best dishes: Q1 09 edition

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

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.