write-ups of the event. one by the houston press and the other by great food houston.

kata robata

2009-06-22T23:26:00.007-05:00

kata robata
3600 kirby dr #h @ richmond

first walking in, you'll notice that not too much has changed inside except the wall color and some art work. the green tea stained walls are now a warm brown hue, but hue, the former restaurant, is now a goner. that upscale, vietnamese restaurant that opened last year almost to the exact day has been put to bed and the azuma group have decided to focus on what they seem to do much better: sushi.

so interestingly enough, there is no robatayaki (japanese style charcoal grill) in sight. i was told they are planning to build a grill outside which seems even stranger. i'm sure i'll return and actually try the robata - i dig any foods usually served on a stick - but tonight was for omakase. i was here to find out how sushi chef hori-san (from kubo's) was settling in behind his new sushi bar. i definitely recommend sitting front stage when you go. hori-san is a real pleasure to chat with and totally understood all my photo taking even showing me his own photos on his i-phone from catalan a couple weeks ago.

it's been awhile since i've actually felt the need to blog about a meal as soon as i got home. tonight i felt it. i don't think i've ever been excited about japanese cuisine in houston, but now i am. this is what omakase (chef's choice literally translated "it's up to you") looked like tonight.

lobster ceviche. lobster tail, avocado, spinach, green leaf, tomatoes, and red onions in a soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, & yuzu vinaigrette: a tad overdressed, but the dressing was tasty and brought out the sweetness of the lobster tail.

japanese red snapper (madai) sashimi w/asian truffle oil sauce. the sauce of white truffle oil, yuzu and soy was absolutely delightful and the yamamomo ("mountain peach") was a wonderfully sweet and luscious palate cleanser to save for the end. (available on regular menu)

uni & king crab spoons. the sweet uni and the dashi-heavy and tangy sunomono sauce had a wonderful smokiness to it. black caviar added a bit of salt and texture. (available on regular menu)

"kakuni" pork belly. pork belly braised in sweet soy sauce over butter sauteed spinach with micro greens. i can't explain how delicious this was. the pork belly was tender and unctuous but the buttery spinach sent each bite over the top with the added depth the butter imparted. chinese hot mustard garnished the plate and helped balance the fat. (available on regular menu) don't we have a pork belly throwdown coming soon?? this would rival the best of them.

foie gras with daikon. foie was a tad overcooked but still very enjoyable. the sauce was smokey from dashi, slightly sweet from mirin, and had a nice depth imparted by fish stock made from hamachi fish bones. very good dish, but totally outshined by the foie dish to follow. (available on regular menu)

shima aji (japanese striped bass), o toro (tuna belly), copper river salmon sashimi (from left to right). both the toro and salmon melted in my mouth from the high fat content. all of the fish was very fresh. the copper river salmon seemed smoother and more mild than regular salmon. this was served with hon wasabi.

hon wasabi on sharkskin grater. stolen from behind the sushi bar for the photo, this is what fresh wasabi (japanese horseradish) looks like. it's grated to order and is milder than the powdered, bright green stuff that we're used to that is cut with mustard to make it cheaper and more potent. the crisp, radish-like texture is enjoyable. once you taste this stuff, you might not ever accept the cheap, powdered stuff again.

foie gras and scallop sushi. served on a nugget of white rice, this was such a winning combination of creamy, buttery foie and a completely different kind of creamy, buttery scallop. topped with a bit of nabeyaki (sweet eel sauce), this dish was truly amazing and easily the highlight of the meal.

soy marinated tuna. we were instructed not to use soy sauce with this course. the tuna was already salted from the marinade. the fish was firm almost a bit rubbery, but not in an unpleasant way. it was very interesting to experience tuna this way.

amaebi with uni sushi. i have to admit that i'm not a big fan of amaebi (sweet shrimp). i usually order it at a sushi bar if they'll deep fry the heads and i'll try to pawn the shrimp off on a dining companion or i'll reluctantly eat it just to get rid of it. it has an unnerving creamy texture that i don't like. today i learned it can be enjoyable with uni on top. the uni tonight (on a monday btw) was so sweet and fresh. i'd eat amaebi any day if it were served like this.

copper river salmon sushi. a much deeper orange than regular salmon although it's not apparent from this photo. simply prepared with yuzu and a little sea salt. was instructed by the chef not to use any soy sauce. a great ode to the "simpler is better" school of thought.

anago and toro & takowan maki. the steamed sea eel (left) was tender and rich with nabeyaki and hon wasabi on top. hori-san said he orders the sea eel whole from japan and cuts it himself. the maki doesn't look very enticing but the buttery toro combined with the crunchy takowan (japanese radish) was a tasty combination.

after twelve courses, i cried uncle and then the desserts came out...

black sesame creme brulee. i never met a creme brulee that i didn't like and ground black sesame adds a wonderful nuttiness to it. totally yummy.

yuzu sorbet. very good too. the sorbet was smooth with a great mouth-feel and the yuzu (japanese citrus) added fantastic citrus-y and floral tones. it was refreshing and great summer dessert.

green tea tiramisu. good but not great. i wanted more floral green tea flavors from it. it was delicate and very hard to offend.

hori-san said he has more creative freedom at his new home. i'm glad i don't have to deal with kirby traffic and village parking to visit him now. also, totally excited that i have a new restaurant to add to my rotation of restaurants open on monday.

and i've been saying that the "don't eat seafood on mondays" axiom that bourdain propagated with his book kitchen confidential really doesn't apply to houston. tonight i think i proved my point.

p.s. i asked hori-san if there is any good ramen in houston and he said no.

FCTD winners

2009-06-10T08:54:00.022-05:00

it was a full house of full bellys at beaver's this past monday for the houston chowhounds fried chicken throwdown. jonathan jones was our gracious host. over 150 houchies, chefs, and industry folks gathered to binge on copious amounts of fried chicken and some of the best sides imaginable. but really everyone was there to see which of houston's top chefs would be the throwdown champ. the prize? just good ole fashion bragging rights. here's how the throwdown... well, went down.

twelve chefs competed in the classic fried chicken competition. the requirements for this category were: must be (1) chicken, (2) bone-in, and (3) skin-on. entries in this category were judged on (1) crispiness/texture of crust, (2) tenderness of meat, (3) seasoning and (4) overall taste.

Justin Basye, chef de cuisine at VOICE
Classic: Basye Family Recipe*

Frank Butera, chef/owner of Frank's Chop House
Classic: Frank’s Chop House Classic Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Fowl Frying Flyers
Jason Gould, chef/owner of Gravitas
Team Member(s): David Grossman & Cody Dryer
Classic: Buttermilk Battered Fried Chicken

Jonathan Jones, chef/owner of Beaver's
Classic: JJ's Famous Fried Chicken

Killen’s Steakhouse
Ronnie Killen, chef/owner of Killen's Steakhouse
Team Member(s): Dee Dee Killen & Ryan Penn
Classic: Ronnie Killen’s Fried Chicken*

*17 Ex-Pats
Dax McAnear, chef de cuisine at Textile and Ryan Pera, executive chef at The Grove
Classic: Exhibit A

Frank “The Shank”
Frank Moore, sommelier at Textile
Classic: Family Tradition*

Michael O'Connor, restaurant chef at Houston Country Club
Team Member(s): Marc Gabriel Medina
Classic: Fried Chicken w/ sweet potato waffles and honey-lemon butter*

Dusty Sagasser, smokemaster at Beaver's
Classic: Beer battered, smoked fried chicken

Catalan (AKA those Mother Cluckers)
Chris Shepherd, chef/owner of Catalan
Team Member(s): Antoine Ware & Matthew Pridgen
Classic: I Am Not Sharing

Cody Vasek, executive sous chef at VOICE
Classic: God’s Country Classic Chicken*

Jamie Zelko, chef/owner of Zelko Bistro (opening soon)
Classic: Zelko Bistro’s Captain’s Fried Chicken*

five chefs competed in the creative fried chicken competition. the requirements for this category were: must contain (1) poultry of some design, (2) a fried component, and (3) an attachment to fried chicken (i.e. must be reminiscent of fried chicken somehow). entries in this category were judged on (1) originality, (2) presentation, (3) how evocative of fried chicken it was and (4) overall taste.

Frank Butera, chef/owner of Frank's Chop House
Creative: Pollo Fritto All’abruzzese
spaghetti w/an italian, peasant-style ragu made with chicken hearts and gizzards topped with more fried hearts and gizzards.

Team Haven
Randy Evans, chef/owner of Haven (opening this fall)
Team Member(s): Kevin Naderi
Creative: Fried Chicken Ballantine with Watermelon Rind Slaw & Black Pepper Bourbon Gravy*

Fowl Frying Flyers
Jason Gould, chef/owner of Gravitas
Team Member(s): David Grossman & Cody Dryer
Creative: Mustard Crusted Battered & Fried Chicken

Plinio Sandalio, pastry chef at Textile & Gravitas
Team Member(s): Erika Mandeville
Creative: Chicken and Biscuits: buttermilk biscuits, chicken ice cream, honey-guajillo butter, crispy chicken flakes*

Cody Vasek, executive sous chef at VOICE
Creative: “Chicken and Funnel Cake”
chicken drumettes, frenched, dipped in funnel cake batter and deep fried. served with maple syrup and powdered sugar.

* recipes are included in the recipe book

AND HERE ARE THE WINNERS!

Congrats to all of our fried chicken throwdown winners!

In the Classic category

1st place - Cody Vasek, VOICE, God’s Country Classic Chicken
Cody's fried chicken was brined in pepperoncini juice and served with shiner bock beer bread

2nd place: Ronnie Killen, Killen's Steakhouse (Pearland), Ronnie Killen's Fried Chicken
Ronnie's fried chicken was cryovac-ed in buttermilk & spices and sous vided before it was battered and fried.

3rd place: Jason Gould, Gravitas, Buttermilk Battered Fried Chicken
Jason's fried chicken is available every Tuesday night at Gravitas as a blue plate special.

if i could give an award for most interesting crust, my first place would go to the *17 Ex-Pats team (Dax & Ryan) for a "bread crumb" mixture made from a combination of chicharron (pork rinds), pulverized crawfish shells, ramen noodles, and the ramen seasoning pack. it created an extremely crispy crust and some really interesting flavors no one quite expected.

my second place would go to Jamie Zelko for her slightly sweet crust of Captain Crunch cereal, corn flakes, oatmeal, and panko bread crumbs. the taste and texture was wonderful and definitely kid-friendly.

also worth noting is Dusty Sagasser's entry which was first smoked and then beer battered. the smokiness of the chicken meat was very pleasing.

In the Creative category:

1st place: Randy Evans, Haven, Fried Chicken Ballantine with Watermelon Rind Slaw & Black Pepper Bourbon Gravy
randy's chicken was served with a refreshing watermelon rind slaw and very delicious watermelon juice iced tea. he nailed the "evocative of fried chicken" judging criteria.

2nd place: Plinio Sandalio, Textile, Chicken and Biscuits: buttermilk biscuits, chicken ice cream, honey-guajillo butter, crispy chicken flakes
plinio's chicken ice cream (basically a frozen sweet veloute) was surprisingly tasty (well, maybe not if you're familiar with his work). he had some freezer issues at the event so his ice cream was served more like a semi-freddo. the chicken cracklin was incredibly, ridiculously delicious.

3rd place: Jason Gould, Gravitas, Mustard Crusted Battered & Fried Chicken

so who judged all 17 of these entries? a panel of houston chowhounds composed of (clockwise from top) Bryan Caswell of REEF, Jim Gossen of Louisiana Foods, Katharine Shilcutt Houston Press' food writer and She Eats blogger, Jay Francis Houston Press' food explorer, moi, and Karen Rittinger who won the wild card judge spot. it was seriously hard work, but someone had to do it!

but we weren't the only judges at the event. Nine houchies participated in battle mac and cheese potluck. Guess who judged this event? All the chefs at the event including Bryan Caswell and Monica Pope.

The chefs decided. Our mac & cheese winners were:

1st place: Cindy Robertson, Truly Scrumptious Mac-N-Cheese
2nd place: Chuck Redick, Chuck E. Mac and Cheese
3rd place: Matthew McClung, Not Yo Crawdaddy's Mac & Cheese

The event raised over $700 for Recipe for Success who were onsite at the event. Four chefs donated their $50 stipend towards food costs to the charity. These gastro angels were Ronnie Killen, Michael O'Connor, Plinio Sandalio, and Chris Shepherd.

Recipe books were also sold at the event which contained all nine mac & cheese recipes and 8 fried chicken recipes (including both 1st place winners) with 100% of the proceeds donated to Recipe for Success. Special thanks to Syd Kearney and 29-95 for printing our books and ballots for free and for doing it with such short notice.

If you would like a copy of the recipe book, please send a $5.50 donation via paypal to imneverfull@gmail.com and a PDF of the book will be emailed to you. Our goal is to raise $1000 for Recipe for Success.

Also, be sure to read the Houston Press write-up.

all photos courtesy of katharine shilcutt. view the complete set of FCTD photos on flickr.

and the FCTD wild card judge is...

2009-06-03T22:57:00.004-05:00

congrats to Karen Indellicati Rittinger for winning the 6th spot on the judges panel for the fried chicken throwdown next week! here is her winning response to "why i should be a FCTD judge."

WHY I SHOULD BE A FCTD JUDGE
TOP TEN LIST

10. My palate has enjoyed the sophistication of foie gras at Lucas Carton in Paris to fried chicken at Hodaks in St. Louis.

9. Ten years of prescribed Lipitor is not the result of eating boiled, baked or braised chicken.

8. Never allowing the annual fryer butchering event on my grandparent’s farm to deter my taste for fried chicken even after wringing necks, opening the gizzards to determine the fowls’ last meals, plucking feathers and singeing the naked bird over a flame.

7. Good fried chicken is like the man in my life……..always satisfying.

6. My family’s fried chicken got me a wedding proposal, a 2.5 carat diamond and 17 years of good marriage (There’s truth in that old saying that “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”).

5. My grandmother fried enough chicken in her kitchen on a 100 degree Texas summer day with no air conditioning to feed children, grandchildren, a few neighbors and the field hands.

4. Zone‘d Erotica has never sold anything as satisfying as my family’s fried chicken.

3. I taught my Yankee cousins that Emily Post does not criticize if you eat southern fried chicken with your fingers.

2. I can proudly say that fried chicken has helped me reach a weight of ***.

And the number 1 reason that I should be a FCTD judge is because:

1. I can fry chicken just like my mother and grandmother!

***Will disclose if selected as a FCTD judge

karen, of course we won't ask you to disclose your weight. because then i might feel the need to share mine and that would just be TMI. congrats!

fried chicken throwdown

2009-05-31T16:59:00.013-05:00

the michelada throwdown at anvil last weekend spawned an even bigger, more ambitious event. the challenge this time is everyone's favorite comfort food: FRIED CHICKEN.

the fried chicken throwdown (FCTD) will take place at beaver's on mon, 6/8 and i've posted the complete event details, throwdown guidelines, and judging criteria to the houston chowhounds website.

the line-up of contestants is SICK. this is the current list:

- Jonathan Jones, chef/owner of Beaver's (event host)
- Dusty Sagasser, smokemaster at Beaver's
- Plinio Sandalio, pastry chef at Textile & Gravitas
- Robert Heugel, master mixologist/owner of Anvil Bar & Refuge
- Frank Butera, chef/owner of Frank's Chop House
- Randy Evans, chef/owner of Haven (opening this fall)
- Chris Shepherd, chef/owner of Catalan
- Justin Basye, chef de cuisine at VOICE
- Randy Rucker, executive chef at Rainbow Lodge
- Dax McAnear, chef de cuisine at Textile
- Michael O'Connor, restaurant chef at Houston Country Club
- Jamie Zelko, chef/owner of Zelko Bistro (opening soon)

these contestants will be competing in one of two categories: classic or creative. the most creative entry so far sounds like plinio's chicken ice cream w/ chicken cracklings. bobby from anvil bar is calling his entry "gin chicken." will it be served in a glass or on a plate?

tickets went on sale on the Houston Chowhounds discussion board early friday morning and sold out within a few hours.

there aren't any tickets left but there's still a wild card spot on the judging panel. the wild card judge will be chosen by whoever submits the best response to the question, “Why should I be a FCTD judge?” anyone may enter by sending his/her answer in 100 words or less to imneverfull@gmail.com by mon, 6/1 at 5 pm.

you may have missed out on this event, but it's not too late to attend the Houston Chowhound 2nd annual BBQ smackdown! the date has been set for sat, 6/27 @ noon. the location will be announced soon. so if you aren't a member, seriously. what are you waiting for? join here.

photo courtesy of roboppy

best dishes: Q1 09 edition

2009-04-02T20:14:00.004-05:00

i eat a lot. i probably don't have to convince most of you that i do. almost all my chowing takes place outside the confines of my own home. i can cook, i really can but i choose not to out of sheer laziness. i hate grocery shopping and i hate doing dishes. i also hate eating alone. surely if i had someone to cook for that picked up groceries and did the dishes, i'd cook all the time.

between visiting restaurants to write about them, attending restaurant openings and other food-related events, i'm sampling a helluva lot of food. most dishes aren't very memorable. some are down right disgusting. i can remember two instances recently where i actually spat out food. when i'm lucky, i walk away in gastro-love and even wake up the next morning thinking about that certain dish. i've had quite a few of these moments this quarter.

i just don't have as much time as i used to to blog about all the details of my review-worthy meals. hey, i know you're busy too. surely, you can appreciate the time i'm saving you as well by just listing the highlights.

never full awards - Q1 2009
these are the best dishes i've eaten during the first 3 months of 2009. these are dishes that i'll never be too full for that last bite of. this list is only grouped by the type of course: apps, mains, desserts, but otherwise are not arranged in any order. only menu items that i've never tried before qualify for this award.

(if a restaurant's name is hyperlinked under the photo's description, click on it to view all the photos from that same meal.)

duck mousse from Chez Nous

1. duck mousse @ chez nous had a plum vinegar and sherry aspic on top with pickled cherries. it was served with warm toast points which actually looked like toast points (what's up with sliced baguette at some places???). the toast was perfect as was the earlier bread service. it reminded me of a similar duck pate at the late anthony's which was one of my favorite dishes in town. can i buy this stuff by the pound?

salmon two ways from Max's Wine Dive

2. salmon duo @ max's wine dive. i was invited to the spring menu tasting at max's in february. this dish was composed of salmon 2 ways: salmon belly carpaccio with ginger shallot vinaigrette and potted salmon rillettes topped with clarified butter. this appetizer was served with fried capers and brioche chips. the salmon rillettes were out of this world. rich, creamy, dreamy. the brioche chips were great but this stuff would even taste good on cardboard. i'm sure the thick layer of ghee on top had something to do with it. i'm truly impressed with some of the menu items that newish chef michael dei maggi is putting out there now that he's at the helm. i'm looking forward to trying the spring lamb trilogy on the new spring menu.

lobster mousse from Chez Roux

3. lobster mousse @ chez roux at la torretta del lago. this dark green parcel arrived topped with a lobster claw and caviar. the lobster mousse which was wrapped in spinach leaves ended up being quite firm, yet spongy with more identifiable lobster meat hidden inside. the velvety champagne sauce was absolutely stunning.

4. smoked tuna bacon @ REEF was one of many wonderful dishes during my recent progressive dinner date. the smoked tuna bacon was escorted by sea bass tiradito, granny smith apples, and avocado. the smoky tuna bacon definitely shined center stage with mild sea bass as backup. creamy, buttery avocado and the bright flavor and crisp texture of green apples made a well-balanced plate.

tripa tacos from El Ultimo during Taco Truck Crawl

5. tripa taco @ el ultimo. i've hadn't met much tripe that i'm truly fond of. i've even tried mario batali's trippa alla romana and wasn't that wild about it. everything changed when i was doing research for the houston chowhounds taco truck crawl. i found the el ultimo taco truck off robb walsh's taco truck blog where walsh commends their breakfast tacos. i tried an egg & chorizo taco, but it was the tripe tacos that blew me away. these tiny golden nuggets tasted deep-fried and were so crispy, the texture seemed to mask the offal "tripey" taste that they are known for. each taco was garnished with grilled onions, a ton of cilantro, queso fresco, and sliced avocado on a warm, greasy flour tortilla. only $1.50 a piece my friends!

banh uot thit nuong from Huynh

6. banh uot thit nuong @ huynh. it's really surprising when a simple dish can stand out and drive me this crazy. i can't decide which is better: the peanut sauce or the actual banh uot (vietnamese cannelloni)? the rice sheets are made in-house and were still warm when chargrilled pork (thit nuong), green leaf lettuce, bean sprouts, cilantro, and mint were rolled inside. the peanut sauce (which they make as well) is not as cloying sweet as the prepared stuff that most of us are used to. a dab of chili oil on top gives it a nice punch. the quality of all the ingredients is apparent with a $2.95 price tag to boot!

akaushi flank steak from TTR Gourmet Media Dinner

7. akaushi flank steak @ the tasting room uptown park. i attended a media preview party for the gourmet magazine premier wine dinner in the reserve room. the reserve room's own chef steve super prepared a 5 course dinner similar to the main event's menu and wine pairings were expertly selected by sommelier tony elsinga. the akaushi beef was silky and tender with prickly-pear marinade and served medium-rare over butter-braised romaine. the marinade was incredible with just the right amount of acid. i also loved the accompaniment of heated lettuce. glad to see a chef (who isn't asian or italian) embrace a heated preparation of lettuce. tickets for gourmet weekend is $250 per person and includes the wine dinner this weekend on saturday, 4/4 and a jazz brunch on sunday.

8. dry-aged kobe long bone-in ribeye (photo, far top) @ killen's steakhouse is undeniably supreme red meat. it's flown in from allen brothers in chicago where the dry-aging process breaks down protein enzymes tenderizing the meat and resulting in really deep, intense beefy flavors. this long bone was huge, easily 6 to 8 inches, but the most admirable quality of this particular slab of steak was the amazing char it flaunted. being a true texan, i just believe there just aren't many things better than a piece of USDA prime red meat that's crisp on the outside and oh-so-tender inside. almost makes this girl wanna cry!

bone marrow risotto from Benjy's on Washington

9. buffalo hanger steak & bone marrow risotto @ benjy's on washington is killer. the buffalo hanger steak (not pictured above) is sliced and served medium rare. it's almost fork-tender with wonderful smoky flavors. the rich, unctuous bone marrow risotto elevates this dish into an something quite extraordinary.

creme brulee bread pudding from Killen's

10. creme brulee bread pudding @ killen's steakhouse. i've never been a fan of bread pudding. i made an exception for years with the white chocolate bread pudding at ruggles grill. the bread pudding at killen's is even better. it's custard based, just like ruggles', so it's heavy and rich. my first bite induced involuntary giggling. i don't think this has happened to me since the first time i tried chocolate. i couldn't stop giggling like a school girl because it was that good! this dessert is worth a drive to pearland. the two dishes on this list from killen's makes a visit here a no-brainer.

bacon ice cream from Beaver's

11. bacon ice cream @ beaver's. chef jonathan jones brought me a scoop of it last month when he was still experimenting with it. i am told that it is on the dessert menu now. it's sweet, creamy, and has bits of candied bacon in it. combining pork belly and ice cream is ingenius! and it's absolutely delicious.

12. smoked brownie with ancho chili ice cream @ textile. every time i think of pastry chef plinio sandalio, i think of how lucky houston is to have him. recently, i had my second dessert tasting at textile during a progressive dinner date. it was 8 courses of pure joy and brilliance. this course was my favorite because of the complexity of flavors and textures. i loved the combination of chocolate, smoke, and ancho together. it wasn't overly sweet either. plinio is skilled at balancing just the right amount of sugar in his gastro-creations. he's going to try frying brownies in bacon fat next. can't wait for that!

how to spoil a girl like me

2009-03-24T02:46:00.016-05:00

the idea of a progressive dinner is a topic that has been discussed more than a few times amongst the chowhounds. the idea is similar to a crawl, but the experience is more formal. a crawl implies multiple destinations in pursuit of a single thing like beer or burgers or fried chicken. a progressive meal involves multiple destinations in pursuit of all the components of a meal; for example: appetizers at one restaurant, entrees at a second, desserts at a third.

in this particular case - a progressive dinner date i was recently treated to - we visited four restaurants in one evening. we arrived at the first restaurant at 7:30 pm and didn't leave the last place until after 11:30.

this date was on a lovely saturday evening. careful planning and strategizing must have taken place beforehand. time estimated at each restaurant and driving time between locations were all taken into account, calculated, and reservations were made accordingly. the night went very smoothly. i had no idea where we were going. i didn't even realize it was a progressive dinner until we only ordered appetizers at restaurant #1. he must have been paying attention.

restaurant #1 - dolce vita

truffled egg toast

enter truffled egg toast. easily one of my favorite appetizers in town. thick, crusty bread with an egg broiled inside. parmeggiano-reggiano and shaved black truffles on top. cutting into it makes all the yummy yolk run out of it.

restaurant #2 - REEF

smoked tuna bacon & sea bass tiradito

smoked tuna bacon & sea bass tiradito, granny smith apples, and avocado. there is no doubt the tuna bacon was the star of this show. texturally, the dish was very successful. the crispy thinly sliced apples and silky avocado paired nicely with the fish. the sea bass made each bite of the smokey tuna really pop.

soft shell crab

tempura fried soft shell crab with avocado and radish salad. the crab was meaty and substantial. a dab of chinese style hot mustard on the avocado salad added depth and heat. roasted pepper sauce was pretty on the eyes and tastier on the tongue.

smoked dr. pepper bearded driftfish

i don't mind being chef bryan caswell's guinea pig. any time, any day. this was a dish he sent to the table. he explained he's been playing around with smoking dr. pepper and combining it with miso to do a more southern interpretation of nobu matsuhisa's famous black cod in miso. it was delicious on a bed of rice noodles w/ mustard greens. i didn't find the fish as oily and pleasing as cod or halibut. my palate wanted more sugar too, but perhaps it's because i can still clearly remember tasting nobu's miso cod for the first time and was expecting something more like it. i can tell this dish will be amazing when caswell is done perfecting it.

restaurant #3 - feast

chicken cracklings

couldn't resist a side of baked chicken skins. i could've and would've eaten the whole plate of them if they weren't so salty.

beef tongue

what's sexier than a little nose-to-tail cuisine on a date? huh? we shared this entree as we shared all the dishes before this. the beef tongue was really tender and had the soft texture that only tongue has. it was served on a bed of mashed peas and roasted turnips. the turnips were excellent. the mushy peas became a bit too mealy after the 5th bite.

restaurant #4 - textile

i was squealing with joy when we drove down shepherd and crossed over washington ave. i knew we were headed for textile.

a dessert tasting with pastry chef extraordinaire, plinio sandalio was organized in advance. it was a 7 course affair that would have impressed even the most critical palates and melted even the iciest of hearts.

#1. plinio's play on wendy's frosty and fries. gianduja and potato ice cream cone. the combination of chocolate hazelnut ice cream and the savory potato cone made a really great balance of sweet and salty. the dessert cones were about 2 bites too, which left me wanting more.

strawberry shortcake

#2 "strawberry shortcake." mini scones w/ vanilla balsamic compressed strawberries, buttermilk ice cream, shaved pistachio. fun with a classic dessert.

truffle w/ quince & milk jam

#3 truffle w/ quince, milk jam, honey. the chocolate shell was very delicate and resulted in a wonderful burst of nectar in my mouth. well-balanced sweetness.

sweet potato beignets

#4 sweet potato beignets & bacon ice cream, cinnamon pudding, bacon sugar. hot and cold. bacon, cinnamon, caramel... very satisfying.

#5 1 second pisco sour. novel idea. plinio filled our little glasses with pisco sours out of a siphon at the table. less tart than i expected. perhaps b/c of the foam?

smoked brownie w/ ancho chile ice cream

#6 smoked brownie w/ ancho chile ice cream, white chocolate "chips," caramel. the ancho ice cream really added a really interesting dynamic to the plate. the combination of flavors was sophisticated. the smoked brownie was wonderful.

mignardises

#7 mignardises: dark chocolate truffle, chocolate raspberry truffle, chocolate lemon truffle, scottish shortbread, cocoa nibs pistachio

yes, i was full.
and the evening was amazing, as you can tell.

and before you ask, yes, i'm quite certain this was an expensive night. however, the idea of a progressive dinner isn't to see how many huge tabs you can rack up or how many exclusive restaurants you can get into in one night. the theory is to create the most enjoyable dining experience without limiting yourself to one menu or one dining room. the cost of an evening will completely depend on the price range of restaurants selected and whether valet or paid parking is necessary. and keep in mind that this kind of dinner will probably require less organizing and can be done in a more impromptu fashion on a week night with restaurants more accustomed to walk-ins.

i'd love to plan some group progressive dinners in the future, perhaps even with set, off-menu courses already coordinated in advance with restaurants/chefs selected. the element of surprise was also a major fun factor that i think others foodies would enjoy if they knew they were in capable hands.

from blogger to twitter

2009-03-21T03:47:00.004-05:00

yes, it appears as if i've fallen off the map. it seems i've been MIA for 2 months, but really i've been all over the place if you've just known where to look.

twitter

if you've been following me on twitter it's likely you know more about my whereabouts than just about anyone.

micro-blogging is my newest obsession. tweets (twitter jargon for posts) must fall within the rigid requirement of 140 characters or less and in exchange for abiding by this criteria, i have almost instant feedback from those who follow me. there are more than a few handfuls of houches and local food personalities who are twitter active and i just love knowing what they are eating or cooking at the moment.

also, i've been playing with the fairly new concept of live-blogging meals using brightkite. it's simple really. i check in at a restaurant, then i upload notes or photos of dishes i'm eating in real-time using my blackberry. these photos and comments auto-post to twitter and my followers can follow along and virtually dine with me responding with comments or questions of their own.

in the past 30 days, i have live-blogged full meals at the following list of restaurants (starting with most current). you can find the juicy details on my brightkite page.

sasaki japanese
hiro's yakko-san (miami)
sra. martinez (miami)
enriqueta's sandwich shop (miami)
grand opening party of chez roux (conroe)
vernon's kuntry katfish (conroe)
chez roux @ la torretta del lago resort (conroe)
beaucoup wings
houston rodeo BBQ cookoff
chez nous (humble)
killen's steakhouse (pearland)

002 magazine

when i'm not tweeting, chances are i'm eating or writing for 002 magazine. the DineWrite column which features one restaurant a month is now a page and a half. i want to get down to all the delicious details and convinced the magazine that i needed 800+ words to do so. here are links to the last three dinewrites:

jan issue - ruggles green: page 1
feb issue - bedford: page 1, page 2
mar issue - the inn at dos brisas: page 1, page 2

i've also taken over the new restaurants column in the magazine where 3-4 recently opened restaurants get pint-size reviews each month.

feb issue: tradicao brazilian & cielo: page 1
mar issue: benjy's on washington, crave sushi, little big's: page 1

FPH CUIZINE

i'm the new food blogger for free press houston CUIZINE. i haven't been focusing nearly enough time there as i should be, but my blogging will focus on cheap eats including some of the best ethnic hole-in-the-walls in the country which just happen to be in our own fair city. various members of the houston chowhounds will also be guest writers on the blog. if you haven't, ch-ch-check it out.

juli b

lastly, i'm also writing for modern luxury's e-zine called juli b. i write the eats column which is distributed on the last thursday of every month which highlights restaurants with newly opened doors or those coming soon. i'll also write full features on restaurants from time to time.

catch up with me on juli b:

feb eats: benjy's on washington, crave, little big's
swell swill: feature on anvil bar (which incidentally opened last night!)

if you aren't a subscriber, you should be. click me. if you have restaurant news for me, please send it to imneverfull@gmail.com

so enough self-promotion already. i promise to have a really meat and guts blog posting here soon.

i haz awards

2009-01-17T17:25:00.003-06:00

here are some thank you's and shout outs for awards we (that's me and my blog) received recently. i am seriously flattered that others enjoy my ramblings and most of all it has made all the calories consumed (and there have been thousands upon thousands of them) over the past year well worth it.

Where's my Damn Answer?: DAMN GOOD BLOG AWARD - fellow chowhound Jody aka "jodycakes" is a contributing writer for this ridiculously entertaining blog based out of LA.

I've Got the Munchies by Cory Crow: Houston "Foodie" of the Year - "Jenny of I'm Never Full. And, judging by how much she's eaten, she's not lying either. Jenny is the driving force behind the exploding food movement in Houston known as the Chowhounds. Her organization and promotion of the Miracle Berry Tripping Party at the Social was so effective this, quite possibly was the most covered food event of the year."

Houston Foodie: Best Food Writing: Dec 2008 - "i'm never full blog: A luxurious photo essay and comprehensive write-up of a recent Houston restaurant visit." this was earned from my review of rainbow lodge that also attracted a blog troll in the process. thanks chris who also blogs over at the "eating our words" houston press food blog.

new in '09: writing for 002

2009-01-16T15:59:00.004-06:00

if you haven't heard already, yours truly is writing the DineWrite column for 002 magazine. my first review was ruggles green and you can find it in the current issue (Jan 2009) on the streets now. pick one up and take a look-see or just click here for the PDF. the photos are all mine. only three made it to print but you can click on "ruggles green" below to see the other 81 that didn't make it.

Quinoa Mac & Cheese from Ruggles Green

I've just wrapped up the DineWrite for the feb issue (which will be a page and a half!) and i have to say: eating and writing about it is the dream job. but what makes me even more warm and fuzzy inside is working with carla and alejandro and the other fine talent at 002. they are sooo supportive! look for more of my writing in the feb issue as i've started stealing the new restaurants page for myself too!

new @ rainbow lodge

2008-12-30T17:37:00.016-06:00

rainbow lodge
2011 ella blvd @ e. tc jester

what's new at rainbow lodge? a WHOLE LOT. chef randy rucker of former laidback manor and tenacity supper club has taken over the kitchen and the food has gotten a lot more... well, "rucker-esque." i wasn't really sure what to expect from lunch today - i have to admit that i wasn't the biggest rainbow lodge fan previously. but we were in good hands, randy's hands. as soon as the amuse arrived, a big smile creeped across my face.

amuse bouche from Rainbow Lodge

the amuse was a small bite of poached shrimp with cocktail sauce gelée and tangerine leaves. the presentation was clean and whimsical.

marinated raw scallops from Rainbow Lodge

our first course were sliced raw scallops marinated in miso, white soy, and sesame oil. it was served w/ a creamy miso vinaigrette, thai chilis, fresh dill and shaved radish. the inherent creaminess of raw scallops was accenuated by the crisp radish chips. the marinade was flavorful and benefited from the nuttiness of the sesame oil. the miso vinaigrette should be sold by the gallon. i would buy some, take it home and dip everything in it. the dill and chilis added a fresh, vibrant touch.

foie gras torchon on brioche w/ candied bacon from Rainbow Lodge

we were lucky to lunch on this particular day as the kitchen had foie gras torchon already prepared for the new years eve tasting menu. the foie gras from labelle farm had been cured in armagnac and sous vided. it was served on a piece of smoked brioche with candied bacon and blis maple syrup. tat soi flowers, rutabaga tops, and fleur de sel crowned the torchon. bacon and foie on one plate makes happy palates. and it did indeed.

rabbit & apple cider velouté from Rainbow Lodge

a bowl with a rabbit rillette and romanesco, a broccoli/cauliflower hybrid was set in front of me. then a rabbit and apple cider velouté was poured into the bowl. this was one of my favorite courses as it was so unexpected. a velouté is one of the four mother sauces of french cuisine. the sauce is essentially made from a stock (in this case a rabbit stock) and a blonde roux made from equal parts butter and flour. the sauce is so silky the word comes from the french word for velvet, velour. randy cuts the sauce with acidity from apple cider vinegar and the end product is magnificent: slightly sweet, rich, and creamy. the rabbit rillette was equally velvety and offered something more substantial to each spoonful. the romanesco was visually stunning and just barely steamed to add yet another textural experience into play.

berkshire pork belly w/cauliflower mushrooms from Rainbow Lodge

our fourth course was berkshire pork belly sousvided for 48 hours and then flash fried prior to serving. it was accompanied by cauliflower mushrooms (sparassis), leeks, and blackeyed peas in an orange blossom vinegar. nasturtium greens from randy's garden topped the plate and have a distinct peppery flavor. the blackeyed peas seemed to add some starchy creaminess to the plate and was a welcome reminder of the new year.

grilled tuna and fingerling potatoes from Rainbow Lodge

the fifth course was seared tuna with fingerling potatoes in a red wine bordelaise with sprinklings of fleur de sel and tangerine leaves - both very noticeable. the tuna was cooked perfectly. the fresh citrus notes from the tangerine leaves made this otherwise good dish something very special.

venison loin rubbed with cinnamon and "christmas spices" from Rainbow Lodge

our sixth and last savory course was venison loin seasoned with cinnamon and christmas spices. it was served with black kale, sunburst squash, and purple carrots in venison jus. the venison was not gamey at all but i would have preferred it cooked to a prettier rare. i also didn't really "get" the choice of seasonings although i appreciated the humor in incorporating some x'mas spirit on the table.

liquid pumpkin pie from Rainbow Lodge

liquid pumpkin pie was served warm in brandy snifters. it was rich in flavor but not in cream and we remarked how good it would be with the addition of rum for a great holiday drink. i love pumpkin pie and i loved this.

chocolate ganache from Rainbow Lodge

our last course was chocolate ganache with pistachios and wood sorrel. it was decadent and smooth on the tongue and a satisfying end to a long luxurious lunch.

i admit that i had some doubts about the relationship between randy and the owners at rainbow lodge: i was skeptical the business would not give randy the creative freedom to offer the kind of food he is blessed to be able to create. i'm happy to report that my concerns are no longer. randy will be rolling out a his new menu on january 6th.

and...if you don't have plans for dinner tomorrow night, it may not be too late to book a reservation at rainbow lodge and take advantage of their new years eve tasting menu. for details, go to randy's blog.

cafe pita +

2008-12-29T18:32:00.001-06:00

cafe pita +
10890 westheimer rd nr wilcrest

as vast and diverse as houston is, it only has one bosnian restaurant. and as far as i'm concerned that's perfectly okay because the bosnian cuisine is served at cafe pita + is really *that* good enough.

bosnian food is an amalgamation of many regional influences. it is similar to greek and other mediterranean cuisines with their use of pita, feta, and phyllo dough. cafe pita + also serves a meza plate, eggplant dip, hummus, and gyro sandwich. other dishes seem more balkan or eastern european influences such as stuffed cabbage rolls. shish-kebabs and cevapi (similiar to kofta) are more popularly associated with turkish cuisine. much like the cuisines of these regions, bosnian food can be relatively light and healthy with no shortage of flavors.

we started with fried cheese and fried anchovy apps.

fried cheese from Cafe Pita +

fried cheese was lightly battered and fried, dense and a tad on the salty side. cafe pita + uses a store-bought ackawi, an arabic style semi-soft cow's milk cheese. it was good enough, but i'd gladly give it up next time to try something different. ajvar, a relish made primarily from red bell peppers, accompanied the fried triangles. ajvar also contains eggplant, garlic and chili pepper and can vary between degrees of sweet and spicy depending on how much heat the red bells and chili peppers have. cafe pita +'s hits more of the sweeter notes.

girice (fried anchovies) from Cafe Pita +

these little fried anchovy fishlings were addictive. a squeeze of lemon over the top and i was popping them into my mouth like popcorn. yes, a tad fishy as expected, but not fishy offensive. the dipping sauce is simply avjar with the addition of tabasco sauce. i'd recommend this even to folks who don't like 'chovies. you might surprise yourself.

sarma (stuffed cabbage) from Cafe Pita +

sarma was boiled cabbage leaves stuffed with ground beef and rice. it was stewed in a tomato based sauce. the dish came to the table a bit cold. the dish was good but i prefer the romanian version of the dish called sarmale which uses ground pork, sausage, and sometimes even bacon. sarmale is also served with sour cream on the side, just an added bonus in my eyes.

burek (spinach) from Cafe Pita +

an order of spinach burek made from phyllo dough, spinach, and feta was huge. the burek was reheated but it was a shame that the pastry arrived soggy. however the flavors were there and i was told that i should ask for it crispy the next time and they will heat it longer. burek can also be ordered with other fillings such as potato, beef, or just cheese.

cevap on lepinja bread from Cafe Pita +

the highlight of the meal were the ćevapi or ćevapčići (cici meaning small, sweet, nice in turkish) which is the national dish of serbia. cafe pita's ćevapi are made from ground beef and lamb, baking soda, mineral water, and bread and then formed into little breakfast sausage links. the baking soda gives the sausages a great, spongy texture. after grilling, the meat was still slightly pink inside and tender juicy. the flavor was more delicate than i imagined and truly enjoyable. the lepinja bread which i'd describe as a fluffier english muffin was served toasted.

cevapi w/ avjar and kaymak from Cafe Pita +

diced raw onions, ajvar, and kaymak escorted the sausage sandwich to the table. kaymak is a thick cheese spread similar to clotted cream made traditionally from water buffalo milk. the taste is mild yet buttery. i enjoyed the cevapi tremendously with raw onions and kaymak. this is one of those dishes that i feel sorry that vegetarians can't enjoy. this dish will also be one reason why i'll always be a meat-eater.

pirjan (lamb shank) from Cafe Pita +

pirjan or lamb shank was served with basmati rice and stewed vegetables including potatoes, zucchini, and eggplant. kaymak reappeared on this plate too which when enjoyed on lepinja makes this a hearty meal for one. unfortunately, five of us all tried get a taste of the tender lamb. it was a modest portion (for one) which left everyone wanting a little more. this dish at $9.99 a plate is a steal. it also ties with two other dishes (beef shish-kebab and meat lovers pizza) as the most expensive items on the menu. as heavy as lamb can be, i was impressed by how light the other flavors and spices were. the natural essence of the vegetables really shined.

postprandial turkish coffee presented in a copper mini pot and baklava followed. the turkish coffee wasn't as strong as i remember, but the baklava was tasty. less sticky sweet than typical greek baklava, cafe pita's is made from walnuts.

cafe pita + serves honest food at amazing prices. our dinner for 5 came out to $15 per person which included a generous tip. a bottle of wine was brought from home and another was purchased at the liquor store next door (where i spotted chilled bottles of moet white star for only $38.99). BYOB, as there is no corkage fee. the ambiance has a bit left to be desired but the friendly and warm service more than makes up for it.

it is authentic, family-owned restaurants like this that we must support to ensure they survive our tough economic times. if you need one more reason to stop by: the #1 food trend of 2008 is recession dining and i think cafe pita + is exactly what they're talking about.

que huong

2008-12-27T14:04:00.007-06:00

que huong
8200 wilcrest dr # 27 @ beechnut

our lunch from Que Huong

the chowhounds and i had an impromptu lunch @ que huong yesterday, where robb walsh claims may be the best authentic vietnamese in the country. several attempts have been made to organize meals here but have fallen apart for one reason or another. my tum was crying for a light meal and i knew QH would hit the spot.

to start, 2 cold salads:

#300 jellyfish salad topped w/shrimp and pork from Que Huong

where's the jellyfish? i asked 2 or 3 times. i finally saw it hidden in the nether regions of the salad. once detected not much was found either. the salad was still wonderful w/sliced pork, shrimp, julienned celery, onion, carrots, cucumbers, crunchy fried shallots, and cilantro.

#306 sliced rare beef & shrimp water spinach salad from Que Huong

the beef (probably tai used for pho) was tender and pink, shrimp seemed fresh enough but the real standout was the bed of fresh water spinach (rau muống, ong choy, or in chinese, kongxincai "hollow heart vegetable") and the tasty dressing which was vinegar based, not overly sweet, and well-balanced.

both salads were light, fresh, and tasty. both were accompanied by shrimp chips - although slightly reminiscent of packaging peanuts -which were crunchy and fun to eat. they shared the same pleasant vinaigrette. i could eat either of these salads every day and have mentally added them to my list of healthy yummy food that i need to direct more attention to in following through with some new years resolutions.

next up, an appetizer:

#14 fried sticky rice combination from Que Huong

the fried sticky rice combination came with chinese sausage, vietnamese ham (chả lụa), tiny dried shrimp, and crushed peanuts. the dish was simple yet comforting and delicious. the fried puck of rice didn't appear to be deep fried as it did not have consistent browning. my guess is it is panfried, however i'm not sure how they do it. sticky rice is, well, sticky. i'm assuming copious amounts of oil must be involved yet the dish seemed grease-free. (if anyone can enlighten me on the preparation of this dish, please leave a comment.)

continuing on... i was disappointed they didn't have bánh bột chiên (fried rice flour cake) or bánh cuốn, steamed rice noodle rolls similar to chinese cheong fun served during dim sum. but bánh ướt is similar.

#99 banh uot w/ham, pickled pork sausage, fried shrimp cupcake from Que Huong

bánh ướt or steamed rice sheets are almost translucent white and have a bit of a gelatinous texture. while i quite enjoy it, i've known others to be turned off by the soft, chewy texture. by themselves they don't have much flavor and here QH cuts them into strips and pairs a small mound of cold bánh ướt with vietnamese ham or chả lụa (steamed pork loaf), pickled sour pork sausage or nem, and a fried shrimp cup cake. garnished with cilantro, julienned cukes, bean sprouts, and fried shallots, this dish is eaten after a generous amount of fish sauce or Nước chấm is added.

i loved the different textures of this dish: the soft, slimy noodles, the fresh crunch of the veggies and herbs, the pork prepared 2 ways, and the deep fried shrimp cake. even the juxtaposition of the 2 meats was interesting: nem- pickled, mushy, rawish-looking sausage (not sour to me at all) could turn others off, but i think it is quite tasty. and chả lụa- boiled/steamed silky smooth and mild pork bologna.

#274 soft shell crab tempura w/butter sauce from Que Huong

fried soft shell crab in "french" butter sauce. the crab looked quartered, then battered and fried. it was then tossed with butter sauce which i couldn't detect enough of and served on a bed of watercress. who can hate fried soft shells? i didn't with this version, although i have had much better at mai's. misha seems to think sinh sinh has the best in town and i look forward to confirming that.

#224 bo luc lac from Que Huong

lastly, i ordered bo luc lac or "shaken beef" which is a good benchmark dish with which to critique all vietnamese restaurants. misha remarked that i went safe and boring, the others at the table thought we probably already had enough food w/o this last dish, but our server promised me it was good. well... he was wrong. the beef cubes were overcooked and chewy. the flavors of the dish, even though i liked the addition of snow peas, were unremarkable.

i should have ordered something more adventurous like:

#287 aromatic snail sauteed w/basil leaves
#288 quail simmered in honey soy sauce
#289, 291, 294 eel, frog legs, or alligator w/hot pepper & lemongrass
#290, 292, 295 eel, frog legs, or alligator in curry sauce
#296 grilled alligator on hot plate
#321 goat meat, taro, and carrots in curry sauce w/ french bread or vermicelli

is this the best authentic vietnamese in houston? yes, so far, as far as i can tell.

a week of morning after burgers

2008-12-20T04:37:00.003-06:00

i have to admit. this week of holiday parties has been quite strenuous on the ole liver. the morning after hangover that ensues from my inevitable mixing of scotch and champagne is killer but i find that "the burger" is usually an apt approach to tempt my stomach into being somewhat agreeable for at least a few hours. there's just something so warm and settling about greasy meat and cheese slapped between 2 pucks of hearty carbs.

part 1: hubcap grill, 1111 prairie street

my first burger junket was to hubcap grill next door to the alden hotel in downtown. hubcap IS the antithesis of the sleek, glamorous digs at the alden. hubcap is a burger shack reminiscent of some tiny, divey-ass joints i've stumbled into in brooklyn. as it always seems, all places like this have "character." hubcap has sort of a roadhouse feel with hubcaps lining the tight walls and seating is sparse. although i was interested in checking out the triple bypass that has a hot dog and meat patty, i settled on the bacon cheeseburger with grilled onions. i had another lunch meeting after this.

bacon cheeseburger from Hubcap Grill

it was SOOOO delicious. the bun was perfectly crusty from recent baking yet still soft enough to easily nosh into. the crisp bacon and sweet caramelized onions danced so well with the juicy beef patty, melted cheddar, and a healthy addition of iceberg, tomatoes, and the kick of raw onions. i really couldn't remember ever tasting a burger this wonderful. here's a photo of my burger halfway gone. note the burger drippings on the plate below.

last half of bacon cheeseburger from Hubcap Grill

hubcap is now open on saturdays. i'm sorry lankford, christian's but i'm now convinced there's a better burger in town.

part two: sparkle's hamburger spot, 1515 dowling street @ leeland

i've driven by this place in the east end a million times, but it was finally a friend's idea that brought us here. sparkle's hamburger spot is definitely more spotty than *sparkly.* there were a few of houston's civil servants lined up to order on this particular day. the kitchen is slow so expect a healthy wait. bring a friend or bring a book. we waited over 20 mins for our order.

From Sparkle's Hamburger Spot

our much awaited hickory cheeseburger ended up being overcooked and dry. the bun was grilled which we appreciated, but dry meat and zero drippage makes for a really boring sandwich. even worse, the escorting fries were pale, soggy, and cold. feeling like we had just waited for godot, ending up with cold fries seemed pretty unforgiveable.

hickory cheeseburger from Sparkle's Hamburger Spot

i also ordered chicken and waffles. i know this is a burger post, but i didn't want you to think the trip to sparkle's was a total bust. everyone enjoyed the chicken wings tremendously. they were still crispy hot, well-seasoned, and not over-salted like the fried chicken at frenchy's or breakfast klub tends to be. the waffle had soaked up all the butter by the time our attention was directed at it and ended up being soggy -- more pancakey than waffley.

chicken & waffles from Sparkle's Hamburger Spot

part 3: smashburger, 7811 main street @ kirby

i was invited for a smash orgy by the denver based company's local PR firm. the "fast, casual" restaurant wasn't even completed yet. there was still construction and employee training taking place. kinda made me feel special for being a part of something that was still being created and put together.

i tried the classic smashburger (their cheeseburger) during a yelp event just a few weeks back. i remember loving the crispy char on the thin "smashed" burger patties but also remembered an overuse of salt according to my palate. the smash fries were a hit at the event and were seasoned with EVOO, rosemary, and parmesan. the burgers were being cooked and served from a smashmobile - essentially a taco truck for burgers.

i ordered their three specialty burgers: (1) BBQ, bacon and cheese, (2) spicy baja, and (3) mushroom swiss. i jumped at the chance to add a fried egg to any burger and i choose the mushroom swiss burger as the vessel.

mushroom swiss burger w/fried egg from Smashburger

oh wow was this delicious. the fried egg was cooked over medium. the meat patty was juicy and flavorful even though it was cooked all the way through. it wasn't as smashed as my first but the patty was well seasoned and perfectly salted. the garlic sauteed mushrooms and swiss cheese was as good as expected. i'm pretty much a sucker for anything with eggs in it or on it and this was no exception. it was even served on an egg bun. would i travel from midtown all the way to the med center for this burger? yes.

the other 2 burgers were a bit too salty but cooked to a light pink center. i was impressed that the spicy baja burger was served on a chipotle bun with chipotle mayo and fresh sliced jalapenos. the guacamole was very fresh and it was very evident that much higher quality ingredients are used here than the average burger place.

spicy baja burger from Smashburger

smashburger will also be serving chicken sandwiches, salads, hebrew national dogs, and some other interesting sides like haystick onions (thinly sliced onion rings) and veggie frites (flash fried asparagus, green beans, and carrot sticks). the grand opening will be on dec 23.

crawfish in dec?

2008-12-17T11:40:00.007-06:00

is it just me or does crawfish season seem to start earlier and earlier every year? i heard rumors last week that mardi gras grill already had crawfish. a quick phone call over there confirmed the rumor and i quickly organized a lunch there this week.

the chowhounds and i eagerly arrived at mardi gras with visions of mudbugs and getting down and dirty together only to find out that they ran out the day before. i had a hard time accepting the news and talking my belly into picking something off the regular menu. disheartened, i finally settled on the grilled boudin and a side salad. determined that the quest wasn't over yet, i called ragin cajun who confirmed they had boiled crawfish in.

a quick conversation about it led us to scarf down our lunch and head straight for ragin cajun. hey, there's a reason we're called the "chowhounds!" we started with 3 pounds.

the crawfish were of smallish size. of course i knew that this was something we should expect pre-season. we poured the crawfish out onto the red plastic trays set out for us, sprinkled a generous dose of "slap yo mama" on top, and dug in. i sucked my first head. something wasn't right. the smell of crab boil was too overwhelming. the taste? the taste wasn't really there. i realized right away that they were using concentrated liquid crab boil and probably not much of anything else like lemons, onions, garlic that would give it more dimensional flavors. we ordered another 3 pounds and switched to oysters and some pretty heavy drinking as happy hour just started.

year after year, people keep telling me they like ragin cajun the best for crawfish. every season i am talked into going at least once and each time i leave disappointed. it's official this time. if i'm walking into ragin cajun from now on, it's for 25 cent oyster happy hour and cheap drink specials. i'll try to patiently wait for mardi gras to get their next shipment of mudbugs in and i'll head to big woodrow's during prime time crawdad season. i can hang out with friends, throw back some beer, and pretend that i'm watching basketball. but really the yummy crawfish will keep me occupied enough. i also plan on checking out the crawfish spots in chinatown this year.

i heart soup

2008-12-05T00:29:00.018-06:00

...i really really do. i'm a soup freak. i want it any day, any time of the year. but these chilly, 50 degree temps only heighten this penchant, no, obsession. i thought about warm soup all day long today. this weather makes for such perfect soup sipping which warms my heart and my belly.

i tend to enjoy clear broths more than the rich and creamy b/c i can indulge more freely. i look for anything as simple as a homemade chicken noodle to a hearty, spicy, cumin heavy chili to something ethnic and full of interesting herbs.

so the question today is: who has your favorite soups in town? i make some pretty good ones like my chicken and white bean chili, but i'm really not doing much cooking these days. i'd also like to fool myself into thinking i can start some sort of soup diet to lose weight and the key here will be to find lots of variety to keep me on track.

so here are some of mine:

1. duck noodle soup @ kim tai - braised duck, egg noodles, greens, fried shrimp chip on top, rich, grease-laden broth. smokey duck meat strangely reminiscent of the turkey legs i love at the ren fest. i won't fool myself into thinking i can eat this one as much as i want to.

duck noodle soup from Kim Tai

fried shrimp chip on top of soup from Kim Tai

2. nam kang woon sen (B4) @ asia market - clear noodle soup with tofu, ground pork, veggies. tofu is inevitably overcooked, but the pork is tender and the broth is very flavorful. pretty healthy methinks.

3. tom kha gai @ vieng thai - hot and spicy soup w/ coconut milk, chicken, straw mushrooms and flavored with lemongrass, galangal ginger, kaffir leaves. the soup is so exceptionally balanced between savory, spicy, creamy, and coconutty and seems lighter than most versions. sooo good. okay, no way is this low-cal either.

tom kha gai from Vieng Thai

4. canh chua tom @ mai's - vietnamese hot and sour shrimp soup w/ pineapple, okra, bean sprouts. fried garlic on top. tangy, hearty and delicious although a bit greasy.

5. pho @ thien an (or pho saigon) - thien an is my first choice but if it's after 6pm or a saturday thien an is closed and pho saigon is not a bad second. i usually get pho tai w/ meatballs. if i'm feeling a bit more adventurous i'll add tendon. i love the plate of fresh bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, and jalapeno and the star of anise and vietnamese cinnamon flavors of a good pho broth. i am convinced pho is healthy. even if you know better, please don't inform me otherwise.

pho tai from Thien An

6. sopa azteca @ la mexicana - chicken broth, chicken, cubes of avocado and panela cheese, chipotle peppers, tortilla strips. quite healthy. the panela cheese makes the dish (and the inevitable series of margaritas don't hurt either).

7. tortilla soup @ el rey taqueria - definitely a meal. tons of pulled chicken (probably leftover rotisserie chicken), avocados, veggies, cheese, tortilla strips. wins the award for best takeout since they have a drive-thru and you can literally go in your pajamas.

8. hot and sour soup @ doozo dumplings - wins the award for biggest pain in the ass to get to (only open weekday lunches, located in the park shops). if you can't find a meter, parking will cost you more than your whole meal, but boy is it good. veggie dumplings and hot and sour soup. i have to admit their soup is even better than my family's. i wish i could buy buckets of this stuff. don't tell but i steal hot chili oil from the wok and roll chinese place in the same courtyard which makes it even more hot = better.

9. chicken avgolemono @ niko nikos- chicken, rice, lemon juice, diced carrots and onions in chicken broth. another healthy choice. not THAT exciting, but good wholesome stuff.

10. caldo de pollo @ taqueria la tapatia - chicken still on the bone with skin in tact, clean and clear chicken broth, potatoes, carrots, corn and diced avocado, onions, cilantro, rice on the side. wins the award for good healthy choice at 2 am after a night of drinking.

caldo de pollo from La Tapatia

11. chicken congee @ tan tan - rice porridge with pulled chicken and fresh julienned ginger. comfort food at its healthiest. get someone to pick up some of this stuff for you the next time you are sick. the ginger does wonders.

12. soon tofu soup @ tofu village - it is impossible to resist that bubbling hot, fiery red, fluffy soft tofu soup. crack a raw egg into it and let it slowly poach. the problem here is that it's also impossible to resist the galbi and free banchan which quickly makes any visit here more of a gorge fest than a small humble and comforting meal. here's a photo of the soon tofu soup in LA which looks identical to tofu village's even down to the bowl.

soon tofu soup from Beverly Soon Tofu (LA)

13. mushroom cappuccino @ VOICE - crimini, portabello, shitake mushrooms, truffle oil, porcini powder, white wine, chicken stock and lots and lots of cream - 3 cups exactly, i have the recipe- PLUS a 1/2 cup of whipping cream for the topping. delish? yes.

14. crab bisque @ mardi gras grill - i think all bisques are pretty effing good. i mean, how can they not be with all the heavy cream that goes into it?? i think the crab bisque here is exceptional even if it's thick enough to be a sauce. the warm fluffy white rice on the side is a must for me to use to help balance out the fat.

15. soup buffet @ sweet tomatoes - soup buffet! AYCE soup! my fav here is the black bean soup which you can garnish with all the sour cream and green onions you want from the tater bar. turkey chili is good too and low-cal (or so they say) w/o the AYCE shredded cheddar option.

okay, now your turn to share. i'm hardly in love with any local gumbos or chowders and still haven't found the perfect pozole yet. what do you suggest?

october memories, november excitement

2008-11-02T15:07:00.013-06:00

teas at textile

hello blog! oh i've missed you. i'm so sorry you feel so neglected lately. i've had so many fabulous meals and haven't shared any of them with you...

many of you know that i am actually getting paid to write these days. it's not much, but it's really fun. so although you aren't seeing much writing going on here, i'm actually more prolific than ever. i have actual deadlines authoring business profiles and reviews, editorial listings, event listings, and the weekly go list on houston citysearch.

i've also been crazy busy lately with chowhound events, grand opening parties, visiting new restaurants and bars, and super awesome opportunities that just keep falling into my lap. i have to say that the highlight of my october is a hard choice between the spectacular production of the house of blues grand opening party and the dinner at chez roux and overnight stay at la torretta del lago resort and spa. both events were first-rate, VIP all the way and the latter even included a massage and jet skiing on lake conroe the next day! the mccormick & schmick's pre-opening reception last night was a bit of a disappointment. most of the attendees looked like they just walked in off the street and my friend was charged for a diet coke at the bar. afterwards, i had a private tour of the foundation room led by the director and learned about the significance of the shrines and ornate eastern asian decor. the lounge and dining room are gorgeous and i am envious of anyone with a membership.

the chowhounds also had a whole pig roast at feast a few weeks ago. richard, james, and meagan certainly understand hospitality and i continue to be impressed by how smoothly all of our group dinners are executed. this last event was for 30 people! last week, i had a soup dumpling class at my house by chef sonny zou who has published many chinese cookbooks and has been recognized with tons of awards of his culinary talents. the event ended with full bellys, a lot of postprandial wine drinking and giggling with the chef, and talk of planning future classes with him. and did i mention that the houston chowhounds have a website now?

i will try to catch up and write more detailed blog entries of these events and my recent visit to textile, the new scott tycer restaurant in the heights. i was impressed with the space, the hospitality, the sheer amount of talent walking around in the kitchen, and the dessert tasting that plinio created for us. i also made my way over to saute world cuisine (next door to hobbit cafe and blue fish) to visit chef connie altieri, fellow chowhound. we had a delightful lunch and can't wait until they are in full operation and open late nights until 3 am on thu-sat.

BLT at Saute

this new month is bringing lots of excitement with the two flavor tripping parties. both events have been moved to the social on washington. the first event sold out weeks ago. the second one is filling up quickly. also, on sun, nov 16th, we will have a fundraiser dinner at himalaya to benefit the houston food bank. i totally forgot that i have tickets for the madonna concert for that evening. either i'll go to the concert late or i'll get rid of the tickets all together. THAT is how important the chowhounds are to me :)

for now, i'm off to the koonce "fun" raiser this afternoon. maybe i'll see you there?

Top Chefs @ The Beacon

2008-10-16T22:47:00.007-05:00

This is seriously the do-not-miss foodie benefit of the year!

Houston's top chefs will be serving up their culinary creations to raise money for the Koonce family injured during Hurricane Ike in the Brennan's fire.

(copied from the brennan's website)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23rd 4:30 ~ 7:30

For a suggested donation of $100 per person (pay at the door) , you can enjoy tastes from Houston’s top chefs and wines from the best wineries.

Enjoy Tastes from:

Bagher: 360;
Jeff Boudreaux: Brasserie Max & Julie;
Brian Caswell: Reef;
James Cole: Fleming's;
Mark Cox: Mark’s;
Levi Goode: Goode Company Seafood;
Jeffrey Everts: Olivette @ Houstonian;
Mark Holley: Pesce;
Jonathan Jones: Beavers;
David Lunas: Shade;
Hugo Ortega: Hugo’s;
Wes Morton: 17 @ the Alden;
Ryan Pera: The Grove;
Monica Pope: Tafia;
Chris Shepherd: Catalan

Please come and show your support at a special benefit on Thursday, October 23, at The Beacon, located at 1212 Prairie Street, from 4:30-7:30.

Free Parking is available on-site at 515 San Jacinto Street.

The Beacon is a program of Cathedral Health & Outreach Ministries (CHOM). The mission of CHOM is to respect the human dignity of the poor and improve their lives. CHOM has generously opened the doors of The Beacon to Brennan’s to hold a fundraiser for the Koonce family. The proceeds of this event will go to the Koonce family and a small donation will be made to CHOM in support of its programs.

For more information: email: Kathryne@BrennansHouston.com

beaver's and an OITF glimpse

2008-10-14T03:29:00.009-05:00

beaver's
2310 decatur st. near washington ave

the chowhounds and i made it over to beaver's for lunch a couple weeks ago to say hi to newly posted chef jonathan jones (aka "JJ"). after some positive reports, we were anxious to see for ourselves what kind of progress he was making with improvements to the food. luckily for us we picked a wonderful day to come in. JJ had a bunch of surprises in store for the table.

i had not planned on blogging about the experience b/c really, i just couldn't bring myself to write another lukewarm review about beaver's - a place i wanted to love so much but couldn't. besides, in all fairness JJ hadn't been there very long enough, the menu was still the same, and i knew the camera in my purse had nearly dead batteries anyway. but that was before i knew what was coming to our table.

corn puppies. a definite improvement over the first time i had them almost a year ago. more pronounced beer flavor. i still find the remoulade dipping sauce a strange combination. fried pickles. this is something i would never order on my own. delish! i went back for another half pickle. buffaloaf sandwich. moist, tangy sauce, lots of mushrooms which i love. the bread is still the same and slightly sweet. i can't say i ever liked the sweet bread. others at my table enjoyed the new and improved beaver burger, the gyro wrap, chicken tacos (huge!), and the pulled pork and chopped brisket sandwiches. we all nodded in approval. we liked the changes we were seeing.

my only disappointment was seeing the sad little iceberg lettuce side salad arrive at the table. it came with my buffaloaf sandwich. seriously, it's a waste of lettuce with no tomato or other vegetable to be found in the small bowl. the old vinaigrette was tasteless, the new one is too sweet. some good ole non-fancy ranch on it would have pleased me more.

then we were told JJ was sending out a few items for us. keep in mind we had just eaten a full lunch. first out, a brunch item he was working on. think 2 thick slices of texas toast topped with a thick bisque-like sauce (tomato cream based?) with small bits of shrimp and 2 fried eggs on top. YUMMMMM. anything involving cream and fried eggs is a guaranteed winner in my book.

then a huge basket of some of the most tender pork ribs i've ever had. OMG. and warm bbq sauce came on the side which i definitely appreciated. everyone loved the sauce and slathered it generously all over their ribs. it wasn't overly vinegary and it wasn't overly sweet. it had a great kick. the table was quiet. we were all knawing on our ribs which is a good sign. our group today was a loud one.

then we got a platter of items JJ was preparing for the outstanding in the field dinner being held the next day. we knew exactly what dinner he was talking about. it had sold out well before summer. there were huge grins on our faces and maybe even a bit of anticipatory drool.

head cheese made with pig trotters, spine, knuckles, and various other head and body parts. it was the most appetizing head cheese (or what i like to call meat jello) i've ever seen or eaten. also on the plate were crostini sticks fried in pig fat neatly stacked on top of each other.

and still warm pork cracklings! pork valhalla. my tastebuds sung. the pork fat crostini were over the top. so yeah, i busted out my camera. i could no longer resist the urge to document this outstanding and outrageous meal. thankfully i got in a few photos before my batteries died again.

JJ sat down with us and showed us a photo of the whole pig that he had on his cell phone. his inspiration for the head cheese was a couple fergus henderson recipes. he said that he used 95% of that pig. talk about nose-to-tail eating. see photos from the OITF dinner on alison cook and cleverley's blogs. this is something i hope to participate in next year.

boy are we glad JJ is working inside the loop again. if you haven't yet, it's definitely time to go back to beaver's and give it another go.

brazilian breakfast? not quite

2008-10-13T17:09:00.010-05:00

brasil
2604 dunlavy st @ westheimer

with the plethora of wonderful restaurants in houston, why is there such a dearth of good breakfast joints? HUH? buffalo grille is so overrated. west gray cafe and bibas are best enjoyed after 2 am BEFORE i'm going to bed IMO. baby barnaby's? yawn. the breakfast klub is great but who can eat a greasy plate of food that really weighs you down for the rest of the day more than every once in awhile? okay enough bashing for now. what about really creative breakfast options beyond what you can easily whip up at home?

for this, one of my favorite breakfasts in houston is at cafe brasil and with their newly expanded kitchen comes a newly expanded menu. even more recently, the dining room expanded too by knocking out walls that previously housed a smaller kitchen and bathrooms. on a hot summer day, great! but seriously, with gorgeous weather like this, head straight back to the large garden courtyard that connects the cafe, domy books, and raye boutique, all very hip and lovely, and just-a-tad expensive. several large tables are available for big groups. soothing background music plays. it's a well designed space, minimal, and has a bohemian serenity about it.

for brunch on this particular occasion, i ordered the breakfast salad which is the tastiest AND healthiest breakfast dish i can think of. actually, i can't bring myself to order anything else but the breakfast salad - an off-menu special which they always seem to have when i'm there - ever since i discovered it.

who concocted this dish? it has the word "female" written all over it. i dunno, but it's both ballsy and genius!

the breakfast salad is composed of spring mix, sauteed egg whites and mushrooms, quinoa, and a cactus pear vinaigrette. it's warm and feels nice getting both protein and ruffage in the morning. the salad is also huge and makes a filling meal. btw, quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is a complete protein source: 12-18% protein and contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans. it's also a good source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron. it's an extremely versatile food. i really don't have enough good stuff to say about it.

onto my friends' plates...

this is brasil's cilantro, poblano, and cheddar scone. it is buttery, cheese-y, and rich. just look at it! brasil knows scones.

breakfast quesadillas. i think i first saw breakfast quesadillas on farrago's menu, but they are better here. scrambled eggs, chunks of smokey bacon, and white cheese are layered between wheat tortillas. fresh guac, tomatoes and salsa verde for dipping.

migas are a perfect hangover cure. although i didn't taste them, they look fabulous.

a side of roasted potatoes. quite oversalted on this particular day.

as popular as this place is in montrose, it's very interesting how it doesn't have a website. there are daily breakfast specials on the chalk board when you walk in and stand in line to place your order.

cafe brasil. not brazilian at all really (named for the brazilian art gallery that previously reside there). you'll find plenty of taste, but unfortunately no wi-fi here. you'll also find surly baristas and long lines to order food, but plenty of good salads. i've realized that you can never go wrong ordering a salad here. even a breakfast salad.

flavor trippin news

2008-10-11T21:03:00.006-05:00

so a few tidbits of news re: the flavor tripping parties coming up next month:

the houston chowhounds will be hosting a second party at the saint arnold brewery on sun, 11/23 from 5-7 pm. the sunday date was chosen with restaurant and industry folks in mind and this event will be more geared towards foodies. we plan on having some funky food items that the general population wouldn't even be able to recognize like injera, natto, bitter melon, and sichuan peppercorns.

btw, the first event is already 75% sold out so if this is your date of choice and you don't have your ticket yet, better click here.

if you already purchased tickets for the first event and would like to transfer them to the second one, please email berryfairyhouston@gmail.com.

i'm also pleased to announce our two event sponsors: houston press and the cleverley show. look for our ads in upcoming issues of the houston press. tune into cleverley's radio show on saturdays at noon on CNN 650 radio news to listen for our radio ads.

lastly, if you don't have a copy of the fearless critic houston restaurant guide or their latest book the wine trials: 100 everyday wines under $15 that beat $50 to $150 wines in brown-bag blind tastings, you can pick up a copy (or two - think: awesome christmas prezzies) at both events. two houston chowhounds wrote many of the houston restaurant reviews and it is seriously the most entertaining and wonderfully irreverant reviews you'll ever read. best of all, $3 from the sale of each book will be donated to the koonce benefit fund. bring cash b/c it smells better than plastic and we'll have miracle berry tablets for sale there too!

[edited on 10/14: the fearless critic has joined as an event sponsor and will be donating $8 from every $18 copy of the houston restaurant guide and $6 from every $15 copy of "the wine trials" sold during the both events to the koonce fund]

another flavor trip saintly style

2008-09-28T06:44:00.022-05:00

houston chowhounds present houston's 2nd ever...

Miracle Berry Flavor Tripping Party
st. arnold brewery
friday, nov 7th
6:30 - 8:30PM

all you can drink microbrew + miracle berry tastebud tripping is the perfect combination for a raucously willy wonka evening!

if you missed out on the first party, now is your chance to check out the latest foodie craze!

your $35 ticket includes 1 miracle berry, a bacchanalian banquet of foods specially selected for the flavor tripping, and all-you-can-(safely) drink St. Arnold's beer! There will be 6 beers on tap including their seasonal Oktoberfest beer and the delicious St. Arnold Root beer too!

[Edit:] A portion of the evening's proceeds will go to the Koonce Family Benefit Fund set up for James and Katherine Koonce who were critically injured in the Brennan's fire.

Tickets are only available online as we expect the event to sell out before the event. There are a limited number of berries for this event as these fruit are extremely rare, highly perishable and hard to obtain in large volumes. Miracle berry tablets will also be available at the event for those looking for a more intensified berry trip.

for more details or to buy your ticket online, go to http://www.theberryfairy.com/.

until then, i leave you with this hilarious miracle berry video with juliette binoche and gordon ramsey:

no holds barred chili eat-off

2008-09-21T17:55:00.001-05:00

the second annual "no holds barred" chili cook-off will be held on saturday, oct. 11 at the shady tavern in the heights. do you have a winning recipe? there's still time to get a cook-off team together! the team registration deadline is october 1st.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW from brandon mullen, one of the cook-off organizers:

"Our one rule is there are no rules. Unlike some of the more "official" chili cook-offs, we want our teams to really push the limits on style and taste.

You can cook the chili off site and re-heat it or you can cook it from scratch; you can make red chili, green chili, yellow chili or blue chile(?); you can use filler or no filler - JUST MAKE IT DAMN GOOD.

The entry fee this year is $120 per team (4 people per team). That gets you 25 drink tickets (i.e. beers); 4 wrist bands to taste all the other team's chili; set-up costs for tables, bowls, spoons, etc.; live music AND the most fun you'll find in Houston during the second weekend in October.

We're working on fitting either koozies or t-shirts into the entry fee. The more teams we have, then it becomes more probably that there will be t-shirts. Last year we had 16 teams and we'd like to hit 25 to 30 teams this year."

JUDGING. the event will have a panel for 4 judges: brandon, dock, yours truly, and fellow houston chowhound or "HouCH", katharine of sheeats and the houstonist. if the judges' votes tie, then a 5th vote will go to the public. the winning team will take 100% of the door fee. last year there were ~400 attendees which made the prize $2000 on top of bragging rights (priceless!).

as of today, brandon says they have 13 teams and we want to double that number. so please help spread the word!

more cheerleader than cook? have a deep rooted penchant for chili? or are you like me and see any "cook-off" as more of an opportunity to "eat-off"?

general admission is a mere $5 to the event which gets you a wristband, a bowl, a spoon, and a vote. bring your appetite! chili should be ready around 1:30 PM. bibs are always welcome but not required.

the event will go until 11 PM with live music and plenty of cold libations available. you(genious), the misfit of R&B, will be performing as well as others TBD.

for more info, go to the NHB website or email: nhb AT gmail.com.

my question is: has anyone tried making chili with sichuan peppercorns????

ike drama: poor brennan's

2008-09-21T16:01:00.003-05:00

it should be no news to you by now that brennan's, our uppercrust creole eatery in downtown houston burned down early saturday morning last weekend while hurricane ike was quickly approaching. while the loss of this houston institution was tragedy enough, even worse consequences ensued. brennan's sommelier james koonce and 4 year old daughter katharine were critically injured, while general manager (and ex-executive chef) carl walker was severely burned.

the koonces are currently listed as being in critical condition and a fund has been set up at amegy bank to assist with their medical bills. please consider making a donation to the benefit bank account under "James Koonce & Katharine Koonce, Trustee: Denise Koonce." or send a check to: Bank by Mail, P.O. Box 4837 Houston, TX 77210-4837

it is touching how the local restaurant community has reacted and are trying to help. catalan food and wine is offering a brennan's inspired tasting menu for $60 of which $10 will go to the koonce family fund. the menu was offered for the first time last thursday and will be ongoing for the foreseeable future. alison cook says the "4-course homage" to brennan's will include "crab and corn bisque; Gulf shrimp remoulade; blackened redfish over St. Arnold's local shrimp boil with "all the goods"; and New Orleans style bread pudding topped with whiskey sauce."

gravitas restaurant, negociants USA and prestige wine cellars will be hosting a wine tasting fundraiser on monday, september 22 from 1:30 - 4 pm. negociants' icon release wines will be paired with seasonal appetizers. please donate generously as all proceeds benefit the Koonce family. please RSVP to david maib at 713.962.9085 or email dmaib@negociants.com or yolanda@gravitasrestaurant.com.

del frisco's, who donated so generously during houston restaurant week to benefit the end hunger network, will also be hosting a koonce benefit sunday, september 28 from 6 - 9 pm. the event will be held in their gorgeous wine cellar where they will be pouring wines from silver oak, far niente, cakebread, duckhorn and pommery. light fare will be served including andouille-stuffed goat cheese mushrooms, barbecue shrimp, sliced tenderloin, and mini crab cakes. the cost is $50 per person and 100% of the proceeds will go to the koonce family fund. brennan's executive chef randy evans will be in attendance. please call del frisco's at 713.355.2600 to reserve a spot.

please find a way to contribute to the cause. the houston chowhounds are brainstorming on how we can donate to the cause too.

ike drama: still hungry?

2008-09-18T16:05:00.007-05:00

i'd say i've eaten pretty well since i've been back from LA. the lake house, brasserie max and julie, fu fu cafe, and houston's. i tried to get my pho fix in midtown yesterday but no vietnamese joints were open. headed to chinatown and most places are still closed except some restos in the dun huang shopping center and sterling plaza across the street.

pork and chive dumplings at fu fu cafe.

himalaya is open and the chowhounds and i are headed there for lunch tomorrow!

i've updated my list of restaurants/bars open post-ike and here it is...

* where neverfull would eat this week

THE HEIGHTS:
andy's home cafe on 11th
*beaver's
star pizza (heights)
onion creek
dry creek
*glass wall
tony's mexican
terlingua on studemont - fajitas to go only
*max's wine dive
*el tiempo on washington
pizzitola's

MONTROSE:
*gravitas
vincent's
tila's
*bb's kitchen
*mark's
*hugo's
empire cafe
*paulie's
*mockingbird bistro
*ziggy's healthy grill montrose
maria selmas
el pueblito
lucky burger
*brasserie max and julie
thai sticks
danton's

MIDTOWN / W.GRAY:
souper salads (w. gray)
dominos (w. gray)
quiznos (w. gray)
christian's tailgate (midtown)
farrago
cyclone anaya midtown
el patio midtown
nit noi cafe
buffalo wild wings

DOWNTOWN:
mia bella
frank's pizza
sambuca
cava bistro
treebeards travis
*vic and anthony's
*strip house
*VOICE
17
flying saucer
*lake house in discovery green park
the grove in discovery green park
hubcap grill
artista

RICE VILLAGE / UPPER KIRBY:
le peep village
*benjy's
*kubo's
el meson
*pasha
goode company BBQ, seafood, and taqueria
*houston's kirby
miyako kirby
red onion (kirby)
the dessert gallery
*pesce
fleming's kirby
*beck's prime kirby
the tasting room
house of pies
carrabbas
dimassi's
sushi king
*pappadeaux (kirby/richmond)
*little pappasito's (kirby/richmond)
ninfa's (kirby/richmond)
khyber grill
*hue
chuy's
avalon diner
bistro calais
armando's

S. SHEPHERD:
*au petit paris
sonoma
mission burritos (w. alabama)
hunan village
cafe adobe
my fit foods
jenni's noodle house
ruchi's (shepherd)
zake
pappas seafood house
stag's head
hobbit cafe

GREENWAY:
*tony's
oporto cafe
ragin cajun
crapitto's
*kiran's
thai cafe
skewers
berripop
collina's

get some coffee and get online:
cafe brasil (has wifi) - suspicious of this one. cafe brasil has never had wifi. call and check first.
*catalina coffee (has wifi) - closed early yesterday b/c they ran out of stuff. call and confirm first. onion creek (has wifi)
daily grind
coffee groundz midtown (has wifi)

OTL:
almost everything in the galleria/uptown park
*del frisco's
gigi's asian bistro
*the oceanaire
*pappas steakhouse
*capital grille
*arcodoro
canyon cafe
grand lux cafe
california pizza kitchen galleria
berryhill galleria
jimmy wilson's
post oak grill
*himalaya
*pico's
*fu fu cafe
*tofu village
east wall (neverfull hasn't been here yet)

bars (i'm sure there are tons more):
the harp
the social
the tavern
ROC bar/mosaic
blue label
coaches pub
dog house tavern
lucky's pub
the dirt (yesterday)
absinthe opening tonight with limited menu and lots of candles

if you know of any others, please post below.

ike drama: hungry?

2008-09-15T14:48:00.007-05:00

i'm heading back to houston today after almost 3 weeks in LA. i am told my townhouse sustained the wrath of ike with no damage, the cats are happy and healthy, but i am still without power. hence, i don't see any home cooked meals in my future.

you guys are probably pretty hungry by now too or longing for some grub that is more organic or doesn't require the use of a can opener first.

here is a list of neartown/downtown/montrose/upper kirby restaurants that have been reported as open on the houston chronicle or houston press' websites. note: some of these businesses may be serving a small or limited menu and may not even have A/C.

beaver's
gravitas
bb's kitchen
mark's
hugo's
empire cafe
paulie's
maria selmas, el pueblito, lucky burger
chuy's
souper salads (w. gray)
christian's tailgate (midtown)
goode company BBQ, seafood, and taqueria
houston's
miyako (but don't go anyway)
red onion (kirby)
hunan village
jenni's noodle house
ruchi's (shepherd) - personally, i still wouldn't go
zake
stag's head
pesce
mission burritos (w. alabama)
pappadeaux
khyber grill
avalon diner
frank's pizza (downtown)
treebeards travis
vic and anthony's
star pizza (heights)
terlingua on studemont - fajitas to go only

get some coffee and get online:
cafe brasil (has wifi)
catalina coffee (has wifi)
onion creek (has wifi)
daily grind

if you know of any other restaurants open in the area, please post it below as a comment.

the houston chowhounds and i will be meeting downtown for lunch at the lake house on discovery green tomorrow. our inside source tells us they will be resuming operations tomorrow at 11 AM.

what better time than now for some hot comfort food while sitting around with friends enjoying the nice post-hurricane temperatures?

LA: langer's and the #19

2008-09-11T18:17:00.004-05:00

langer's deli & restaurant
704 s. alvarado st @ 7th st.
LA, CA 90057

i missed langer's on my last jaunt to LA too. i have to admit that i didn't try that hard to get there though. i was highly doubtful that the pastrami there could even come close to rivaling katz's - i'm talking about the one in NY. the one in houston is pure crap. but i had no lunch plans so i drove myself down there.

i planned on being a purist and getting the pastrami on rye. i knew that langer's was famous for their #19, a pastrami sandwich with swiss cheese, coleslaw, and russian dressing on rye but if i hadn't, it wouldn't have been hard to figure out.

the #19 was advertised on every table.

fresh mayonnaisey coleslaw sounded refreshing so the #19 it was. the rye bread was both soft and crusty. definitely leagues better than katz's. the pastrami was meaty, unctous, and tasty. the coleslaw was cool and satisfying. the cheese was lost amid the other flavours. the homemade pickle offered more cucumber than vinegar flavor which i liked.

the close up. not as huge and ridiculously stuffed like katz's but large enough that i only finished half the sandwich. very yummy and definitely almost as good as katz's. i think i missed the sharp mustard that i'm so used to.

super crispy crinkle fries. they come well done and it was hard to stop eating them.

what the joint looked like. pay at the deli where you can also get meats and cheeses to go.

"i'll be back."

LA: i broke down and ate mexican

2008-09-08T14:55:00.000-05:00

i told myself i wouldn't waste valuable stomach space with mexican food in LA since i can get a plethora of it at home anytime i want. but after a week here, i broke down and boy was i glad that i did. check out two amazing breakfasts that i had. the first was at good microbrew & grill. the occasion was sunday brunch and there were a variety of menu items that sounded tempting to order. but as soon as i saw the enchilada omelette, i knew it was blogworthy material.

no fancy food here. just comfort at it's finest.

ooey gooey cheese enchiladas wrapped in fluffy eggs topped with enchilada sauce and more cheddar on top. it tasted as good as it looked.

a few days later, the hankering for comida resurfaced and i popped into tacos delta for what i expected would be a greasy, yummy breakfast.

this little taco shack sits on w. sunset and is also in silverlake. we had driven by it a few times before and i noticed people standing in the walk up window ordering. this particular morning, i saw several hispanic people waiting in the parking lot for it to open. i figured it was worth checking out.

i ordered the first thing on the breakfast menu: chilaquiles con huevos. i took a seat in the outdoor dining area behind the taco shack.

it was a hefty plate of food. chilaquiles, 2 eggs over medium, compulsory rice and beans.

close up of the chilaquiles. the tortilla chips were thick and still crunchy. they were fried with scrambled eggs and some sort of meat or beans that gave it an excellent char and flavor. a generous sprinkling of chopped white onions and cheese on top finished the tasty dish. i have to say i've never had better chilaquiles anywhere else. here's a LA chowhound thread about the local chilaquile action. somehow i managed to stumble over some of the best in the city.

LA: dim sum at sea harbour

2008-09-08T12:48:00.000-05:00

sea harbour
3939 rosemead blvd
rosemead, CA 91770

houston's chinatown is wonderful for all intensive purposes, but the quality, level of culinary skill, and creativity of really amazing dim sum does not exist. when i plan my L.A. trips, i look forward to a dim sum brunch which i think is better than the stuff i've eaten in manhattan and san francisco.

in the los angeles area, the best dim sum restaurants are in san gabriel valley, about 10 miles east of the downtown los angeles. on past LA trips, i've visited elite and 888 seafood restaurants. i wasn't too impressed by elite. today, based on chowhound.com reviews and some local LA blogs i've been reading, i decided to head to sea harbour which many claim is the best dim sum in L.A..

the wait for a table was an excruciating hour and a half on labor day monday. we arrived at 11:30 and received a number. they didn't tell us how long the wait was for a table and after almost 45 mins of waiting, the painful realization hit that they weren't even halfway to our number. we got a table around 1 pm. by that time they were out of some dim sum items. mad props to my friends who agreed to wait it out. i did notice that the large parties (5-8 people) were sat more quickly than our small party of 3.

dim sum is an off-menu affair at sea harbour. no push carts here but the regular menu has photos of every dim sum item which is also labeled with a number.

the order form. just correlate the numbered photos on the menu to the numbers on the order form and check off what you want. seasonal specials are stapled to the bottom of the form, but they are all in chinese. i could make out a few words but not enough to know what anything was.

39. steamed egg tofu w/fresh scallop in dry scallop sauce. the custard was light, very soft, and creamy. the steamed scallop was a little fishy the way steamed scallops inevitably taste.

63. french style goose liver wonton. in the photo on the menu, they looked fried. we ordered half a dozen. i actually sent back this dish when it was brought to the table b/c i didn't recognize it as something i ordered. i didn't know they were served in soup and 95% of the wontons were filled with shrimp. the tiny bit of foie was discernable and the wontons were delicious. this dish alone made the 20 mile drive and 1.5 hour wait for our table worth it all.

inside view of a foie gras and shrimp wonton. see the tiny piece of foie gras at the bottom? who knew how delicious fois gras would taste with shrimp?

11. chicken knee (cartilage) w/spicy salt & pepper. i first had this dish at elite in monterey park. the pieces of chicken cartilage were much larger and had more tender bits of meat and/or tendon here. i couldn't stop eating them because they were so tasty and crunchy, but not very spicy at all.

69. poached gai lan (chinese broccoli). perfectly cooked.

48. steamed rice noodle with minced beef. the rice noodles were the thinnest i've ever seen anywhere. this dish was the favorite of D's mom. sweet soy sauce was served on the side. (alliteration!)

17. eggplant stuffed w/shrimp paste. japanese eggplant was soft and tender, the shrimp stuffing was firm. the sauce was slightly sweet and sour. excellent composition and taste.

35. spareribs in black bean sauce. piping hot, fatty, juicy, and delicious! getting them this hot is definitely an advantage over the pushcart dim sum experience.

45. fresh shrimp dumpling w/chives. large pieces of shrimp inside which makes a chewier dumpling. they were out of the steamed shrimp and pea tips dumplings so we ordered these. good, but i bet the pea shoot dumplings are better.

1. steamed pork and shrimp dumpling (shu mai). very large, firm, and meaty. definitely the best i've ever had.

47. steamed juicy pork bun (soup dumplings or xiao long bao). come 4 to an order sitting in tiny aluminum pans to prevent soup leakage. delicious but not nearly the best i've had.

41. sticky rice wrapped with lotus leaf. 3 individual pouches per order. scroll down...

inside the lotus leaf is ground pork and preserved duck egg yolk. i love sticky rice and this version was no exception.

44. shark's fin scallop dumpling. the shark's fin is the stringy stuff on the crown of each dumpling. there wasn't much. just below the shark's fin is the sliced scallop which sits on top of a giant shrimp dumpling. i was a bit shrimp dumpling-ed out by this point. i also decided that scallops are so much better seared than steamed like this. this scallop was a bit fishy tasting too even though i had no doubts that it was very fresh.

9. custard egg tart. the pastry was light and flakey. the custard was rich, creamy, and still warm. i loved the custard to pastry ratio of these tarts. warm tarts is something you will be hard pressed to get at a pushcart dim sum place.

we all agreed that the wait was worth the food. and i have to agree that this is the best dim sum i've had in L.A.. very, very impressive.

LA: in-and-out burger

2008-09-04T10:59:00.005-05:00

in-and-out burger
7009 w. sunset blvd. @ orange
hollywood, CA 90028

tetsujustin told me to go eat a 4x4 at in-and-out burger for him while i was in L.A. i actually had an in-and-out burger before in pasadena, CA about 9 years ago and truthfully don't remember being that impressed. but my hangover this morning was screaming for some grease and i thought it was about time to give it another go.

after some preliminary research i found out that the 4x4 was a burger with 4 patties and 4 slices of cheese off their secret menu. i felt daunted by it and i'm not much for eating as a sport, but still a little hazy from a night of heavy drinking, i left the house to go meet D. there.

she said we should wait until at least 1:30 to avoid the lunch crowd. we got there right about 1:30 and the parking lot was packed. the drive thru line was at least 15 cars deep and snaked around the parking lot. there were employees taking orders with wireless handheld terminals as cars pulled up to the end of the line so they could get orders in before the cars even made it across the lot to the actual building itself. the lot was full too so there were cars just sort of hanging out waiting for spots to open. the drive thru line was obstructing other cars from pulling out or in. it was a mad situation. we found a parking spot right away (due to my amazing parking karma) and headed inside.

the joint was packed. we found a line to stand in but it went quickly. the menu is one of the simplest i've seen: burgers, fries, milkshakes, and a few other beverages. it was even fun ordering the 4x4 - the kid behind the counter looked surprised and then gave me a look like, "yeah, go for it." we waited almost 10 mins for our food to come out.

this is how my order looked in the cute in-and-out burger trays.

this is the 4-by-4. 4 beef patties, 4 slices of american cheese.

freshly baked and grilled bun, special sauce, generous tomato, lettuce, and onion.

here's a close up. the burger was delicious and really hit the spot. there was so much cheese, it oozed out of the burger. it had lots of onion on it the way i like it. the creamy 1000 island-esque special sauce was tangy and yummy.

the fries were too cold by the time i dug into them. i tasted the lightness that in-and-out fries are known for but the temperature of them just killed it for me. fries should be hot and crispy and these weren't. i thought about sending them back, but then i was worried my burger would get cold.

here was the check. what a fabulous lunch for less than $10. i can't express how comforting this meal was and how much it hit the spot. SO SO SO GOOD...

LA: tacos baja ensenada

2008-09-03T12:12:00.007-05:00

tacos baja ensenada
5385 whittier blvd.
los angeles, CA 90022

i couldn't make it out here during my last trip to L.A. because it was quite a drive to east L.A. i heard it wasn't the safest neighborhood either, so i needed a friend in tow. the drive alone here was fun - admiring the local hispanic community landscape which included vibrantly colored storefronts and signage and wild wall murals. the very awesome A. who has lived in L.A. for many years was even entertained by the drive through the "hood" for what i have researched as "the best fish taco in LA." the rec actually came from dorothy, ex-LA chowhound (SCARF) now moderator for the houston chowhound yahoo group. all her LA recommendations are taken very seriously.

the front door. notice it got an A rating from the health inspector by the sign in the window. why is it that i expect the really yummy ethnic dives to have at least a B- or C? no air conditioning inside, but lots of outdoor seating.

my two tacos and campechana.

close up of my tacos. shrimp taco on the left, fish taco on the right.

taco de pescado close up. the fish was battered, fried and tasted amazingly light and crispy - not greasy at all. i was VERY impressed. i loved the finely chopped cabbage and the addition of fresh tomatoes and red onion. cream sauce and red sauce were both good. i would have liked more cilantro, but was too lazy to request it.

taco de camaron. this taco was good too, but the shrimp were slightly overcooked and not as crispy as the fish. the texture and flavor of the fish taco was much more enjoyable.

campechana. i've had a lot of campechanas in houston that have had way too much ketchup in them. this is the first one i've had that i wanted more ketchup in. after the addition of mexican hot sauce, it was more palatable. the seafood was fresh, however everything tasted a little too chewy and the sauce too watery.

the campechana contained avocado, shrimp, octopus, fish, scallops, and clams.

i definitely recommend tacos baja ensenada for the food and the experience of visiting the neighborhood. we have a huge population of hispanics in houston, but no one part of town which so proudly displays their culture.

the next day, the very awesome A. took me to rubio's, a popular fast food chain which started in san diego and is known for their fish tacos. A. liked TBE but preferred rubio's salsas and wanted to take me there. we went to the marina del rey location.

here is their fish taco especiale which is served on 1 thicker corn tortilla (opposed to 2 thin ones that i usually see). the tortilla had a rubbery texture and tasted store bought. the taco was "special" due to the addition of guacamole, jack and cheddar cheeses, and onion/cilantro mix, but there was barely any discernable cheese, onion, or cilantro and an embarrassingly miserly amount of guac. this taco which predictably wasn't as good as tacos baja ensenada was still a gajillion times better than berryhill's fish tacos in houston. the fried fish, green cabbage, and white sauce combination was tasty. onion cilantro mix, which i manually added, was gratis from the condiment bar and also included several salsas to choose from: smokey chipotle (a little too smokey for me), salsa picante (nice heat), and salsa verde (skipped).

LA: providence

2008-09-02T13:30:00.002-05:00

providence
5955 melrose ave
LA, CA 90038

some restaurant reviews are just so pleasurable to write b/c you get to relive the whole experience. one such example was my dinner at providence in L.A. last week. i had heard of this restaurant before but after so many houston chowhounds declared their undying devotion to chef michael cimarusti, the place shot up to the top of my L.A. restaurants to check out. this modern seafood restaurant was also awarded a michelin star last november.

entrance to providence.

amuse bouche. gin and tonic gelee topped with lime powder, mojito raviolo, and chilled fennel soup with warm saffron syrup. each taste inspired large smiles at the table. the mojito raviolo was the most fun as it burst and released a mouthful of cold and delicious mojito. i am one to always appreciate a little free booze thrown my way too.

first course. japanese kanpachi w/ red shiso granité, olive oil, cucumber blossom, and salted plum sauce. the kanpachi was extremely velvety and the fish really shined through despite all the other ingredients on the plate. the granité kept the fish cold and when it melted, it mixed nicely with the plum sauce garnish at the bottom of the plate providing a less viscous sauce and more subtle salted plum flavors to dip the raw fish into.

second course. bobby's block island sea scallops w/ chanterelles, chayote greens, pistachios, and aged balsamic vinegar. i love the flavor of white pepper and enjoyed it in this dish. it accentuated the earthiness of the mushrooms and pistachios. the chayote greens, which i have never had before, were delicious. the balsamic added just the right amount of acid to brighten the dish. EXCELLENT!

third course. british columbia wild halibut with crispy burdock, red shiso leaves, sake butter sauce and sake espuma. if chef cimarusti is still doing foams, i guess we aren't getting away from them any time soon. this course was my favorite of the evening. the fish still looked a bit translucent, yet the texture of the fish was too flakey to still be raw. it was pure silk on my tongue and melted in my mouth. the sake butter sauce was delicate and yet still decadent. the pungent shiso punctuated several bites that it was included in. this is hands down the best cooked fish dish i've had. i was literally dancing in my chair by the time i finished the plate.

fourth course. veal tenderloin w/ king oyster mushrooms, tomato confit, spring onions, and brentwood sweet corn puree. the veal was so tender i could cut it with a fork. the mushrooms were steaky and as such worked well with the onions and red meat. the corn puree was surprisingly naturally sweet and added beautiful color to the plate. the dish was very good. the texture of the veal was very memorable.

fifth course. passionfruit curd topped with "scorched" meringue. carrot cake with cashew streusel. the dish was too weird for me. the "carrot stick" was a stick of white cake soaked in carrot and ginger puree. it tasted too much like bitter carrot concentrate for me to like it. the passionfruit curd was too sour for my palate although my dinner companion enjoyed it.

chef michael cimarusti stopped by the table when we were done after a bit of chatting and Q&A, i found out that both the halibut and veal were cooked in a CVap to get them so tender. CVap or controlled vapor technology, which was first invented to keep kentucky fried chicken fresh, is a controlled humidity oven that uses moist heat to cook at extremely low temperatures. the theory is similar to a sous-vide (or immersion circulator) but without all the fuss of air-tight bags and water baths.

everything about the evening was special beginning with the drink at the bar while watching the bartender squeeze fresh citrus and cut elaborate garnishes for drinks, to having the host fit us in b/c my reservation was somehow lost, to the somm finding us a couple bottles of nigori or unfiltered sake that he happened to have in the cooler that wasn't on the wine list, and ending with our dialogue with the chef. the restaurant had a modern yet warm, casual appeal and service in the dining room was attentive and professional. the five course tasting menu took over 2 hours and really seemed to drag on. i'd love to come back to do the full 12 course tasting menu another time or even the iron chef menu that cimarusti beat morimoto with just days ago. finally a place that lives up to all the hype!

i didn't know it when i left providence, but in the morning i would be eating more cimarusti's food for breakfast. more details on that breakfast to come, but until then, i'll leave you with a snippet of the iron chef america episode for your enjoyment.

LA to-do's and the hungry cat

2008-09-01T20:00:00.012-05:00

labor day weekend was the perfect excuse to escape the houston heat and hurricane season and i took the opportunity to flee to the west coast for a week. my ambitious agenda in addition to spending quality time with my L.A. friends included a lot of ambitious chowhounding.

my L.A. to do list:

splurge - providence
izakaya - musha*
dim sum - sea harbour
lobster roll - the hungry cat
fish tacos - tacos baja ensenada
ramen - santouka* and daikokuya
sichuan - chung king
burger - father's office
pastrami - langer's
sunday supper @ lucques
trader joe's

maybes:
italian - mozza
soup dumplings - J&J, mei long
omakase - sushi zo
hatfield's, the foundry, anisette

* return visit

some of these to do's were leftover from my last trip to L.A. over memorial day weekend. others were recs from the houston chowhound discussion board.

my first day in LA, i made great headway checking off two restaurants from my to do list: the hungry cat and providence.

my first meal of the day was lunch at the hungry cat. the objective was to try the lobster roll that receives so many praises. the lobster roll, which is simply a mayo-based lobster salad sandwich, is one of my favorite things to eat in the world (and it's tragic that they are no where to be found in houston). whenever i make it to NYC, i always try to make it to mary's fish camp for the lobster roll and ambiance which i like better than pearl's oyster bar. mermaid inn will also do in a pinch too if i'm on the east side b/c although the lobster roll isn't as good, the old bay shoestring fries are really yummy.

back to my lunch plans. i learned the hard way the last time i was in L.A. that the lobster roll is only served on the lunch menu at the hungry cat.

the raw bar greeted us when we walked in. fresh sea urchin from santa barbara was displayed on ice. i was tempted to order a sea urchin, but i wasn't sure if my friend would like it. besides, i had an amazing dinner planned at providence that night, so i skipped it.

when the lobster roll arrived at the table, i was shocked how small it was.

not only that, the lobster meat to bread ratio was totally off. the bread was delicious and practically soaking in butter, but i was craving mouthfuls of lobster in my mouth and this dish didn't deliver.

the lobster salad itself was tasty and i noticed that it contained lobster claw meat which i love. seasoned with generous amounts of paprika, the mayo had a reddish tinge and lots of tiny diced red onion and celery which gave the cold salad some great flavors. i could only bring myself to eat about 1/3 of those fries and i left the hungry cat still hungry. for a $23 dish, i'll be saving my lobster roll fixes for manhattan from now on. the price is about the same, but at least the east coast sandwich is almost twice as large and reasonably satiates my yen for lobster temporarily.

D. had the watermelon and tomato salad with feta which was a lovely, light summer dish topped with baby arugula.

stay tuned for my next post about dinner in L.A. at providence!

beijing olympics closing ceremonies - part 2

2008-09-01T19:19:00.003-05:00

continued from part 1

peking cuisine
8332 southwest fwy @ gessner

the second meal of the day to commemorate the end of the beijing summer olympics last weekend was appropriately centered around peking duck. peking cuisine is well known for serving the best peking duck in town. i remember having the peking duck there on thanksgiving with my family many many years ago, but couldn't really remember thinking it was as good as people say it is. i was anxious to get back there and investigate with the houston chowhounds.

dinner this evening was for 12 and we secured the private room for the event and also ordered our ducks one day in advance. my chinese mother was in tow for dinner so we could order off the chinese language menu.

chinese language menu. we ordered 2 ducks and the family dinner for 6 which included your choice of 6 cold appetizers, 6 hot dishes, and 1 starch.

this is what our table looked like once all the dishes were brought out. (the duck soup came much later)

la pi in garlic sauce. it had a strange sour taste, i was not fond of it.

honey smoked fish. the consensus at the table was that the dish was not that great. it was overly fishy, dry, and had only a slightly sweet taste.

fried stuffed bun. i didn't try it.

preserved egg with tofu. i only like preserved eggs (aka thousand year old eggs) in congee. it is definitely an acquired taste. i noticed that most of this dish went untouched on the table.

soy sauce pork feet. truthfully, i don't remember trying this. if i did, it was not memorable. perhaps some attendees can comment about this dish.

jellyfish with garlic. excellent. i could have eaten the whole plate myself.

spicy beef tendon. i love tendon and this was no exception. i would have prefered cilantro on top instead of scallions to complement the heat.

fish with hot red pepper. i expected the fish to be crispy which it wasn't. perhaps, i waited too long to dig into the dish. it also looks a lot spicier than it was. next time i'd rather order the sichuan fish.

eggplant with garlic sauce. i love japanese eggplant and this dish didn't disappoint.

fantail shrimp (not on english menu). nothing exciting. the dish tasted exactly the way it looked. i would have liked to eat more of the veggies in the dish, but i was sharing with 11 other people.

stirfried green beans. very good.

sichuan beef. good ma la from the dish, however not nearly as tasty as sichuan cuisine.

ma po tofu. again, passable but not as good as sichuan cuisine.

the star of the show peking duck. the duck skin was arranged on top of the plate of duck meat carved off the whole duck. scallions and plum sauce were served on the side. pancakes were served in plastic tortilla holders (pancakes are in the above photo of the whole table). the duck had cooled down too much by the time it was served and i expected the skin to be crispier. however, the pancakes were warm and delicious. definitely the best i've had. soup made from the duck carcasses, napa cabbage, and tofu was also served at the end of the meal.

it's hard to believe that this is the best peking duck houston has to offer. does any place in houston actually carve peking duck at the table?

the meal was fun and enjoyable of course b/c the chowhounds were there. it was also a great value as the meal came out to $13 per person. for sichuan food, i'd definitely head to sichuan cuisine, but i guess for my peking duck fix - this is as good as it gets?

special thanks to reed, my mom, for many of the photos posted here. the good ones are hers ;-)

thien an

2008-08-29T16:02:00.000-05:00

thien an sandwiches
2905 travis nr. tuam

thien an is my midtown lunch destination for pho. and apparently everyone else's. the place was PACKED when i walked in around 1 pm on random week day. the room was filled with half asians and half caucasians. we had to stand around waiting for a table to be cleaned off.

everyone orders the banh xeo here for some reason. it's a crepe made out of rice flower, coconut milk, and tumeric for color that is usually filled with pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, and onions. it's wrapped in lettuce leaves and herbs like cilantro and mint and then dipped in fish sauce. yes, thien an's is HUGE - surface area wise - but it's so flat. it's all crepe and no filling which i think it pretty lame. i noticed that 1/3 of the tables had one on their table. big half moon yellow crepes kept flying out of the kitchen. why are they all ordering it? am i missing something?

i love the pho here. this was my pho tai. pho actually refers to the thin rice noodles at the bottom of the bowl. pho is pronounced like you are asking a question 'fuh?' (not like you're saying fo realz). tai refers to the thin slices of rare beef (usually eye of round) that are placed into piping hot bowls of pho broth. the hot soup cooks the beef.

a plate of bean sprouts, lime, sliced jalapeno, and herbs such as cilantro, basil, and culantro accompanies each bowl. thien an garnishes each bowl with cilantro before it leaves the kitchen so none is on the plate, but you can request more by asking (or more efficiently, just point to what's already in your bowl). there are only 1 or 2 employees at most that speak fluent english.

good pho is all in the broth. pho broth is made by boiling down beef bones, oxtails, and spices such as vietnamese cinnamon, star of anise, ginger, and cloves. thien an's is especially flavorful b/c i think they use a little extra cinnamon in their recipe. anyway, there is nothing adventurous in my bowl today. i'm not a fan of tripe in my pho but i do like tendon, fatty brisket, and sometimes meat balls. today, i was attempting to be healthy and i already ordered the banh xeo too, but J. did a good job helping me eat it. he was a banh xeo virgin until today. boy, it's fun eating out with me!

this was J's vermicelli bowl with thit nuong (grilled pork chop) and cha gio (fried egg rolls). i wasn't offered a bite and i prefer my thit nuong over crushed rice with a fried egg on top anyways.

thien an is cash only, they are closed on saturdays, and they close at 6 pm on other nights. you can find me here almost once every week eating a cheap lunch.

beijing olympics closing ceremonies - part 1

2008-08-25T12:45:00.000-05:00

fung's kitchen
7320 southwest fwy # 115 nr. bellaire

to commemorate the end of the beijing summer olympics, the houston chowhounds and i hit the streets of chinatown twice on sunday. the events were even scheduled so we could take a nap in between AND be home to watch the broadcast of the real closing ceremonies in beijing. first, dim sum at fung's kitchen. it was already packed by 11 am.

we started with pretty standard dim sum fare...

siu mai (listed as "fung's steamed shrimp & pork dumpling"

har gau (list as "steamed shrimp dumpling")

chinese "broccoli w/ oyster sauce"

"steamed beef ball"- was okay

"steam bbq pork bun"

congee (listed as "rice soup/pork egg")

"deep fried taro puff" - really good, but greasy

inside the deep fried taro puff is ground pork

shrimp cheong fun (listed as "steam shrimp rice noodle") - i love the sweet soy sauce this is served in

"steam pork spare ribs w/ black bean sauce"- my favorite dim sum dish

"steam shrimp balls with sticky rice"

"sticky rice w/ meat wrap lotus leaf"

view of inside the lotus leaf (chicken, chinese sausage, black mushroom, ground pork) - yum

"chicken feet with black bean sauce"

then the interesting stuff came by. we passed on pig ears but we did order...

chicken feet with sweet & spicy sauce (cold)- firm and gelatinous, not my favorite preparation

bean curd skin with cilantro (cold) - love it!

conch & cucumber salad - delish

duck chins - big tease. the little bit of meat on there was so difficult to get at.

this is what our table looked like and...

this is what our bill looked like so far...

but we still had to check out the hot food stall where we ordered...

duck feet with black mushrooms

spicy fried chicken wings

pig's feet in ginger vinegar sauce

then the dessert cart came by... (or one of them anyway)

these little "pears" were filled with lotus seed paste

"french egg pudding"

these birdies were filled with yellow bean paste

mango pudding

next up, part 2 is peking duck dinner at peking cuisine...

au petit paris - a photo journal

2008-08-23T16:45:00.004-05:00

au petit paris
2048 colquitt st nr. shepherd.

from the moment i walked in, i knew i was in for a treat....

foie gras terrine (yes, that is a strip of fat on top), belgium endive dressed in balsamic vinaigrette, balsamic reduction & EVOO. served with a thick slice of toasted brioche and housemade country bread.
notes: very creamy. balsamic balanced the fattiness of the foie nicely. endive was appreciated separately but didn't really connect with the terrine. very, very good. better than le mistral's.

frog legs "sautéed en persillade, zest of lemon juice"
notes: expected to see much more parsley from the persillade. generous portion however the sauce tasted watered down. would not order again.

off menu special: black cod crusted with macadamia nuts over asparagus carnoli risotto and white corn. deep fried basil leaf garnish.
notes: delicious dish, beautifully composed flavors. loved the crispness and sweetness of fresh white corn.

roasted rack of lamb served over creamy polenta and baked provencal tomato
notes: lovely char on lamb, polenta served like cafeteria style mashed potatoes was cute with au jus, the tomato was naturally sweet but a little too mushy.

lemon sorbet over fresh berries.
notes: sorbet was nice and not usually served like this. our waiter said he made it extra pretty since he knew i was going to take a photo. usually served on a tain tartin. don't know what that is but anything tartin sounds delicious to me.

we shared desserts with our neighbors. this is what they ordered...

crepes “au petit paris” served with vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce
notes: scoop of ice cream wrapped in a crepe like a beggar's purse. cute presentation. was good but nothing mindblowing.

2006 domaine de la rossignole "cuvée vieilles vignes" sancerre $48. i'm a sucker for sancerre and this one was one of the best i've had. crisp, refreshing, great fruit. retails for $25 at spec's.

restaurant notes: the attitude is as authentic as the food. first we asked our server if we could move to a 4 top once a table got up and his reply was, "sorry but we aren't setting any more tables tonight." i was a little shocked. my friend and i were sitting at a tiny 2 top in the middle of the restaurant and later when our appetizers arrived our table was completely overtaken by just the plates involved in those 2 dishes. the waiter came back and apologized for his response earlier and moved us to the table in the corner immediately. perhaps, he thought i was someone important since i was snapping photos of all the food as it came out.

chef dominique visited the table after he sent our waiter over to ask why i was taking photos. he seemed somewhat threatened by me. even so, i appreciated chatting with him. he walked over to another table as well afterwards and we heard him give the same schpeel about teaching at johnson & wales in providence, RI before moving to houston. we were told chef eric was in the house too that evening but we didn't even catch a glimpse of him even as the restaurant was winding down.

fyi, they have recently changed their hours of operation. the restaurant now seats their last table at 9 pm on weeknights even though they have not updated this info on their website.

ramen quest - strike 2

2008-08-22T13:30:00.001-05:00

sasaki
8979 westheimer rd nr. fondren

nope, sasaki's ramen didn't cut it either. you can tell by just looking at it. yes, this is strike two on the ramen quest for me. i'm slowly going down my list of japanese owned restaurants in houston and so far i'm coming up with nothing. this is their shoyu (soy sauce) ramen. it tasted as boring as it looked. it looked healthy! the chashu pork was lean and chewy, not soft or buttery at all. at least nippon's was better than this one and had lots of tender chashu in it.

this is what santouka's shoyu ramen looks like, this is the holy grail of ramens. just look at the grease floating on the top of the broth. look at the fattiness of the chashu. santouka is actually more famous for their shio (salt) ramen but i can't even find anyone in houston that makes it. the ramen quest continues.

this is misha's chirashi lunch. the tamago pieces were huge and very good (which in jenny language means not too sweet). i forgot to ask him how his sushi was, but i didn't hear him gripe (which he is quite good at) so i guess it was decent enough for him - which translates into "very good" to the rest of us.

this was D.'s cold buckwheat noodles. they were served with a soy sauce based dipping sauce on the side with minced scallions and wasabi on the side to taste. it was refreshing but not that exciting.

i asked our server if they had softshell crawfish. she nodded so i ordered three since misha and dorothy had never tried it before. fried softshell crab came to the table instead and when i told her i asked for softshell crawfish, she said they never carry it. of course we didn't turn the crab away, but FYI, kaneyama has fried softshell crawfish sometimes.

here's a close up of our fried softshell crab. it was excellent. smaller than nippon's but tastier.

what's next on the ramen quest? i just found this photo of the ramen at kaneyama on yelp. that's not right either... a blog commenter left a tip that i should try sushi jin's. or maybe i'll give teppay a shot. but even better, i'm going back to LA next week. i shall return to the mecca of ramen for my fix. i will come back bearing better photos i promise.

beijing hot pot eating olympics

2008-08-21T17:04:00.019-05:00

sichuan cuisine
9114 bellaire blvd @ ranchester

last week, i took a hiatus from houston restaurant week, a clouded week of overindulgence in butter, bordelaise, braised short ribs, and creme brulee, to commemorate the beijing summer olympics (or anything for that matter) the way i do best. by eating! we hit chinatown of course! my tummy was looking forward to simple comfort food - one of my favorite things to eat in the world. soup.

on the menu for the evening? sichuan hot pot!

i noticed sichuan hot pot on the menu during my last visit to sichuan cuisine when the houston chowhounds and i were there on our 4 hour soup dumpling crawl. when we walked in this friday evening there were 4 other tables seated with asian patrons. three of those tables already had their own hot pot parties going. this was a good sign! we could see the fiery red pepper spiked broths bubbling, plates of raw meats and veggies laid out, and we were eager to participate ourselves.

we were first seated at a normal square shaped table for 4. when we told our server we were ordering hot pot she first warned us that they close at 10 pm. it was 8:30 at that time, which is an indication that hot pot is usually a long, drawn out affair. i remember when my brother and i used to groan when we found out we were having hot pot at home for supper. it guaranteed that we would be sitting at the dinner table for at least an hour or even longer if we had guests over. our friendly server, the same one from my last visit here, hurried back to the kitchen to tell them to get our soups started and came back with the hot pot menu. she then moved us to a big round table, which we were all excited about.

on the regular menu, sichuan hot pot is listed simply as "house special mini hot pot" for $13.95. however ordering community style hot pot is much more complicated than that. a pen and a separate menu printed on half a sheet of white paper will be brought to you for ordering.

first, choose your soup: yuanyang (half spicy, half mild), all spicy, or all mild. we were ready to go spicy all the way, but the server recommended yuanyang. judging by the look on her face, i knew we had better take her advice.

secondly, pick your raw ingredients, as many as you like:
meats: lamb, shrimp, beef, beef omasum (tripe), lunch meat (spam), intestine, pork blood, fish ball, shrimp ball, crab meat (the fake stuff), sliced fish, sliced chicken, squid
veggies: spinach, gongcai, potato, fungus (mushroom), napa cabbage, eggplant, A choy, cilantro, taro, bamboo shoots, seaweed
others: tofu, cellophane noodles, lo mein noodles, egg (raw), wonton

(L to R) sliced fish, shrimp, tripe, chicken (middle), cilantro, wontons, potatoes, gongcai

A choy, napa, lamb, beef

lastly, pick your dipping sauces: sesame oil, sa tsa sauce (chinese barbecue sauce, made from soybean oil, garlic, shallots, chillis, brill fish and dried shrimp), and/or sesame sauce. dipping sauces cost $1 each for half a small bowl. we ordered the sa tsa and sesame sauce. neither were very interesting, but weren't bad either.

how to eat hot pot: first the electric burner will be brought to the table. by this time we had already scarfed down a plate of 3 cold appetizers selected from the cold table in the back. we chose garlic cucumbers, sliced beef and mow, and sichuan beef jerky. next the hot pot arrives already filled with both broths. huge platters of raw and frozen food start arriving at the table. at this point, the server lights the burner for us.

the premise is simple. raw food goes into the boiling broth and is left long enough to cook. food is then fished it out with chinese spiders and can be dipped in various sauces to taste. ladles are used to scoop out broth which is usually enjoyed after all the food is cooked. i like drinking the soup all the way through hot pot activities. it's my favorite part of the fun!

a few tips. first, wait for the water to boil before throwing in too many cold items. you don't want the temperature to drop too low. frozen foods such as wontons need to be cooked for at least 8 mins, so throw some of those in first. also stalky vegetables, like napa cabbage, along with potatoes, and chicken usually require longer cooking times so put those in too. tripe, fish and shrimp balls, squid, and tofu don't require a lot of time and don't need to be watched too carefully either.

shrimp and thinly sliced meat such as beef and lamb cook the fastest and care should be taken to not overcook them. make sure the broth is boiling before throwing them in and then shrimp should be pulled out as soon as they turn bright pink, sliced meats should cook through after 30 seconds in the pot. noodles are usually cooked through and just need to be reheated. veggies such as spinach an gongcai cook quickly and will shrink when cooked.

a good safety measure to always remember is to dip your chopsticks in the boiling pot for several seconds after handling raw meats. or simply use a separate pair of chopsticks for eating.

the sichuan side of the pot was extremely spicy and ma la. "ma la" means "numb" and "hot" in chinese and refers to the numbing, tingly sensation of sichuan or flower peppers (hua jiao) . the taste is very unique and fragrant with notes of anise and clove. one of my dinner guests had to take a break b/c the ma la was so overwhelming. i told him to stick to the mild side for awhile. if the spicy side gets too overwhelming, one of the advantages of ordering yuan ying is the versatility - you can add some of the mild broth to the sichuan side of the pot to tame the heat. and if you need more broth as it will inevitably evaporate, just ask your server to bring some more around.

the traditional dipping sauce is made by mixing sa tsa, a raw egg, cilantro, chilis, and soy sauce to taste. we forgot to order eggs, and by the time food started arriving i never asked for it. also, several things we ordered never arrived such as squid, tofu, spinach, mushrooms, eggplant, and seaweed. my advice is to ask for 2 copies of the menu, check off the selections you want on each and keep a copy for the table. however, there were no complaints by anyone at our table. we couldn't even finish the food they brought to us. this is what our hot pot looked like when we were done:

chinatown is cheap right? but just how cheap? at sichuan cuisine, hot pot is a per person charge and an all you can eat affair. hot pot for 2 will cost $15 pp, but for 3 or more it is $13 pp. this is also an option for chinese pickle fish soup for $8 a pot extra, which comes with a live fish (i do remember seeing a live fish tank in the back of the resto). no one in the restaurant was eating fish hot pot and i'm not sure i've ever seen it. dipping sauces are $1 each and are enough for 3 or 4 people.

with a full belly, looking at what was left in the hot pot, i asked tatitraveller who just got back from 3 weeks in china what she thought of our dinner. she said she had better sichuan hot pot in a place that specialized in it in beijing, but she said she has also had worse in china. tatitraveller also surmised that the meats here in the US were better quality but decided that the sauces in china were much tastier.

the last tip i leave you with and perhaps the most important one is sichuan cuisine is a BYOB establishment. we stopped by welcome food center in the same shopping center to pick up some cold tsingtao beer to enjoy the evening with. the refrigerated case at welcome was almost DOA. tatitraveller even added that it wasn't bing pijiu (cold beer). how cute that she learned the essential chinese words during her visit there. so stop somewhere else for the booze.

also see 7/6/08 review of sichuan cuisine

food porn from reef

2008-08-20T21:11:00.015-05:00

reef
2600 travis @ mcgowen

i had the pleasure of revisiting reef recently. the impetus was a review of the beet ravioli that misha wrote last month. it was as good as he said and i urge you to get a 'tasty bit' before beets go out of season.

beet ravioli. the beets are actually served WITH the ravioli, not stuffed inside, in a rich buttery sauce. beet puree lends some acidity. peppery watercress crowns the dish and makes the dish taste and feel more summery.

the ravioli are filled with beet greens and ricotta cheese, a lovely contrast to the natural sweetness of the roasted beets.

rainbow runner 'never served before in texas' sent to the table by chef bryan caswell who you can pinpoint easily in the kitchen by his orange 'stros cap. but i had to break it to him when he came by the table that i actually had the same fish the night before. chef randy rucker served cured rainbow runner at the tenacity dinner the night before and credited caswell for scoring the rare protein. the fish which are apparently very hard to catch was mild, silky, and fantastic. caswell served the rainbow runner raw with paper thin cucumbers in a small pool of yuzu. the plate was brushed with a sauce made from something fermented and japanese. it was reminiscent of thai flavors with delicate hints of curry. it tasted as beautiful as it looked.

crispy skin snapper, reef's signature dish, was even better tonight than i remember. i can still taste the aromatic caramel-y brown butter flavors. i am predictable in that i will order anything on a menu that is advertised with crispy skin. this dish is one of the best.

grilled sea scallops over truffled polenta. HUGE scallops, perfectly grilled. good dish but not a whole lot of excitement. could amp up the truffle flavors.

fried mac and cheese comes to the table like a croquette fit for a giant. it's just as good as it sounds.

milkshakes no minor. i'm not much of a dessert person and my dinner companion, the very awesome A., turned down the dessert menu. these shots were also sent to us from the kitchen and were very much enjoyed and appreciated. the size was perfect for me. the chocolate straw is tastier than it is functional.

the wine: a refreshing, crisp laurenz V. 'charming' gruner veltliner, an austrian white wine in the same vein as sauvignon blanc, sancerre, and albarino. $27 a bottle. reef's wine selection is incredible and prices have such low markups that picking a wine is almost as fun as drinking it. this bottle retails for $25 at spec's.

now a little gossip from the chef himself. one. much to my dismay, we will not be seeing him on top chef next season. the top chef contestant contractual agreements have now become so ridiculous that top talent is turning it down. their loss. two. remember when i had a dream that shake shack was coming to houston? well the next best thing is happening! reef is taking it's gourmet sliders to hermann park. not only will they have a permanent burger outpost (or a slider shack, if you will) on the duck pond, they will also have mobile carts in the park distributing goodness throughout the park too. look for it next spring! (you'll know where i'll be.)

HRW extended thru 8/24!

2008-08-18T06:28:00.005-05:00

during cleverley stone's radio show on saturday, the GM from the oceanaire called in and announced on the air that they were going to offer the HRW menu an extra week to raise even more money for the end hunger network! very shortly afterwards, max's wine dive called in too! since then cleverley has contacted all the HRW restaurants to give them an opportunity to extend their HRW menus. so far that list of restaurants includes:

the oceanaire
max's wine dive
capital grille
so vino
del frisco's
arcodoro

please go to the HRW website to view the latest list of restaurants. cleverley asked them to inform her of their decision by 5 pm today so keep checking the website for more details. please help spread the word! AND get out there and EAT!

HRW weekend reviews

2008-08-18T05:46:00.006-05:00

le mistral
verdict: n/a

the houston chowhounds decided to end houston restaurant week on a high note saving le mistral for sunday night. le mistral is personally my favorite french restaurant in town and i looked forward to checking out the new space they moved into recently. we arrived and were seated very quickly. we received the regular menu and the HRW menu supplement xeroxed on white letter sized paper. the waiter came over to take our food orders after we had time to sit, talk, get our drinks, and make some decisions after talking it over with others at the table.

when she eats ordered the double pork chop (the one cynthiamonster wrote such a glowing review about on wednesday) the waiter informed us that they were out. they actually ran out of pork chops last night and the kitchen was replacing that item with the roasted chicken on the HRW menu tonight. WHA??? no mention of the menu change by the hostess and we were just now hearing about it from our waiter a good 20 minutes after we had sat down. this did not make for happy hounds. the choices were now salmon or chicken.

well, none of us ended up ordering the HRW menu. we settled on items off the regular menu, we get our appetizers and who shows up to join us? cleverley stone! ms. HRW herself! the waitstaff pulled up a chair for her to join us and we had to explain to her that NONE of us ordered from the HRW menu. how terrible right?

so my gripes. the HRW experience at le mistral left me feeling like we were tricked into coming in. i spoke to someone over the phone earlier in the day and no mention of it was made. okay, maybe i'm pushing it to think they would tell everyone who calls them that they are out of this one menu item, but what's even worse is that the restaurant could have reprinted the HRW menu between dinner last night and tonight. and if they ran out of an item, they should replace it with something more exciting, not less exciting. yeah. we were set on pork chops so it sucked. anyway, i'll save my le mistral review to post later in the week.

other chowhounds went to...

the remington @ the st. regis hotel (review by heritoth)
verdict: good value, good food & service

"Peg, I and my two friends just returned from Remington's at the Hotel St. Regis. I liked the mixture of red anthuriums and green bells of Ireland in the large floral arrangement that greeted me upon entry and carried through the restaurant table arrangements. I wandered before dinner through the bar which is large enough to be a restaurant on its own. I was surprised to find the wicker chairs in the dining room to be surprisingly comfortable.

I found the butter served with the sourdough bread to be surprisingly piquant. Likewise, Peg found her tasting glass of Brut champagne to be unexpectedly sweet for some reason. I got a tasting glass of Napanook which would have been a better pair to the braised short ribs than the Acacia, but I enjoyed the pinot and its more affordable price. Peg and I weren't charged for our tasting glasses which were quite generous and could have been glasses on their own.

I liked the tortilla soup with its chunks of avocado although slightly smaller torillas would have been less messy to eat. I thought it was a nice touch for the waiter to serve the tortillas and then pour from a pitcher of soup at the table to keep the tortillas crunchy. My short ribs were actually one large rib, but it succulently shlumped off the bone bleached by roasting. Peg felt it had a tad too much five spice, but I'm not afraid of flavor so I enjoyed it. The mushrooms and edamame were nice but the truffle oil was understated in contrast to the truffle toasts at Dolce Vita. The tempura batter on the white asparagus was light and crisp. The plate that it was served upon was worth remarking that it was a very irregular shape.

For dessert most had the churros which were fluffy and a very good showing although lighter on cinnamon than I usually have had. We all enjoyed the mini martini glass of chocolate ganache. I preferred to eat it separately to better appreciate the taste of the churros. The lavender was not really detectable in the whipped cream, but I enjoyed the dish despite this.

Overall, everyone was satisfied with the portions and the service. I thought it was a good value (not a Chinatown value mind you but good for its category). This restaurant was not even on my radar before tonight, but perhaps now I would recommend the hotel to out-of-town guests or staycationers."

gravitas and pesce reviews here by foodprincess

HRW thursday reviews

2008-08-18T04:23:00.012-05:00

gravitas
verdict: friendly service, creative & good food, high recommend

it was a last minute decision to go to gravitas for the fourth HRW meal in a row this week. this was my first visit back to the restaurant in over a year in a half after a horrible experience with a bartender. i was a little hesitant about returning, but the HRW menu looked incredible and the restaurant is only a few blocks from my house. i ordered off the HRW menu, but my dining companion ordered off the regular menu.

first of all, when seated we did not receive HRW menus. the hostess said she would inform our server that we wanted the HRW special. the dining room was loud as usual. our server said the menus weren't printed and since i already knew what was on the HRW menu from reading it off the HRW website, i told her to just tell my friend. it was hard hearing her through all the din. if i didn't already know what was on the menu, i would have been annoyed. later we realized the menu was written on the large chalkboard along the wall. however, the descriptions and sides were omitted.

i had the shaved calamari and cucumber salad with lime aioli. the calamari was fried. the cucumbers were shaved lengthwise and a little soggy. the calamari was lukewarm, but still it was not a bad dish. there was noticeable acid and a mayo/aioli based sauce. the dish could have been amazing though if they deseeded the cukes or figured out a way to make them retain their crispness. the dish was creative though so i'm not complaining.

i was told the pork shoulder option was better, but i was in a seafood mood so i ordered the oven baked idaho trout which was a large portion and wonderful. the corn risotto was much tastier than the summer risotto at VOICE and the sauteed black kale was fab.

chocolate marshmellow tart was quite good and the marshmellows looked homemade, but our plate had peanut butter ice cream instead of the advertised bourbon ice cream. when we inquired about the missing bourbon ice cream, the server left to find out and returned telling us it was 86-ed, so they sent out some bailey's ice cream too.

much to my delight, we also got the steak tartare as an appetizer and it is hands down the best steak tartare i've had in houston. i am a raw protein fiend. there was not much detectable mustard in the dish but lots of reggiano. more shaved reggiano and baby greens topped the puck of raw meat. the crisp toast points were a good size and thickness.

my friend also ordered the grilled sea scallops with pancetta and roasted cauliflower. the cauliflower was a nice touch and i enjoyed the small amount of the dish that i tasted.

our server was friendly and patient while we enjoyed a leisurely meal. everything about the night was redeeming and made me look forward to my next meal there.

other chowhounds share their experiences elsewhere...

VOICE @ hotel icon
VERDICT: good service, good experience

review by S.L.

"Went to Voice tonight for HRW menu. It was good. The mushroom cappuccino is clever in presentation and tastes great. Wife had fish, I had the sous vide pork (flat iron steak was 3rd option-no thanks). Fish was good, definitely good with the sauce. The pork was exactly as someone else described it, basically not great. Really,they probably should have chosen a much fattier piece of pork (Berkshire?). The pasta stuff underneath with pancetta was great, could have eaten a lot more of that.

Dessert was the all spice ice cream with cake (interesting) and the vanilla with chocolate filled cake (ok). Service was pretty good, and the layout there was nice. I remember when it was called Bank, and it was a bit stuffier then, though the food was ok as well. Voice seems more of a lateral move, though the mushroom cappuccino makes me think they can really do something special if they wanted. Smart move showing us the rest of the menu, and would consider going back one day. Bar looks smart too."

review by K.D.

"I was also there tonight, and the one comment I want to make has to do with the stuffiness. The music was wildly eclectic from lenny kravitz to david bowie. I thought it was great. There was even scissor sisters in the bathroom!

We had each food at our table and no one didn't like anything, thought the salad was just a salad."

cafe annie (review by racheldowntown)
verdict: great service, not worth it

"A group of 4 of us went to Café Annie last night for the HRW. We were promptly seated, our waiter was very nice- service was great all night. We got a bottle of Vincent Vouvray at $39, so not too bad. The food, on the other hand, did not impress- I could have made every single dish at home. They definetly took their cheapest items and put them on the HRW menu.

We had the tortilla soup and potato soup, both of which were watered down and had no substance. The tortilla soup had no vegetables or chicken, just diced avocados and some measly tortilla strips. Took 2 sips and didn't eat any more. I got the shrimp entrée-5 large grilled shrimp with no flavor. I came with a spinach, jalapeno, onion, and watermelon salad. So random. Hubby got the flank steak topped with avocado puree which came with denny's like skillet potatoes. His steak was much better than my soggy shrimp- had a nice smokey flavor. The potatoes were so bad I asked for ketchup- ketchup at Café Annie!!

My dessert was berry cobbler with mascarpone cheese-it was a muffin- no joke. I am a dessert freak and I ate 2 bites and put my fork down- a FIRST in my book! James got the icecream sundae which was a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, choc sauce, and some type of sweet bread that was a cross between pound cake and biscotti. I left unsatisfied with the food and value for the money- the crowd is good if you want to hang with River Oaks socialites, but not my scene at all.

Overall- I would not go back unless I was on expense account. Then I would order the most flamboyant items on the menu like fois gras……..bc their lower ticket items simply did not shine. We went home and I made a snack- after spending $115 for 2 people. Sad!"