october memories, november excitement

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

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

flavor trippin news

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

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:

ike drama: poor brennan's

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.