Dorks with Forks

BRC

2010-05-03T06:42:00.001-05:00

There are two things you need to know about the BRC:

1. You can get Kona Longboard on draft.

2. Bacon jam.

Let me first explain the situation with Kona Longboard. Last year, we had the great opportunity to visit the Kona Brewing Company's brewery in Kailua-Kona. While the tour was not as entertaining as the St. Arnold's tour here in Houston, it was insightful and you still got to drink a lot of beer in the end. But one piece of information stood out - the only place you could get any of their beers on draft was in the Hawaiian islands. In the continental U.S., you could only get bottled, which was fine since we happily drank bottled Longboard before we realized this. So, along comes the BRC, which is a tiny gastropub at Shepherd Drive and Blossom Street, which has 20+ beers on tap. We open the drink menu (which held in binder of sorts covered in glove-tanned cowhide like the old school Coach handbags), and there it is - Kona Longboard on tap. We asked the waitress how is this possible and got a quizzical look and another person came by and tried to help out, but told us they had to order through a distributor, which was probably Ben E. Keith. Our guess is what probably occurred is that Widmer in Portland, which is the contract brewery for Kona Brewing on the West coast, probably got rights to start kegging the stuff. This is brilliant stuff if you're a beer person. Go check it out now.

Second is the bacon jam. We ordered the fresh backed smoked cheddar biscuits, which came with butter and bacon jam. I know there's been a bacon craze over the last couple of years, but I think for good reason. Bacon really can be savory and sweet and pairs well with so many other foods. The jam served was like having crispy pieces of bacon floating in a maple-y syrup concoction, so it wasn't totally jam consistency, but it definitely was delicious. We were told that it rocked on vanilla ice cream, and I don't doubt it. I kept trying to add it to my other food that was brought to the table - it was that good.

OK - so there are other reasons to go to BRC - daily slider specials, like the grilled albacore tuna, which was seared perfectly, and that you can get as a trio with a combo up that let's you try three four ounce pilsners of any of their beers on tap. You can get soft-baked pretzels that are just hanging out at the bar waiting for you to slather mustard (and bacon jam if you have any left over) on it. Skirt steak was super tender and delicious and the fish and fries held a ridiculous amount of tasty food. A word of warning: state fair griddled cheese featured more of the short-rib and less of the cheese, which was not a bad thing, but in case you're looking for more cheese than meat, look elsewhere.

I can't even talk about the desserts because I am feeling too full just from writing this. Let's just say you should try them.

Regular hours should be starting this week, so they'll be open for lunch and brunch soon, which is good because they have a creative looking brunch menu. Oh and BRC? It's standing in the corner of their parking lot. You can't miss it.

The BRC

519 Shepherd Drive

Houston, TX 77007

(713) 861-2233

www.brcgastropub.com

Kata Robata

2010-05-02T19:45:00.001-05:00

Do you want to eat at a place that serves innovative sushi and other Japanese tapas that doesn't happen to be in Austin? Maybe one closer to home... like on Kirby Drive at Richmond Avenue? Look no further than Kata Robata. This place seriously rocks my world. If you like sushi, there really is no better place for it in Houston. If you're a foodie, this place has to be on your must-try list.

On top of the haunted grounds of Jamaica, Jamaica, sits a fancy new shopping center only a third full. There's an art gallery, a bank, the relocated Dessert Gallery, and Kata Robata. Prior to being Kata Robata, the restaurant was a Vietnamese place called Hue, with forgettable fare at high prices. At first, I thought Kata Robata would be the Japanese equivalent, but was I ever wrong.

The first visit brought our party of two with a large appetite, but an even larger order. The menu is broken out into daily specials, sushi, and regular menu items. For the most part, we ignored the regular menu items and went with sushi and daily specials. The octopus crudo was an absolute delight with thinly sliced pieces of octopus drizzled in a citrus sauce and sprinkled with salt and pepper. It was light, crunchy, and tender and the perfect start to the meal. We had also ordered their version of fish and chips thinking it would be another starter size portion. How wrong we were. The presentation of the fish was beautiful - the whole filet had been fried along with the cubed portions of the fish and the body of the fish served as a vessel to hold the fried fish cubes. Despite being fried, the fish was not greasy at all, and the dish itself could have fed three or four.

Another visit presented us with a further dilemma because the specials were different and seemed equally as appetizing as our first visit. While blue fin tuna collar was on the menu (56 ounces!), we opted instead for medium fatty blue fin tuna sushi (chu-toro), along with seared butterfish sushi (also a special), fresh salmon sushi (sake), and another crudo type dish with scallop instead of octopus. The butterfish was fine - it had a dollop of fresh wasabi on the top (not the chinese mustard paste you normally get a sushi restaurants) - but it seemed out of place for having been seared. The chu-toro was fantastic. Blue fin tuna is as close as you can get to a good rare beefsteak (without all the blood) if you don't eat meat. It was clean, meaty, and nearly palate cleansing. The sake was possibly the best salmon I have eaten having a firm texture, but a buttery taste. The scallop was excellent, although not as great as the octopus the first time we visited and a little more on the slippery side.

I regret to say we haven't tried anything on the robata portion of the menu as I have heard nothing but good things about it. However, Kata Robata makes it so difficult when the specials keep us from venturing into the permanent menu! However, it guarantees that we'll be back for more to explore the rest of the menu.

Kata Robata

3600 Kirby Drive, Suite H

Houston, TX 77099

(713) 526-8858

www.katarobata.com

benjy's (Washington Ave)

2010-02-05T18:29:00.001-06:00

I can't remember the first time I ever went to benjy's in Rice Village, but I am sure it was good. It might have been Thanksgiving or a client lunch. The only thing I don't like about the place is the location, meaning it's not near me (that and its chairs have no where to hang my handbag and I will not put my bag on the floor, so it stays in my lap the entire meal).

So, in late 2008 when I realized that they were building a benjy's within walking distance, I got super excited. I even began planning imaginary events in a space that I didn't even know if they had room for private parties.

Once opened, benjy's on Washington Avenue didn't disappoint, especially if you like the benjy's in Rice Village. The crunchy chicken is still crunchy and way too much food. The food is fresh and local when they can get it. On their appetizers section, they have something called "The Hot Local" which is different depending on what they can get locally and in season. Recently, it was goat cheese and crab rangoon with a healthy dose of cilantro and pickled cauliflower. Amazingly, the goat cheese did not overpower the crab and the cauliflower was just the right accompaniment to the rangoon.

The building, despite being built from the ground up, has the same feeling and vibe as the Rice Village location - something I like to call 70's modern. Mother-in-law tongue borders the perimeter of the interior, dark and natural woods complement an overall warm and inviting interior. A semi-private table surrounded by what appear to be stalagmites sits near the kitchen for larger parties and there's a private room to the left of the entrance. And, of course, there's a rooftop bar because, honestly, how hip could it be if it didn't have one?

Overall, I love this place and still am thinking about the right event to have here. I would suggest that you get there early if you want to try it because even though they built their own parking lot, it still is Washington Avenue and you could be driving around for a while looking for spot if you arrive during prime time.

benjy's
5922 Washington Ave
Houston, TX 77007
713-868-1131
http://www.benjys.com/

First Taste of Haven

2010-02-01T22:15:00.000-06:00

When we walked into Haven early on a Wednesday night just two weeks into their opening, Patrick said, "I know how I am going to open my post about Haven." At which point, he complains about what he perceives to be the lack of light to view the menu. This is where I said, "I know how I am going to start my post. I am going to say I am so glad I am not so old that I am unable to read a menu at a restaurant." This type of witty repartee went on for the better part of the night and I am very sad for our waiter, Brent, because he had to listen to it. Get Patrick and me together and we can be completely obnoxious. Or maybe just Patrick.

I haven't decided if I like Haven or not. I know it's unfair to judge a place on one visit, but here we are and that's what I do - I judge. Haven is on a funny street in an area of many failed restaurants near Kirby Drive and the Southwest Freeway. It's a cool little building, but you must, must valet, which I don't like having to do. But the building itself is cool in the style of dark wood, metals, and sustainable materials and has a patio for nicer weather.

For dinner we ordered a few appetizers to start including seared berkshire belly, bone marrow, and shrimp corn dogs. The berkshire belly was good and also moved away from being too sweet (as many restaurants tend towards), but seemed to lack some kind of pop or flavor. The shrimp corn dogs were delightful and similar to some crab corn dogs I'd had a while back at Catalan. The bone marrow was outside of the bone and was less silky or lush than I expected, although the flavor was excellent.

Not having paid attention to what anyone else ordered as their main, I will tell you about my chicken. The chicken dish on the menu is free range chicken with bacon spaetzle and crispy brussels sprouts leaves. I asked our server how the chicken was prepared, to which he responded, "sous vide." Now, I have never held myself out to be a foodie or gourmand - I just like food - so I had to ask what that meant. He said they had a sous vide machine in the back and proceeded to describe something that sounded suspiciously like a vacuum sealer. So, the concept is, they flavor the chicken, vacuum seal it, immerse the package in hot water to cook, which keeps everything juicy inside. When it's ready to come out, they put it in the oven to crisp the skin and voila! Sounds good, huh? In theory, it was great. Execution seemed to falter, though, as my chicken was very dry. The bacon spaetzle was excellent, though, and the crispy brussels sprouts leaves gave a nice texture to the dish because they were extra crispy (and in my book brussels sprouts can do no wrong).

For dessert, I had meyer lemon pound cake. I love pound cake - I even celebrated national pound cake day recently - and I was looking forward to this dessert. When it came out, the slice of pound cake was approximately the size of a deck of cards...for eight dollars, this seemed pretty steep. Don't get me wrong - I am all for generally making portion sizes smaller in the U.S., but make the price/quantity ratio make sense, too. When I pay eight dollars for a dessert, I expect a bit more than a deck of cards. Make two or three dollars less and I would have felt the price/quantity ratio would have created the proper amount of value.

We had dinner quite early that night, so there were only two other parties there besides us. It got a bit busier as the night went on, but I would have liked to see it more so. The provenance of this restaurant is promising, so I hope it's busier and better when I go back.

Haven
2502 Algerian Way
Houston, TX 77098
713-581-6101
http://havenhouston.blogspot.com/

London Sizzler

2010-01-16T10:40:00.002-06:00

I find that Houston is rife with all kinds of cuisine and it's easy to just pick a reliable spot for a specific type of cuisine and keep going back when you have a hankering for it. That's how I was feeling about Indian food. We just kept going to the same spot for some reliable chicken tikka masala and naan. Doesn't that sound boring? "Reliable" chicken tikka masala?

Fortunately, we found a spot tucked into the sari palaces of the Hillcroft/Harwin/59 area that changed my life as it relates to Indian food. That place is London Sizzler.

I can't remember how I found out about London Sizzler, but when I first mentioned it to my friend Rob, he looked at me in his unintentionally funny condescending way and said he had already been there. Oh well, at least we didn't have to drag Rob along if we tried it. (Ed: Rob was mad we tried it without him.)

The day we tried it, was the day we went to Fry's on the Southwest Freeway. Quynh and Clark were looking for appliances and Chris and I were looking at everything (even though we need nothing). I know there are lots of people who live out that way and all I have to say to that is you all must love sitting in traffic because here we were on a Saturday afternoon stuck in traffic on the freeway hungry for food and chastising ourselves for not visiting the restaurant in Fry's. I remembered that London Sizzler was right off of the Hillcroft exit, so we u-turned fought a bit more traffic and finally got there.

Walking into London Sizzler doesn't give you a sense of what kind of restaurant it might be. There's tables, TV, a bar, and music on the speakers. Jai Ho was playing last time we were there, but considering the global appeal of that song, I am not sure that would have given it away.

But the food...I seriously don't know how to describe it at times. Addictive comes to mind when I think of the chicken tikka masala. Bright, sharp, and hot are apt descriptions for the vindaloo. The kebabs are out of this world awesome with just the right amount of spice and brought out on a sizzling platter (thus the "sizzler" in their name). The goat curry was relatively okay, but it beats the pants off of any curry I've had at any other Indian restaurant in Houston.

There are also several types of naan on the menu. There's plain naan, garlic naan, and garlic bullet naan, to name a few. I highly recommend the garlic bullet naan over the garlic naan because it adds onion to the mix and who couldn't do without extra onion at any point?

Service is respectable and oddly, every time we've been it's been totally dead. This is odd because I've heard it called the best Indian restaurant in Houston, to which I wholeheartedly agree. It's a bit of a drive for those in the loop, but trust me on this one.

London Sizzler
6690 Southwest Freeway
Houston, TX 77074
713-783-2754
www.londonsizzler.com

Lots of Posts

2010-01-14T07:52:00.001-06:00

I realized there were a lot of places that we went in 2009 that I forgot to write about, thus the flurry of recent posts. Look forward in the coming days to posts about our visits to:

London Sizzler
Haven
Branch Water Tavern
Table Seven (Durham location)
Kata Robata
Giacomo's
Canopy

Haute Texan Tacos

2010-01-13T13:26:00.005-06:00

Well, I finally got over to Haute Texan Tacos. It's been beautiful week here, so I walked over there during lunch the other day to get a couple of tacos. I was especially motivated because, if you follow them on Twitter (@hautetexantacos), they sometimes have specials and the day I went, their special was their spicy Shiner Bock Beer and ancho chile braised pulled pork tacos for $2.75 (regularly $3.70).

Let me just say that initially, I was sceptical because that's a lot for one taco, but you know what? I could have made a meal out of that one taco - and it was a delicious taco at that! It was piled high with tasty pulled pork, onions, cilantro (took it out - I hate cilantro), cojita cheese, and peppers. Everything tasted fresh and I ate two even though I should have eaten only one, but you know what? I did walk there, so let's just say I walked it off. They have a variety of tacos - fish (grilled or fried), shrimp (grilled or fried), carne asada, and chicken fajita. They also have chips and salsa, queso, or guacamole and fried avocado. All sound like worthy reasons to visit again (on a day where I can walk there again).

Anyway, I found out that they've only been open for lunch at their current location maybe two weeks and that they're working on building their business. I encourage everyone to go to try some tacos. They're open from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. And if you're enjoying the bar scene on Washington Avenue, they're open for late night noshing from 9:00 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. from Thursday through Sunday.

Haute Texan Tacos
5002 1/2 Washington Avenue
Houston, TX 77007
832-866-8052
Follow them on Twitter! @hautetexantacos

Housemade Salumi and Other Treats from Poscol

2010-01-13T07:02:00.009-06:00

I don't consider myself a foodie or gourmand, whatever you want to call it. I just really like food. Sometimes I get to a new restaurant right away and sometimes it takes forever for us to get to a restaurant that has been in Houston for years. So, last year, for my birthday, we went to Da Marco (well, we actually went to Pahu i'a at the Four Seasons on the Big Island, but that's another story) for the very first time. It was great - I mean really great - but a little on the formal side for me. Which is a blessed coincidence that we tried Poscol shortly after that.

Poscol is just a bit down Westheimer from Da Marco and is owned by the same people. Alison Cook noted that this is one of her favorite new restaurants for 2009 and called it "useful," I think, and I would have to agree. Useful is not a bad thing - in fact, it's a very, very good thing. Basically, it lets me try some great food and wine from a smartly edited menu. It's not a long menu and reading it is difficult for me since I don't know Italian and it's all over the menu. The menu is set out in sections that I won't remember perfectly, but essentially are: salumi, fritti, pesce, il forno, bruschetta, panini, formaggi, and maybe some others that I can't remember. There's also a chalkboard with daily specials.

The highlight here is the housemade salumi. When ordering salumi from the menu, make sure to note the difference between housemade and not housemade because, really, who wants to pay $9 for proscuitto that simply was sliced for your pleasure? Over the few visits we've been to Poscol, we've tried the housemade salumi on special every time and weren't disappointed. Last time, it was an antelope salumi with porcini mushrooms that was luxurious with toast points, but not too heavy on its own.

Another super satisfying bright spot was the butternut squash risotto with fried chicken livers. It's hard to find a restaurant that does risotto right because it takes time, but this shockingly orange-colored risotto was the perfect consistency and just al dente with small cubes of butternut squash and a few lightly fried chicken livers on the top. That is a meal in itself and perfect way to use a winter squash.

The service at Poscol is wonderful, too. Did you try a wine at Da Marco that you liked? They'll pull Da Marco's wine list for you and see if they can get it. Even though it's not really necessary because of their well-edited wine list, it's a nice touch.

I don't know if they take reservations - we always go early - but if you go during the normal dinner hour expect a wait and not a lot of places to wait (although there are some bar highs outside). And don't forget to try the zeppole for dessert.

Poscol

1609 Westheimer Road

Houston, TX 77006

713-529-2797

No website that I can find!

Food from a Truck - Oh My! Pocket Pies

2010-01-11T16:48:00.004-06:00

You know how some days you become fixated on something and you just won't let it go? You know those days - they just don't seem complete until you've completed that one task. Sunday was one of those days. Sunday was the day I was going to eat food made in a truck.

One of the great things about living around the Washington Avenue area is that I am within walking distance to some great food. I've walked to Catalan more times than I can count for dinner (which coincidentally saves on valet) and El Rey has the best. . . well, the best of a lot of things. Anyway, I started to notice that there is a fancy blue trailer in the parking lot at Roy Street and Washington Avenue. At first, I thought it was for an event, but it came and went on a regular basis and then I noticed it said, "Haute Texan Tacos" on the side. Could this be? A fancy taco truck in my nabe? I found them on Twitter (@hautetexantacos). They're open during lunch (sometimes) and this past Sunday as I was driving home from the grocery store, I noticed they were open. I dropped the groceries off, called Quynh over and told her we were walking to the taco truck.

It was chilly, but nice outside and when we got there, the parking lot was packed with an ad hoc car show (Ferrari next to an Acura RL), but the truck was closed. I checked my Twitter feed - no updates from them, but then I saw it. Oh My! Pocket Pies was open today for some reason.

Don't know Oh My! Pocket Pies? Well, it's another truck, but this one is east of downtown in old Chinatown. I've been following them on Twitter for a while, but haven't had a chance to get over there since they're generally open only during lunch on weekdays. Driving out there wasn't too hazardous - a scenic drive down Memorial and through downtown got us there in a few minutes and we jumped out of the car and walked up.

It turns out that the only reason why they were open Sunday was for a photo shoot, but since they were open, they were serving free coffee and hot cocoa! Bonus! The menu is pretty short, but interesting. Basically, there's a few different types of empanada-like pies every day. Sunday, the list included Salisbury Steak, Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Chile Relleno, and Shrimp Dumpling. The guy in the truck said no one was buying the Salisbury Steak, so he replaced it with Shepherd's Pie and that the Shrimp Dumpling wasn't turning out like he wanted, so he didn't have any of those. They also have dessert pies and Sunday's selection included Cranberry-Apple and S'mores. Other than pies, they have two sides (a German-style potato salad and a green salad) and three different kinds of burgers - beef, chicken, and shrimp.

We ordered one of each pie (they were smallish, so we weren't being piggy) both savory and sweet as well as a beef burger and some potato salad. Pocket pie guy told us his beef is all natural and that he gets it from a rancher off I-10 East and that he promised it would be juicy.

I love hand food just because it's convenient, but the taste on these pies did not disappoint. The pie crust was perfectly tender and a bit flaky, the Shepherd's Pie had real mashed potatoes in it, the Chicken Chile Relleno had a nice kick to it! The burger, as promised, was super juicy and literally dripping all over the place (although it was cooked medium well). The sweet pies were excellent, too, with the Cranberry-Apple being tart and not overly sweet and the S'mores tasting like... well, like a s'mores! Surprisingly, the potato salad was a hit, too. It was light and crunchy with celery and green onion. I could have gladly eaten more of that.

OMPP delivers to the downtown area using Rev Houston, but the delivery minimums are steep when the pocket pies are only three bucks a piece. Otherwise, OMPP is a very cool sustainable, local business that uses local vendors like Slow Dough Bread Co. for their buns. Get out there soon to taste some pies. Or join them in the Heights on National Pie Day on January 23, 2010!

Oh My! Pocket Pies
Kim Hung Mall Parking Lot
1005 St. Emanuel
Houston, TX 77003
www.ohmypocketpies.com

Pierson and Company BBQ

2009-08-06T10:31:00.001-05:00

I may be wrong, but I think it's hard to find someone who is a native Houstonian. I'm married to one, yes, but other than that, everyone's from somewhere else. But native Houstonians know about things that aren't around anymore like Cameron Iron Works off of Katy Freeway. Know anyone who worked there? If you're a native Houstonian, you probably do. Clarence Pierson is a native Houstonian AND he worked there. But that's only the beginning of the story.

According to the Pierson and Company BBQ website, "[Clarence] was working as a machinist at Cameron Iron works. [He] worked the graveyard shift 10:30p.m-6:30a.m. Some Mornings on the way home [he] would see this Guy at this little Bar-b-que joint with all this smoke coming out of the chimney early in the morning. After a few weeks of passing by [he] decided to stop and investigate." Thank God he did because he created the best bar-b-que in Houston.

I know that I'm probably a year too late on this joint, and honestly, I am disappointed, too, what with all the awesome bar-b-que I have been missing out on. Pierson and Company is on TC Jester near 43rd, I think, I didn't pay much attention...we got on TC Jester at Washington and just drove until we saw it. The place looks like maybe an old gas station/car wash? I don't know. It has a covered carport that people park in, but it doesn't make for easy parking. There's some space out back, too, but get there early because people know this place is good.

Ordering is straightforward - line up at the window, tell them what meats you want (you can get sandwiches, a la carte, or dinner plates) and order your sides (potato salad, beans and other stuff) and dessert (peach cobbler and bread pudding). Wait at the other window for your food. Enjoy!

The place is small with maybe four tables total, so my guess is that most of the business is takeout, which is what we did. For the four of us, we got: rib sandwich, sliced pork sandwich with a side of beans, sliced brisket sandwich, beef link dinner, and peach cobbler.

Honestly, I couldn't wait to get home to try everything. The drive down TC Jester seemed so long. But unwrapping my sliced pork sandwich was a delight in itself. There were large slices of tender, but not falling apart pork, with the most beautiful smoke ring on the edges. The brisket, which I didn't taste, had that same smoke ring. The ribs weren't fall off the bone, but were tender and smoky as well. This stuff didn't need sauce! The one thing that was missing was the crispiness you get when you pull meat directly off the grill/smoker and there's a good reason for that. Pierson wraps their meat in cellophane instead of aluminum foil to keep the meat from overcooking and being dry. I'm okay with that, especially when the meat tastes this good.

I had read that the beans were too sweet, but that this is an East Texas thing. I have to disagree about them being sweet, though. There was definitely some brown sugar in there, but I've been to bar-b-ques and other family gatherings that had home made beans that were much sweeter than Pierson's. There's also an added kick of spice in Pierson's as well as a bit of brisket for flavor.

The peach cobbler? Nothing to write home about. My friend, JP, makes a much better one with a secret recipe that I wish she would give up!

All in all, a great spot for BBQ, possibly the best in Houston. Just be aware that they close early (7:00 p.m.) and that they're not open on Sundays or Mondays. I actually started writing this post on Sunday and got so hungry, realized I couldn't get any bar-b-que until Tuesday and had to stop.

Pierson and Company BBQ
713-683-6997
5110 West T. C. Jester
Houston, Texas
http://piersonandcompanybbq.com/default.aspx (make sure to listen to their song while you're there)

Block 7 Wine Company

2009-08-02T15:43:00.002-05:00

Currently, in my neighborhood, there is an ongoing debate about the number of bars opening on or near Washington Avenue and how they are detrimentally affecting the homeowners in the area. This is a story about one place, not a bar per se, that I am sure people won't have a problem with.

On Shepherd Drive, just south of Washington, there used to be an appliance warehouse, Western Appliance, I think. I really wanted to check the place out because it had a sign outside that said they sold scratch and dent appliances and I am a scratch and dent kind of girl. Sadly, I never made it and the appliance warehouse closed.

The good news is that Block 7 Wine Company opened in its place. Block 7 is a really great concept - a bar/restaurant with a retail wine area attached. When you drive by Block 7, it still looks like a warehouse and they've kept the industrial theme throughout with concrete floors and exposed ductwork (they've even kept some of the old appliance warehouse's signage and filing cabinets). Entering Block 7, there's a long bar in front with recommended wines listed on whiteboards behind the bar, which change every day. But here's the great thing about the place...every single wine on their wine list (250 or so), is available by the glass. That interesting sounding viongier? $5 a glass. That Pol Roger Winston Churchill? $150 a glass. Of course, there are a lot in between and, of course, you can buy anything by the bottle, too.

The food is inventive and really provides a bang for your buck. I originally wanted to head over there because Allison Cook's twitter feed mentioned that there was a croque monsieur on the menu. When I got there, I quickly determined I couldn't eat anything as pedestrian as croque monsieur when such things as rabbit loin flatbread appeared on the menu! Oh yes, rabbit loin. Not game-y at all, combined with arugula, fontina cheese, bacon, and caramelized onion. And the Sloppy Giuseppe? Venison and wild boar confit combined with spices that gave it an Indian flavor? or Mexican? Who knows, it was good!

The great part about the menu is that it required that we go back the next day to try more. Continuing the rabbit theme, I had homemade pappardelle with braised rabbit and shitake mushrooms. I ate the whole thing. Every. Single. Piece.

After dinner, we headed over to the retail wine area to buy a Malbec we had (like stuffing your face in a warm leather jacket). We spoke to one of the buyers who let us know that they personally taste every wine they stock and each one has a reason for being there.

So, please, head on over to Block 7 ASAP. I don't mind if the parking lot gets too crowded - I'll just walk there and shove my way to the bar.

Block 7 Wine Company
720 Shepherd Dr.
Houston, TX 77007
713.572.2565
www.block7wineco.com

Five Guys Burger and Fries

2009-05-31T22:53:00.003-05:00

Have you ever been to Milan and seen The Last Supper? If you have, you know that The Last Supper is painted on one wall of an empty refectory about the size of a high school gymnasium. And you'll also know the opposite wall of the refectory is covered by the Crucifixion fresco by Giovanni Donato da Montorfano. If you had seen only this fresco, you'd think da Montorfano was a great artist - and he was - and that the artistry is superb - which it is. But then you turn around and see da Vinci's The Last Supper and look at the Crucifixion again and it takes on a cartoonish quality. Honestly, I feel sad for da Montorfano because this is his most viewed piece of work, but it's always in comparison to da Vinci's The Last Supper.

If you never turned around in the refectory, you'd think da Montorfano was one of the great Italian painters. That's kind of how I feel about Five Guys Burger and Fries - if I never ate at another burger place, this wouldn't seem so mediocre.

I'm not even going to get into the burgers here, but just to say that they're better than McDonald's. I have no idea why the Obamas like it so much. I was looking forward to their hand cut fries, too, but, alas, they were floppy, greasy, and way over-seasoned (we ordered the Cajun variety). I had to drink three glasses of water before bed to soothe my parched throat! Tried the bacon cheese hot dog, too, and while I will give points for the bacon being crispy, it was a plain, small hot dog butterflied with bacon and American cheese. I think I could have whipped it up at home in less time and with a Nathan's frank that would have tasted better.

So, if Five Guys = da Montorfano, who is da Vinci? In-N-Out. Too bad we don't have one in Houston.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries
9762 Katy Freeway, Suite 100 (in front of H-E-B)
Houston, TX 77055
713-468-4280

Hubbell & Hudson

2009-05-01T22:54:00.002-05:00

Back when I was growing up, we lived in Jersey Village and that totally seemed like the boondocks to me. I would frequently drive my 1983 Sedan deVille into town and hang out at Record Rack or wherever. Then, I'd get caught in traffic on the way back home and lament living so far away from all the cool stuff. Nowadays, of course, JV is totally in town and places like Cypress, Richmond, Spring, etc. are way the hell out. I can't imagine being a kid today and thinking it's going to take me 45 minutes (with no traffic) to get to the Galleria.

But here's the rub: apparently, while I wasn't looking, people have been building some semi-cool places in the boonies. Chris and I had to be in Montgomery County for a totally worthwhile, but also somewhat depressing reason and decided to check out The Woodlands and their newish waterway. I had heard about a place there called Hubbell & Hudson, run by the people who own Black Walnut Café in Rice Village, so between appointments, we checked out their bistro for lunch and had a quick run through their market.

My first impression of the waterway area is that whoever designed Legacy Town Center in Plano basically did the same thing here. When I mentioned this to someone I know who is familiar with both places, he agreed. I can't really tell you EXACTLY where Hubbell & Hudson is in relation to the entire waterway area since I have recently invested in a GPS and pretty much don't spend time thinking about how to get anywhere or remembering where anything is anymore, but I know it's across from the movie theater.

The bistro is smallish - a small bar with a TV greets you and we sat at a table by the windows next to the hostess stand. We were there on a Sunday, so the brunch menu was in effect. Generally, I would say that I am good with menus - I can usually pick out an item or two that stand out above the others that I know I will order, but here, I was having trouble. Hubbell & Hudson Benedict? I am a sucker for eggs benedict, but this was over the top with black truffle hollandaise and serrano ham. Brioche French Toast? I love brioche and I love french toast. Belgian Iron Waffle? With blueberries and maple syrup, how could this go wrong? In the end, I actually went for a salad - Hudson's Chicken. It was the most simply seasoned and grilled chicken paillard, covered in watercress, walnuts, endive, roquefort, and a balsamic vinaigrette. I cannot say enough about the chicken - it really was simply, but beautifully done and juicy to boot.

A few words about the drinks. I ordered a french press coffee thinking that I was going the breakfast route, and it was the absolute best pot of french roast french press coffee I have had. I highly recommend it and suppose that they also sell the coffee in their market. The wines on the menu are priced by the bottle as they are priced in the market as well.

The market itself is smallish, a baby Central Market of sorts, but it has many redeeming qualities. The first is the bakery. I bought a loaf of the brioche for $4.59 and it was beautiful and buttery and nearly gone by the end of the day. A woman in line in front of me thought the top knob looked like a cat's head (it didn't). The breadth of baked goods is not enormous, but if the brioche is any indication, the quality is fantastic. The wine selection is varied and approachable, but I had a hard time figuring out where to find specific things, like a malbec. The butcher and fishmonger should be proud because their wares looked awesome. All in all, a great little store to pick up some specialty goods and groceries in a pinch.

I really enjoyed our visit to Hubbell & Hudson. Would we go there again? Yes, but only if we had another worthwhile reason to visit The Woodlands besides brioche.

Hubbell & Hudson
24 Waterway Avenue
The Woodlands, TX 77380

Restaurants I'd like to try

2009-04-19T22:12:00.004-05:00

There seriously are too many good restaurants in Houston and any time we have a special occasion or just want to have a nice dinner out, we invariably pick from a short list of restaurants that we've already been to and know are good. Not really a bad problem, but that means that we don't try other (not necessarily new) places that I have been meaning to check out. Have you been to any of these places and where do you think we should go to next?

- Feast
- Reef
- Bedford
- Textile
- Benjy's on Washington Ave

Watchmen and Studio Movie Grill

2009-03-24T15:11:00.002-05:00

Well, this post was going to be about recession eating. I was going to tell you about Raia's Italian Market where you can get their daily weekday lunch special for $6.95 and you can pick any three items off their list which changes daily and includes several entree options and dessert options. You end up getting a mound of food - I mean you can get three entrees - and it's all really good. Then I was going to tell you about Riva's which is well known for giving you garlic bread, soup, and salad prior to your entree. But here's the great part - order any salad and you get garlic bread, soup, and salad AND THEN your salad. This doesn't work with the $2.95 tossed salad, but does with the other ones. Chris had the spinach salad, which was warm and had slightly caramelized onions and it was delicious.

Then I was going to make this post about how goofy people in Philadelphia are - especially the ones in hotel bars - but I have only been here one day, so I will save that judgment for later.

Anyway, so this is about Studio Movie Grill at CityCentre. Despite being at the old Town and Country Center location at Beltway 8 and I-10, the place is called CityCentre - whatever. It opened earlier this month and Chris and I have been meaning to check it out and figured Watchmen was as good as any movie to see.

First things first. Go to any showing that starts before noon and your movie ticket is only $5.00. I cannot remember the last time I paid that little for a movie ticket. But they really make it up in their food prices, which I will get to in a second.

Buy your ticket at the box office and they give you a menu and a coaster that lights up when you push a button. You go to your designated theater and there are widely spaced rows of high back office chairs in front of tables. Chris and I sat down and took a look at the menu and lit up the coaster. At this point, we're the only ones in the movie theater and we're not sure how the whole lighted coaster thing is going to work with no one looking in on us. A few minutes, a waitress comes and takes our order. The food is out within the first few minutes of the movie. I can't say a whole lot about what the food looked like, but I did order a turkey burger, which was a bit on the small side, but juicy and which also came with sweet potato fries - a lot of sweet potato fries. All this for $10.95 plus 99 cents for a slice of cheese. The rest of the menu is typical American bistro fare. I suppose that's what I have to pay for eating and watching a movie in the same place.

The best part, we were the only ones in the theater for a good 10 minutes into the movie. Four other people showed up and were very quiet. It was like our own screening of Watchmen.

Oh, and Watchmen? Freaks me out because the guy that plays Rorschach and the guy that plays Nite Owl two, play the pedophile and prom king, respectively, in Little Children.

Berripop at 45°

2009-03-15T13:10:00.002-05:00

On the Houston Chronicle's website, there's an article titled, "Despite recession, dining out in Houston is still in" that explains why the hell every time I eat out, there are always a ton of people wherever we go. Chris and I don't ever have to wait to get a table because we've adopted the senior citizen block of eating time (5:30 p.m. anyone?), but any restaurant we go to is always super busy by the time we leave and there's usually a wait.

This might also explain why when it was in the mid 40s and rainy outside yesterday, people were getting Berripop. Maybe people are trying to make themselves feel good with some frozen yogurt - drowning their sorrows in strawberry and Heath bar mix-ins. Anyway, I know I am behind the curve on this natural frozen yogurt thing - there are two Berripops in Houston (that I know of), a couple of Swirlls, and a Fresco coming to the HEB on the Katy Freeway at Bunker Hill (no Pinkberry yet, though). I suppose Berripop's been around for a while, but I was just getting over to Uptown Park for a non-food related reason and popped into Berripop to check it out.

Bottom line is Berripop is great, but not for the reasons you think. Yes, Berripop's got natural frozen yogurt that has that wonderful tang of real yourt that you either love or hate. And, yes, Berripop is way more healthy for you that ice cream so you can feel good about eating it. And, of course, they have all kinds of mix-ins of the fruit and candy variety. And $2.50 for a decent sized small (extra for mix-ins) is not a wallet buster.

Here's why Berripop's great. The manager of the store's title is "Manager of Awesomeness" which makes me jealous and which is also odd since I'm not so into titles. They have a big flat screen TV that shows music videos. I didn't have cable when I was growing up, so we missed out on the whole MTV thing when they actually showed music videos, so I am fascinated by them. While we were there, I got to see a Duffy video, "Bye Bye" by Mariah Carey (sad and sentimental!), and a video by the band TV on the Radio. That one was the best because it seemed so anachronistic with rainbows, instruments appearing, people turning their heads into animal heads. I definitely have to check this band out.

Luby's Here You Rule? I Think Not

2009-03-12T18:19:00.002-05:00

Today, I had to run some errands during lunch and decided to drop by my local Luby's to grab a Luann. I have been going to Luby's since I can remember - my family used to go every Friday night and then come home and watch Wall $treet Week with Louis Rukeyser. But I haven't been in a while and it was close by, so I stopped in the To-Go area.

First, why the hell is a Luann $8.09?

Second, when does green bean casserole mean broccoli? Yes, I probably should have looked at my order before I left, but I asked for green bean casserole, it was rung up as broccoli casserole and what I actually got was broccoli. A shitload of it, too. It's probably better for me, but what the hell?

Third, what happened to the egg custard?

These, of course, are deep meaningful questions of life.

Mom's B-Day at Super H Mart

2009-03-09T13:55:00.001-05:00

Have you heard about the robberies of Asian restaurants in what is now being called "Asiatown" (the vicinity of Bellaire and Beltway 8)? About a week or so ago, there was a report that was spreading via email and through Vietnamese radio that in that area some of the popular restaurants and their diners were robbed by gangs of men. In fact, I was personally told that a restaurant that we ate at that past Sunday had been robbed after we left! Well, guess what? No robbery. The police are attributing it to a possible disgruntled employee (leave it to my people to do something like that). Anyway, it doesn't matter that these things didn't happen, the mayor has increased police presence in the area and now it's put the fear of God in all of the Asians that used to go there to eat and shop, which, of course, is why we spent lunch at Super H Mart, a Korean grocery store on Blalock in West Houston, for my mom's birthday.

Mom's decided it's not safe to eat in Asiatown anymore and she wanted to eat Korean for her birthday anyway. Everyone knows the epicenter of Korea-town is located around the Westview/Longpoint corridor from about Gessner to Blalock (maybe even farther east, who knows?). Right at Blalock and Westview is a Super H Mart, a former Randall's grocery store that has been transformed into the coolest Asian grocery this side of the Beltway. What's cool about it? Croaker fish, fresh durian fruit, and pork belly galore in conjunction with a soundtrack that must have been designed by someone around my age that listened to the same music as I did growing up - bonus!

Super H Mart has a food court of sorts. It started off with a stone pot place, sushi place, dumpling bar, snack bar, Chinese food place and a fried chicken place. The sushi, dumpling and snack all folded, but the others remain. My mom was there for the stone pot, but I was there for the fried chicken from Chicken and Joy. The place has an official name - something like "Toreore" - but I like Chicken and Joy because it's perfectly descriptive. You will have chicken and you will experience joy.

They only have a few types of fried chicken there. There's your basic fried chicken and then your other choices are made up of that chicken with some kind of sauce. Chris and I decided to share a seven-piece (medium!) "Hot, Sweet, and Spicy" chicken. We walk up to the counter and place our order. The tiny Korean lady in the Dereon jeans looks at Chris and says, "Hot, sweet, and spicy is hotter than jalapeno hot." Damn! She just ruined it for me because now I won't get to try it. So, we just go for "Sweet and Spicy." Fifteen minutes later (yes, it takes 15 minutes), our plate came out with seven pieces of not at all greasy fried chicken and a cup of pickled daikon. The first bite was sweet, almost cloyingly sweet, but further bites were rounded out with good seasoning that made it more savory. However, it was not at all spicy despite Chris complaining that he was going to have to go home and take a shower to clean off the spiciness caught in his beard.

Overall, this was a great value for two people eating one dish. It was approximately eight dollars for seven pieces and I promise you don't have to get the sweet and spicy if you don't want to.

Chicken and Joy
Inside Super H Mart
1302 Blalock Road
www.hmart.com

BB's Cajun Café

2009-03-08T22:39:00.002-05:00

The second time we ate at Little Big's it was a little underwhelming. I think they were still trying to work out the kinks, but the fries were paltry and the chicken tough (the shroom slider was outstanding, though). We sat on the deck and I looked across the street to see BB's Cajun Café another awesome spot for late-night food and I wished secretly that I was there.

For anyone who hasn't been to BB's, it's a small place - maybe a six or seven tables inside with a small (and I mean small) patio outside. They deal mostly in po-boys, but they do them very well. Several times, I have had the oyster po-boy (Pearly Whites) and Chris has had the catfish po-boy (Rock Out Then Knock Out), and we both devour it each time. The po-boys come on crisp french bread with pickles and their special sauce. Blended all together (especially with juicy fried oysters), these are flavors not to be missed because it's not spicy, not greasy, just tangy, crispy and just right. You can get fries, which are of the shoestring variety (and way too many to eat) or you can get a half po-boy and soup. I tried the vegetable bisque on a lark one time. I say on a lark because bisques should be preceded by the word "crab" (see Mardi Gras Grill) or "lobster" but never "vegetable" (unless it's in conjuction with one of the aforementioned crustaceans). Anyway, I tried it and it has the silkiest bisque base that works well will the veggies they drop in. Add a couple of shots of Tabasco (or the Ass Burn sauce made locally) and you've got a winner. I love soup and I think you'd like it, too.

They're open until 3:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, so check them out if you need a po-boy fix.

2710 Montrose
www.bbscajuncafe.com

Little Big's

2009-01-25T18:03:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, we got back from a week long vacation in Lake Tahoe. I was going to post about the Snowflake Drive In in South Lake Tahoe - they had great burgers and humongous shakes, but internet access was spotty and I'd rather stare at the snow or lose some money at the casinos than think about what to write.

Anyway, we got back mid afternoon and not really having anything to eat at the house, I suggested to Chris that we go to Little Big's. Brand spanking new in the old Ming's spot on Montrose, Little Big's is a slider shack that serves, sliders (beef, fried chicken and 'shroom), shakes, fries, beer and wine. Seriously, that's the entire menu. But you know what? It works!

The place is small - there are three pub-height, family size tables inside and a huge deck outside. Walk in, place your order and they call your name. I got two chicken sliders and we shared a basket of fries. The chicken sliders were hand breaded and fried, but not at all greasy and included one bread-and-butter pickle (h/t to Chick Fil A, my guess). Two were a perfect dinner for me and each cost $2.08. The fries were hand-cut and, again, not at all greasy! One of the guys recommended a dipping sauce with them, which we tried and liked, but couldn't place what was in it - it had a nice kick, but not overly hot, but wasn't as viscous as ketchup or mayo. We asked and were told that it was siracha, orange juice, lime juice, mayo and secret hobo spices. Well, Chris added the hobo part. Anyway, totally delish.

While we didn't drink any adult beverages, they have a good selection for such a small place and all are bon marché, as Patrick would say.

Overall, a great place for a specific kind of food and the best part is that it's open until 3:00 a.m. on the weekends! Can you imagine? A shake a 2:30 in the morning? Fantastic!

Brach's Milk Maid Caramels

2009-01-09T15:24:00.003-06:00

I received one of those boxed sets of candies and what-not for Christmas from a co-worker and inside one of those boxes was a bag of little brick-shaped caramels. It reminded me of how much I loved caramels when I was a child and then it reminded me of this:

When we were growing up, my parents had a light blue Volkswagen station wagon. One rainy night, my mother was driving with one of my younger aunts, my sister and myself in the car. I'm not saying my mother is a bad driver, but the car did end up in a ditch in front of someone's house. The ambulance came and took my mom (bloodied nose) and my aunt (knocked out) to the hospital. My sister and I presumably bounced around the wagon unharmed and were left in the care of the elderly lady whose house was behind the ditch where our wagon was. While waiting at the dining room table for our father to come retrieve us, my sister and I were very quiet and the lady didn't say anything to us. I stared at the middle of the table because there was the most precise stack of Brach's Milk Maid caramels in the center. I loved caramels and especially Milk Maid because what's better than eating candy, having your teeth hurt during and after the fact, and wanting nothing but water the entire time. I quietly asked, "Can I have one?" To which the elderly woman responded, "No. It's medicine for my son." I hope that the caramels were emergency sugar for her diabetic son because since 1976, I have pretty much not liked this woman who is probably dead.

Which brings me to this: http://www.bakespace.com/recipes/detail/Brach

Just When We Thought It was Safe...

2009-01-07T20:52:00.002-06:00

Oh great! We start blogging about great restaurants again and then there is a nationwide Salmonella outbreak! It's back to the home kitchen.

Curry

2009-01-06T19:20:00.003-06:00

I am the last person to claim any culinary skills, but damn does my house smell good. Walking into a small Thai restaurant on a blustery day good. Yup, green curry. I even used kaffir leaves. While my dining out experiences have been limited lately, I do hope to be contributing more this year with new places. Dorks at heart.

Tiny Boxwoods

2009-01-05T20:25:00.006-06:00

I really hesitate to talk about Tiny's. You may know about their breakfast - croissants so rich sometimes it tastes like a stick of butter, muffins so fluffy you remember what a joy it was to get a blueberry muffin as a child and the coffee. Oh, the lattes are reminiscent of Pour la France, which is now where a Bank of River Oaks stands. Large bowl like cups of strong espresso with perfectly steamed milk topped with just the right amount of foam made into art. Seriously, the baristas know how to make the most beautiful designs in your latte foam.

But dinner. The menu is limited. You can get cheese, pizza and salads. And then cookies for dessert. Chocolate chip only. They've only recently started serving dinner and when we went, I was at first disappointed with the selection. With the chalkboard of the breakfast (le tiny dejeuner) and lunch menus staring down at us, we were too tired to go elsewhere and it was quiet.

First, we ordered the french picnic. This is under the cheese menu, but consists of whipped goat cheese, kalamata olives, basil pesto, prosciutto and french bread torn into pieces. If this is what the French eat on picnics, I envy them. The goat cheese was whipped to a soft creamy state and the flavor was mild, the olives were juicy, the pesto was so green and fresh, the prosciutto sweet and tender and the bread was crunchy on the outside and soft, slightly spongy and warm. I could have eaten one of those by myself.

Second, we ordered three pizzas: margherita, white and spicy sausage and goat cheese. I have decided that Tiny's makes the best pizza in Houston. This is after eating a Russo's on 290 several times. I love crunchy thin crust pizza that is nearly burnt, which Tiny pulls off magnificently. Eating one of their pizzas is almost like eating pizza toppings on a delicious cracker (or maybe a really large, delicious communion wafer). All of the toppings tasted like they were sourced fresh or picked out of the garden that day. For example, the tomatoes on the margherita were diced, firm, sweet and any number of other awesome adjectives I could use to describe the absurdly great taste of these tomatoes.

Finally, there were cookies and coffee. Both available during the day, they are not to be missed at Tiny's.

Okay, now I've told you about it, please don't go there. I want to have a nice quiet dinner with Chris.

Tiny Boxwoods, 3600 W. Alabama, inside Thompson + Hanson

We've been waiting for 2009

2009-01-05T20:14:00.003-06:00

You know why? Because we can sense the awesome food coming towards us. New restuarants are opening within walking distance of us. Good ones. Anyway, we hope to be entertaining you with more of our reviews of local establishments this year.

Not all of us will be blogging, though. Two of us took off to Boston (and have hopefully regretted it, gastronomically speaking). That was a few years ago and we've decided that it's not necessary to have all six blog about a place. Maybe just one or two is enough. And if you need to know what the bathroom is like, maybe just Chris.

So here's looking forward to everything from hot dogs to haute cuisine. Bring on 2009!

Pho Xua 12/29/05

2005-12-31T10:18:00.000-06:00

You may be wondering why DwF hasn't gone out for an official "meeting" in a while. Well, we have! We went to have dim sum at the Kim Son in Sugar Land fairly recently and enjoyed it for the food and for the price. We all promised to come back to our trusty computers and post a review about our meal. There's only one problem: what did we eat?

There is one thing about Vietnamese food that you can say: generally, it's hard to identify. Not in the way as if you question whether the meat is chicken or dog, but when you question if there's lemongrass or nuoc mam in the dish. We had eaten so many small plates of unidentifiable food at Kim Son, we didn't know what to write.

Armed with this lesson, I recently joined my extended family for dinner at Pho Xua and wrote down everything I ate. Pho Xua is located at 6200 Wilcrest and despite my never having been there, a few of my family members insisted that I had been there. I couldn't tell you how to get there, but I can tell you the place is oddly located in a strip shopping center with a Latino nightclub. Otherwise, the shopping center seemed empty. When you enter the restaurant, the decor is pleasantly not your typical Vietnamese restaurant, which tends to either be over the top or lacking any flourish whatsoever. Pho Xua had red paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling and faux bamboo on the back wall arranged as if it were a small part of a bamboo forest. There are paintings and other art works that reflect Vietnamese culture and in the the little alcove where my family was seated there was a glass fronted armoire in which hung various pieces of traditional Vietnamese dress.

We sat a two large tables - one for the adults and one for the kids. I sat at the adult table, so I can only tell you what we had, which overall seemed to be a bit more exotic than what the kids had. Part of what we ordered was the Phan An 8 Nguoi (Family Dinner for 8), which was reasonably priced at $70 (I believe) for eight dishes and a tray of orange wedges. I will describe only the things that I ate.

Goi Ga Hoa Chuoi (Chicken Banana Blossom Salad) - If you have ever had anything called the Summer Delight Salad at a Vietnamese restaurant, this is very much like it in taste and texture. The salad is composed of chicken, cilantro, red onions and slices of banana blossom all in a a citrus-y fish sauce. The banana blossom was the texture of onion, but not as tart or sweet and the pieces of chicken were boiled cut into long strips. This was a refreshing dish that would be best enjoyed on a hot day.

Ca Kho To (Catfish Simmered in a Hot Pot) - If you ever find this on a menu, order it. I am lucky enough to have Quynh's mom make this every once in a while and invite me for some. It was excellently prepared at Pho Xua. A large cast iron hot pot shaped like a bowl comes to the table with pieces of the most tender catfish you have ever eaten. The fish has been simmered in a slightly sweet fish sauce and is garnished with green onions. When you're done with the fish, throw a bunch of steamed rice in the bowl and mix. Take it home and you won't be disappointed later!

Suon Rang Muoi (Salt Toasted Spare Ribs) - This dish came with high expectations. Everyone in the family was saying how great this is. Of course, with high expectations comes a great fall. This dish was like the pork that comes with sweet and sour pork except overcooked and no sauce. To add to that, there is a ton of salt on it. Not as good as expected.

Muc Rang Me (Stir Fried Squid with Tamarind Sauce) - Something akin to calamari, except with thicker slices of fried squid. Slightly overcooked, but not too chewy. The sauce was a typical tamarind sauce - a bit sweet and a bit hot.

Canh Chua Tom (Vietnamese Sour Shrimp Soup) - This appears at other Vietnamese restaurants, possibly known as Mekong Shrimp Soup. The broth is aromatic and sour with a sweetness to it that is so pleasing it makes the broth itself quite addictive. I could drink in the broth alone, but the other stuff in the soup is good, too. The soup is filled with shrimp, tomatoes, pineapple and bamboo shoots. The shrimp were big, but a tad overcooked. The pineapple was excellent. Overall, a great soup.

Vegetarian Chicken in Lemongrass and Chili Pepper - Yes, it is "vegetarian chicken." I have two aunts that are vegetarians and whenever they come to this restaurant, they order this dish. It's a chicken substitute, stir fried with a sauce similar to Bo Luc Lac. I tried it and it was really good! It's not on the menu, so you'll have to know to order it.

Overall 3.75 out of 5 forks.

Have a happy new year!

Pappadeaux 12/10/2005

2005-12-20T07:15:00.000-06:00

Cindy and I went to Pappadeaux for lunch on Saturday afternoon. She had a gift card, and I'm always up for a free meal, so it was a no-brainer.

We went to their location at Richmond near Kirby. I had only ever been to the location on Westheimer. I was surprised at the decor at this location. It looked like it was trying to be more classy than I remember the one at Westheimer being. I asked Cindy, and she thought that it was just this location for some reason.

Started off with some fried calamari. It was good, not too greasy or chewy. A few too many tentacle pieces, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I just don't like the thought of eating tentacles.

Main course was fried shrimp. It was also good. It seems to me to be difficult to mess up fried shrimp. I got the lunch portion, which is 8 pieces. Just about perfect for my lunch needs. Also came with fries. Can't go wrong with fried shrimp and french fries. If they fried the plate, I would have eaten that too.

Waitress seemed to come and go. We wouldn't see her for what seemed like 10 minutes, then she would be all over the place refilling drinks and bringing out bread and food. She did wish us a Merry Christmas, which was surprising in a good way. She also wished that we would have a blessed day, which I found a little unusual. But then I figured, if she wants to bless me, go for it. She seemed sincere about it, and I was comforted with the thought that someone who cared enough to give me a blessing probably didn't spit in my food.

3.5 out of five forks.

Chatting at Chatters

2005-11-22T10:04:00.000-06:00

Being that this is a slow week at work, I suggested to a few co-workers to go out for lunch on Monday. We chose Chatters Cafe and Bistro on Waugh Drive since it was close to work. Chatters is located in the old Star Pizza building, but you wouldn't know it from walking in. In a clean, bright dining room, there are tables set up as well as old world decorative touches (a chest of drawers here, a painting of woman there, etc.) On their website, www.chatterscafe.com, they describe themselves as "Scrumptious Mediterranean Cuisine & Fine Dining," which is pretty darn close to what they are. Scanning the menu, which is pretty large (not Cheesecake Factory large, thankfully), there seemed to be a nice mix of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and entrees.

I ordered the hummus appetizer and soup sandwich combo. The hummus was excellent. It had a creamy texture, which I find often missing if not done properly, and was mild in flavor. The hummus came with triangles of fluffy pita bread, slices of tomato and cucumber, and some olives. The hummus was enjoyed by everyone at the table. A good buy at $4.95.

The soup and sandwich combo was also a good buy. For $6.95, I got a chicken salad sandwich on a croissant, a cup of fruit salad and a cup of tomato basil soup. The chicken salad sandwich was fresh and crunchy because of the addition of apples and celery. There was also a good amount of alfalfa sprouts included, which I love, so be warned in case you don't like alfalfa sprouts. The tomato basil soup was good and warm and a bit too salty, but good nonetheless. Not quite the tomato basil soup from la Madeleine, but good to have a on a cold winter day. I didn't try the fruit salad because it had entirely too many melons, which I do not like.

Overall, a good restaurant for lunch, and I suspect for dinner, too. Four out of five forks.

Lunch at t'afia

2005-10-31T20:41:00.000-06:00

I have now eaten lunch at t'afia too many times not to write about it. None of the forks have opined on t'afia, I believe. Chris, Patrick, Craig and I went to t'afia long ago when DwF was just a glimmer in our collective eye. We loved it then and we still love it today. A few months ago, maybe longer than that, t'afia announced that they would start serving lunch on Fridays. It would be a prix fixe menu and would include an appetizer, entrée and dessert. All for $22. I receive the weekly email on Thursdays announcing what Friday's lunch menu may be and dismissed most of them until one day antelope chop was on the menu. Yes, antelope. In a blueberry sauce. I convinced a co-worker to splurge and go with me, and now, we make it a Friday treat (although not every Friday). Anyway, this past Friday (10/28), Chris and I met up for t'afia's lunch. I convinced him to go because veal scallopini and chocolate mousse were on the menu.

We arrived around noon to a nearly empty restaurant. Only a small birthday celebration other than us. I've given away what Chris had (except for the gagging of the grits), but here is what I had...

First course: red lentil and pumpkin soup with lemon zest and spicedyogurt. You know, there's something about Monica Pope. She doesn't joke around on these descriptions. I tend to dislike lemon zest in anything - it's primarily a texture issue - but the sweetness of the pumpkin combined with the lemon zest make the soup kind of pop! And the spiced yogurt was like a creme fraiche drizzled on top of it all. Delicious!

Second course: paella salad. I think this was called a paella salad because it was presented upon salad greens. A mixture of rice, shrimp, chicken, crab and sausage was excellent. The chicken was Buddy's natural (which consuming will not prevent you from getting bird flu - much to my co-worker's dismay) and was tender and juicy. The crab was sweet and the sausage savory. While a bit on the greasy side, it was also quite delicious!

Third course: profiteroles with pistachio ice cream. Here's the problem with this one: profiteroles imply more than one. I received exactly one... cut in half with a dollop of pistachio ice cream drizzled with chocolate. Not that I could have fit one more thing in my stomach, but this was quite tasty (and also the first time I have ever had pistachio ice cream) and I would have made room for more.

Overall 4.5 forks out of 5 forks.

Noe (insert fancy accent mark here) by Chris

2005-09-15T06:05:00.000-05:00

Starter: Tataki of Venison, Portobello Mushroom, Quinoa and Blueberry Port Wine Sauce $15
Main Course: Rigatoni with House Dried Sausage, Roasted Tomatoes and Aged Goat Cheese $16
Dessert: Some kind of Ding-Dong like thing $10
Drink: Water and a bit of red wine

Time to take another gastronomic adventure, courtesy of the fine folks at Dorks with Forks.

The evening started off well enough. Clark and Quynh came by the house to pick us up for the short drive to the Omni Hotel. I have lived in this area of Houston for at least 10 years, and I had never seen the Omni. I knew where it was, just never drove down that road. I think that deep down, I always knew the Omni as the coliseum in Atlanta, GA. where TBS broadcast NWA Wrestling back in the early to mid 80's. Maybe I was afraid that if I ventured into the Omni, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper would jump out from around a corner and smash a coconut on my head. I conquered my fears though, for the good of the team.

We arrived at the restaurant to find it almost deserted. Needless to say, we were seated promptly. Our waiter gave us a history of the chef and his culinary inspiration. The speech was a bit lengthy, but really, what else did we have to do. We were a captive audience. Wine was ordered by Patrick. Food was ordered by all.

My first treat was some kind of bite sized duck thing with scrambled eggs on it. It was served on something that resembled a spoon rest. It was a little greasy, but not offensive. I suppose it was to cleanse the palate, whatever that means. [Actually the pineapple ginger juice was to cleanse the palate. The 'bite-sized duck thing' was a starter. -Ed]

Next up came Tataki Venison. I asked the waiter what Tataki meant. Apparently it is some type of Japanese searing technology. So I had seared venison. It arrived in a pile on my plate, and I was a happy guy. I was surprised to find so much meat piled on the plate. Cindy immediately took a piece for herself, thwarting my attempt to block her mooching with a deft poke of her chopsticks. Oh well, I thought, plenty more to go around. Only there wasn't. The meat was piled on top of something called Quinoa. There were only four thin slices of Venison on the plate, and one of them was now in Cindy's tummy. "Charlatans!", I thought to myself. I do not like being deceived about the quantities of food on my plate. I took the outermost fork and speared a piece of meat. It was good. It would have been better if there was more.

Next up was Rigatoni with sausage and goat cheese. The sausage was ground and spread liberally on top of the pasta and goat cheese. This was a good portion for me. And it tasted good, too. The sausage is apparently house-dried. I think that means they hang it in the break-room until someone orders it. I didn't care, though. This hit the spot, and I was very satisfied.

Dessert was not presented to us in menu form. Rather, the waiter described the desserts to us. As a result, I have no idea what I ordered. All I know is that he said the name of the dessert, described it, saw the puzzled look on my face, and said, "It's like a Ding-Dong." Sold! You know what? It was like a Ding-Dong. About the same size and shape and taste. Only it was a $10 Ding-Dong, something I didn't find out until later because the desserts were not presented to me in menu form.

Next up came the chocolates. Everyone seems to be complaining about the cold chocolates. I'm not. They were chocolate. That's all that matters. And they were free.

Went for a bathroom break, came back, saw that the check had arrived. Looked at the check. Realized I should have taken my bathroom break until someone else decided to pay the check. Very expensive. That being said, it was a good meal, though.

Rating: 4 forks (out of 5 forks)

Bathroom Report: It was the hotel's bathroom. It's a nice hotel, so it follows that the bathroom was clean and well stocked. No complaints here.

Noe 9/11/05

2005-09-13T18:14:00.001-05:00

This was to be our second official Dorks with Forks outing (the first having been Gravitas) and we had chosen Noe because the buzz when the restaurant opened earlier this year had been so great. We figured that by now, they would be hitting their stride.

Our reservations were for 7:30 PM on a Sunday evening. The restaurant is located in the Omni Hotel, a somewhat out of the way though lovely location. Not that you could tell from inside as the restaurant is a windowless box with quite bizarre intense blue lighting and Asian wall art (more about this later). The name Noe is used to make an Eiffel Tower collage (hard to explain but you will recognize it when you see it). Only 4 of the 16 tables were occupied during the evening. I asked our waiter how business was and he noted that it had been a slow summer but was picking up. The hotel was supposedly full of Katrina Evacuees though obviously dinner at Noe may be beyond their interest, and possible reach – Noe is not inexpensive. A party of 4 wandered in, sat down, took a look at the menu and prices and left!

Our waiter was highly knowledgeable and regaled us with a variety of information on the restaurant, the chef, his training and global wanderings and the menu. He finished with a flourish by noting that the menu was thus “Franco-Japanese”. This seemed strange as we had already commented on the Korean Wall Hangings and had noted at least one dish with “Kimichi” (sic) on the menu. Perhaps, Franco-Asian would be more inclusive.

The wine list, both by the bottle and by the glass, was quite decent with an excellent range of vintages, varietals and prices. We had an excellent Australian Viognier-Marsanne and a French Sancerre for under $40 per bottle. The sommelier was very helpful as well and very friendly.

The menu is quite varied offering a broad swath of clearly Franco-Asian influenced dishes. The choice was quite difficult. The menu descriptions are encyclopedic (some find this useful and enticing, I generally find it a bit boring). They do offer a six course and a nine course tasting menu (for $65 and $95 respectively). I opted for the 6 course (9 course would be just obscene!). I like tasting menus since they allow you to try a greater number of dishes and can demonstrate the depth and breadth of the kitchen.

The actual number of courses ended up being 8 (with the complimentary Amuse Bouche and the final in house made chocolates). They were as follows:
• Amuse Bouche – Duck Confit Roll topped with Truffled Scrambled Eggs and a side of Pineapple-Ginger Juice. This was good overall and the chaser of the juice with its gingery bite was a nice counterpoint. However, the roll was a little oily though quite meaty.
• First Starter – Mimosa Salad and a side of Mango Frappe. The Mimosa Salad was highlighted as being a signature dish. It was a blend of chicken, bacon, crunchy noodles and various vegetables all diced impossibly small and topped with sieved egg whites and yolks. On the side was a delicious mango smoothie concoction. Tasty but a bit too cutesy for me and, despite the long ingredient list, strangely bland. This dish seemed to be more about texture and presentation than taste.
• Second Starter – Crab Cake with three tiny mounds of avocado-wasabi sauce, tomato confit and grilled pineapple salsa. This was also quite tasty and the sauces were nice but there was so little of each of them on the plate, it was hard to really get a true taste. I was beginning to see a trend here – small amounts of food diced impossibly small with presentation paramount and taste secondary. This should have been a great dish but it also left me a bit flat. The flavors just did not pop.
• Third Starter – Sashimi Terrine (or at least that’s what I am calling it). Tuna – or perhaps salmon – (diced small) with vegetables (diced small) in a clear aspic type jelly (perhaps Agar Agar). This, I did not care for. It had a fishy iodiney flavor and the smooth jelly/crunchy veggie texture was weird to my palate.
• Fish – Seared Halibut with Truffle jus. This was yummy! The halibut was very nicely cooked and the Truffle jus added a nice note of earthiness.
• Meat – Braised Short ribs with Whipped Potatoes. I had asked for this from the menu as part of the 6 courses and they were happy to oblige. This was good but not great. The short ribs were very tender and the vegetables they were braised with were nice. But here again, the flavor just seemed a bit flat – it reminded me of the infamous New England Boiled Beef dinners they used to serve regularly in the cafeteria when I was in college, bland.
• Dessert – Amaretto Bread & Butter Pudding. Good but hardly inventive or that interesting plus I could never discern the Amaretto. And, the golden raisins were unexpected and distracting. It was served with Cinnamon ice cream, which I declined in favor of vanilla. I don’t think desserts are their strong suit.
• Chocolates – these were house made but obviously had come straight from the refrigerator. They had condensation on the outside and the solid ones were hard as a rock. Have they no respect for quality chocolate? Fine chocolates should always be served at cool room temperature so that they melt at first contact with the body’s mouth heat.

Overall the meal was interesting and good but I can’t say I was impressed enough to want to rush back. I actually thought more of some of the dishes that others in our party had including the Foie Gras starter Cindy had and the Tuna Quynh had (both of which I would go back for). The liberal sprinkling of Bubus (see Cindy for a definition) in many of the dishes was playful but really did not add any taste. Personally, I am all about adding things that enhance taste and if not, why add it? In the end, Noe is very much about presentation and texture (and I will give them credit for this) and appears much less so about bold or interesting taste. Additionally, at $86 per person (food & wine with tax and tip), this is a mite rich for most folks. This would be an excellent choice for entertaining on an expense account someone who fancies haute cuisine and is more about style than substance or for impressing a rich relative with how chi chi food in Houston can be. BTW, even after 8 courses, I was hardly stuffed (though not hungry either). The serving sizes are not generous, but hey, in Texas we generally get too much food on our plates.

Rating: 4 Forks (out of a possible 5)

Noé by Cindy

2005-09-12T23:13:00.000-05:00

Sunday night, Dorks with Forks went to Noé, Robert Gadsby's restaurant in the Omni Hotel. We arrived at 7:30 p.m. and were promptly seated at our table. This was not unusual as there was only one other diner (not dinner party, but diner) in the place at the time.

Arriving in the restaurant, you are accosted by blue neon lights recessed everywhere. It's a bit disconcerting as it doesn't seem to fit into the theme of the restaurant - really any theme of any restaurant - so I ignore it as much as possible. The six of us were seated at a large square table, which I liked. There was plenty of room for moving about and for our plates. Patrick received the wine list and began to peruse the list. I will let you tell him about our wine experience.

The menu is a bit. . . complicated. Not in the sense that there are too many things or that it is not understandable, but in the fact that the normal diner would have some difficulty knowing what the things on the menu are. Our waiter, who had excellent knowledge of everything including Chef Gadsby's history, said that the menu was mostly self-explanatory noting that descriptions of the main ingredients of every dish are listed. So, here's my first question, "What is Foie Gras Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow?" Not so self-explanatory are we?! The waiter gave a little explanation of how it was foie gras prepared three ways: yesterday was the traditional way of preparing it in the past, today was how foie gras was normally prepared now and tomorrow was how Chef Gadsby envisioned foie gras being prepared in the future. Our waiter said that Chef Gadsby often came up with unusual "tomorrow" preparations including a foie gras shake. Now I love foie gras, but I do not imagine that I could love foie gras as a shake. That is just hideous. So, I ordered it.

I also ordered the ahi tuna and jalapeno sashimi, which came out first. First, the tuna sashimi - not so sashimi! It was seared on all sides, not completely raw. I suppose you could think that the jalapeno was sashimi style since it was just cut and laid on top of the tuna. The tuna and jalapeno were laid on an avocado-wasabi marinade andsprinkled with bubu, small ball shaped Japanese rice crispies. Bubu made many appearances throughout our dinner. In all the combination of not-so-sashimi tuna sashimi and jalapeno with the avocado-wasabi was excellent despite the fact that I was expecting non-seared tuna.

Next came the foie gras. Yesterday was prepared as a tourchon. The texture was like a nice chopped liver (which it essentially is) that you would get in a steakhouse in New York (or New Jersey, I guess). However, the richness of the foie gras outdid any chopped liver you'd get anywhere. So we were one for three, so far. Today was seared foie gras on truffled scrambled eggs. This was presented in a twee little cast iron skillet that I could have thrown in my handbag and run off with. This was also quite spectacular with the foie gras seared just so and the scrambled eggs serving as the perfect cloud upon which the foie gras should rest. Now, we were two for three. Finally, tomorrow. No foie gras shake here. I can't remember how the waiter described it, but it was foie gras mixed with panacotta sprinkled with pistachios in a small ramekin. The waiter noted that this may be slightly sweet, so I should save that for last. My first demitasse spoonful was a mouthful of pistachios and panacotta - no foie gras. After Patrick inspected (tasted) tomorrow, he found that small pieces of foie gras were, in fact, mixed in with the panacotta. Too much panacotta and not enough foie gras does not a good dish make. I guess two out of three is good!

My main dish was quail. Plainly prepared, but succulent and tender and most importantly, deboned. I won't go much into except that if you like quail, you will like this.

The finale was amaretto bread and butter pudding. Patrick and Clark received this dessert as part of their tasting menus as well. Clark asked if there were raisins in the pudding. Answer: no. Reality: yes. I abhor raisins in bread pudding, so I spent a minute or so picking out golden raisins buried in the pudding. The pudding itself was on the plain side. It appears that the kitchen does not excel in the desserts.

Actually, the real finale was some chocolates, made on the premises, that came with our check. While they were quite good, they were entirely too cold and could have easily broken someone's tooth.

In summary, a nice place for a special occasion I suppose. Skip the dessert and you'll be fine. It probably would be best if you were doing a getaway at the Omni (Priceline it - it's so cheap!), then you could schedule a special dinner there.

Overall rating: 4 forks (out of 5 forks)

Hong Kong Food Street

2005-09-07T21:24:00.000-05:00

It's easy to succomb to sensory overload in Bellaire, but one place that's always brought me joy is Hong Kong Food Street located just off the Beltway on Bellaire in, of course, a strip mall. You'll find your requisite roasted ducks hanging in the window and tanks of fish and crabs from which your meal will come, but, oh, your meal. Steamed crab over rice in a lotus leaf is worth the drive alone. I don't even touch the crab anymore. I'm jumping ahead, however.

We were celebrating my brother's birthday with his new wife's family so there were 10 of us. This place can easily accommodate large parties and feel free to look over at other tables and ask them what they're having. It's happened to us before. We started with the fish maw soup with roe. YUM. Then the party started. Tender beef with bittermelon. Chicken sauteed with snow peas, celery and carrots. Ong choi and garlic. Sea bass steamed in fermented black bean sauce and scallions. And because my mom is on a strict no salt diet, a tilapia steamed to perfection without oil with scallions and ginger. And the crab rice. Of the Cheesecake Factory sized menu, the crab rice is the one thing I always want without fail. The lazy susan begged for mercy after we were through with lunch.

I haven't been disappointed with anything on the menu so far and you can pretty much order anything any way you want it. They get pretty packed late afternoons on Sundays and would imagine so on Saturdays, but it's worth the wait. When it's really busy, the service can be a bit slow, but it's not like your table is out of food or anything.

I don't usually go to the bathroom in restaurants so I can't submit a report here.

A warning and a treat: don't go here for General Tso's chicken or Kung Pao anything; check out the wedding photography shop next door.

4 forks (out of 5 forks)

Black Lab Hidden Joys 8/27/2005

2005-09-02T15:16:00.000-05:00

Starter: Baked Brie & Free Bread
Main Course: Bangers & Mash $9ish
Drink: Guiness

My friends Jeremiah and Amy visited from Austin this weekend and accompanied Robert, Quynh and me to the Black Lab at Montrose and Main. Cindy and Chris also joined us to partake in the Anglo-phile food. Robert, Jeremiah, Amy and I started playing darts at McElroy's at 3pm, so Robert was trying to catch a 4th wind, so he ordered an iced tea. I on the other hand, continued on with the drink of the day - Oh my goodness, My Guiness!!

Quynh wanted to start out with an appetizer, so we ordered the Baked Brie. I had no idea what to expect, and was horrified, yet strangely intrigued when they brought it out to us. What they did is took a hunk of brie and a piece of bread and melted it. Then added some sort of peach jam on the edge. It looked like, nah, I better not say. Anyway, I tried the stuff, and it was quite good. The jam added a (yo no se que-spanish version of the saying) to it. MM good.

I enjoy going to the Black Lab on occasion to enjoy their "nectar of the gods", Guiness, and also enjoy their Bangers and Mash. Which, in fact, I did enjoy. For those not privy to the slang of our language's motherland, bangers are sausages and mash, which I hope is obvious, is mashed potatoes. The bangers come with sauteed onions, that give it a slightly sweet flavor. When mixed in one bite with a swath of mash, as the English do, you are sent to heaven. I enjoyed them immensely.

The only problem with the plate, is that they come with those horrible tootie fruits called beans. I don't want to offend anyone that likes beans, but they tasted like ass. In other words, I thought they tasted downright bad. Of course, this comes from a picky eater that has problems with smells, textures and colors of food, so take that with a grain of salt.

I would recommend this place to others.

(4 out of 5 forks)

Wall Art Report: Another thing that I enjoy about the Black Lab, is the quirky art on the walls. I especially enjoy the maps of England. Every time I go I look for the town that is supposed to my ancestral home - Crewe, England. There are other things on the wall, but you would get bored with that.

Art Rating: (4 out of 5 frames)

Bathroom Report: My only problem with the bathroom, is that it is on the 2nd floor. After a few beers, it is quite difficult to look sober and climb stairs as well, while trying to hold back the flood. Otherwise, it is quite clean and most drunks can't make it up the stairs, so you are not bothered that often. Oh yeah, be careful with the hot water knob, the water comes out especially hot quite rapidly, so don't burn yourself.

Bathroom Rating: (4 out 5 urinals)

Black Lab 8/27/2005

2005-08-31T17:31:00.000-05:00

Starter: Bread Free!
Main Course: Fish & Chips $9.75
Drink: Iced Tea

We met Quynh and Clark for dinner at the Black Lab around 8:00PM. Along with them were Rob from Houston and Jeremiah and Amy from Austin. I was initially skeptical about being able to get a table for seven at any restaurant in Houston at this time on a Saturday night. To my surprise, the restaurant was about half empty (or half full, depending on your outlook on life). Anyway, it was half empty.

I had not been to the Black Lab in quite a while, at least a year, but in years past it was a frequent haunt. Just a nice English pub kind of feel with good food. In the past, I learned a learned a valuable lesson every time I ate there. Not a different lesson, mind you, but the same lesson over and over again. I sometimes have a bad short term memory, and while it's been mentioned to me that I shouldn't have stood under that pear tree, I say we can't dwell on a past I can't remember. Anyway, the lesson I learned is that the Black Lab charges for refills on soda. This is a tragic abuse of power, but I'm only one man! What can I do?

I drink iced tea. Refills are free, and daddy likes the caffeine. Fight the power!

I was feeling a bit cheeky, as they say in Britain. At least I am told that is what they say. I don't really know what it means. I decided that I would stray from my old standby - the hamburger - and try something new and exciting. Now, the burger is very good, and it took a lot of soul searching to come to this decision, but I was determined to expand my horizons.

Fish & Chips, my friends. They were Traditional. English-style, according to the menu. This was convenient, because we were in an restaurant serving English cuisine. Being a big fan of the Value Basket Combos at Long John Silver's growing up, let me tell you that the bar was set pretty high. Overall, I have to say that they tasted better than Long John's, but I still have to give the edge to Long John's, and here's why. This cost me almost $10. I could have got pretty much the same thing for $3 at Long John's. And free refills on my soda. It's all about the value, people.

No dessert this time, but Clark ordered some and was brought an absolutely huge chunk of something. I'll let him tell you about it.

I still enjoy the Black Lab on occasion, maybe just when friends or relatives are in town, though. Good food, good atmosphere. And I'll probably go back to the burger next time. It's "only" $7.50. Though in reality I have no room to complain about price since Quynh paid for everything. Thanks, Quynh!

Rating: 3.5 forks (out of 5 forks)

Bathroom Report: The bathroom is located upstairs. It was very clean and just about the right size. No fancy faucet handles or anything that requires a person to think before they eliminate wastes. The only odd thing was that a man entered the bathroom while I was washing my hands, entered one of the stalls, and proceeded to have a conversation. I was the only other person in there, so either he was talking to me or he had a bluetooth cell phone, because he was taking a whizz too. If he had a phone, I would hate to have been the person he was talking to. I think I would be distracted by a person tinkling and speaking to me on the phone at the same time. Plus, it just seems kind of rude. He was probably just insane.

Bathroom Rating: 4 (out of 5)

Gravitas To-Go

2005-08-23T23:38:00.000-05:00

Today, I had the pleasure of probably being the first person ever to place a to-go order at Gravitas. Why Gravitas, you ask? After I gave it a 3 out of 5 forks? Well, it's only a hop from my office and I figured I wouldn't have to suffer the waitstaff if I got it to-go. Another co-worker volunteered to go pick up lunch if I ordered for the both of us. I called the restaurant and asked if they offered take-out service. This is a reasonable question, I think. Some restaurants want to preserve the dining experience and don't allow take-out. The young girl that answered the phone replied that she wasn't sure and that she'd have to check. Well, she apparently wasn't too familiar with the phone system because we were disconnected. I called back and, lo and behold, they do offer take-out! I placed our order and waited for my co-worker to return with lunch.

When my co-worker did return from Gravitas, it was apparent that we must be the first people to have ordered food to-go. They did not have a bag for her to carry our food, so they placed our lunch in an empty carton, which previously contained beer. But on to the food.

I ordered the smoked chicken salad sandwich. This is possibly one of the most excellent chicken salad sandwiches I have ever eaten. The chicken was incredibly tender and had a delightful smokey flavor, which was complemented by a slice of red tomato that had been breaded and fried. All of this on a beautiful dark brown wheat bun. This was all complemented by a heap of their excellent fries. While a bit on the expensive side for a sandwich and fries ($10), it definitely was exponentially better than having to run down to the cafeteria for lunch.

Lunch Rating: 4 Forks (out of a possible 5)

Cafe Rabelais 8/20/05

2005-08-22T14:59:00.000-05:00

My recent visit to Mockingbird Bistro had put me in the mood for more French food. So when our dear friends Frank & Carrie asked us to join them at Café Rabelais for dinner to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary, I was definitely game! We scheduled an early dinner on Saturday as this is when they could arrange for a babysitter. Besides, Café Rabelais does not take reservations, is quite small and is very popular with the West U crowd (being located in the Village) so earlier seemed wiser. Note: I am never particularly happy with no reservation policies as I think it punishes diners who can plan ahead and not everyone has the patience for waiting.

Nonetheless, I was not particularly worried about our 6:30 PM dinner time. I should have been. Craig and I arrived a few minutes early. The parking lot was jammed. This is the village (don’t get me started on the inadequate parking facilities in the Village) and they do share the parking lot with another restaurant. Valet parking would be nice in this type of circumstance, but is not available. By the time we found parking and got into the restaurant, they had just seated their last table (at 6:25PM!!!?). We were put first on the waiting list. We were promised “20 minutes tops” but got seated in about 30 minutes. We waited in the tiny bar area which quickly filled up. The restaurant stayed full for the entire evening (though there was slight lull around 9:00 PM).

The restaurant is quite small and while nicely appointed inside, there is no escaping the strip center location. The less than appealing view of the parking lot is emblematic of so many Houston establishments. They do keep the lighting very low with candles at each table but rather then being atmospheric, it merely makes the place dim (not friendly to Boomers with aging eye sights!). And then, there is the din. As with many strip center build out restaurants, the acoustics are abominable. The noise level was quite bad so that it was often difficult to hear the person across the table from you. And, whatever you do, try not to sit at a table by the blackboard. You see, the menu is not printed but written (crammed in actually) on a wall blackboard. But because of the dim and the din, people must come over very close and speak very loudly to read and discuss the menu with the rest of their party. Result – we had groups of people crowding us on all sides whenever a table turned! I felt like I was eating in an amphitheatre.

The wine list is all French and encyclopedic (and thankfully, this was printed). However, an encyclopedia is of little use when you don’t know any of the entries! We asked for a recommendation for a Cotes Du Rhone. We ended up with a drinkable but not very impressive 2000 vintage. The wines by the glass list looked reasonable enough – also all French. Since this was a special occasion, we also opted for a bottle of bubbly (specifically a Fleurly Brut Rose). The wine list has little notes next to certain wines and this one was highly recommended on the list. Strange then that they seemed so confused as to what we were requesting.

I started with the Mussels Rabelais. Actually, this is an entrée but I split it with Frank and it made an excellent appetizer. Even between the two of us, we each had more than enough huge plump tender mussels swimming in a very tasty broth. We detected white wine, garlic, shallots, thyme, parsley and cream. It was thick and rich and just begged to be sopped up with the very good crusty bread. This was served with a side of excellent French fries which appeared to be of the twice fried variety with a light crusty batter coating on them. We saw many people ordering the mussels (a testament to their tastiness) and by mid evening, they were sold out (since they erased it from the blackboard). This dish is highly recommended and is apparently available on the lunch menu also. At $12, it is also a bargain. Just the Mussels Rabelais with a nice green salad would suffice for a light dinner anytime.

For my main course, I had Roasted Quail stuffed with Fennel, Prunes and Lardons (French thick bacon). The sauce tasted like some kind of red wine/veal stock reduction, which was very good. It looks like it is used for several of the dishes (judging from my tastes of my companions meals). Also interchangeable between all four of our main courses were the sides. All of our plates came with scalloped potatoes, sautéed green beans, a single baby carrot and a grilled tomato. Not that I am complaining, since it was excellent. Obviously in a small kitchen, using common sides allows the cooks to focus on the meat part of the main course – not such a bad idea. While the fennel was lost in the dish (subverted by the stronger flavor of the prunes and lardons), it was not missed. The Quail themselves (two) were plump, juicy and tender. Small birds can sometimes disappoint but these certainly did not.

The dessert menu was the usual listing of bistro faves including Profiteroles, Mousse au Chocolat, Poire Belle Helene, Sorbet, Tarte au Citron, etc. One of the usual suspects also, that I ordered, was the Crème Brulé. Crème Brulé should be simplicity in itself – a tender sweet creamy egg custard with a crunchy caramelized sugar top. However, too many restaurants make sharp left turns with odd additional ingredients or treatments meant to show their creativity and individuality. I never understand why. Why mess with a good thing? Luckily, most have the decency to alert the diner to the departure from the norm. Not Café Rabelais. As I bit into my first mouthful, I noted a rather odd chewiness to the Brulé top. As I chewed more, I realized with horror after peering in the dim light at my dessert that they had topped the custard with sliced almonds before putting on the sugar. Why? Part of the simple beauty of crème brulé lies in the crackly caramelized top lasting but an instant in the mouth before dissolving into the smooth cool creaminess of the vanilla custard. This was replaced by the toothsome chewiness of almonds, which I was still chewing long after the custard had been swallowed. I called for the dessert menu again (this too is printed) to make sure I had not missed the alert that the chef intended to depart from the usual. Nope, no mention of almonds in the description. Good thing I wasn’t allergic to nuts I guess. Needless to say, I did not finish the dessert. It could have been so good otherwise.

Overall, despite the physical shortcomings of the location and interior (dim and din), the bizarre rendition of Crème Brulé (in my opinion), and the too French wine list, Café Rabelais is definitely worthy of recommendation. This would be an excellent place for company with whom you do not wish to have to speak much (e.g. in-laws), for a special dinner out by yourself, or for folks used to other loud establishments. This place does have a very good energy to it and is clearly deservedly (I will grudgingly admit) popular for the food. The cost is a bit more than a casual dinner out with the average cost of dinner with tax and tip per person (and without the cost of the champagne) of $58.

Rating: 4 Forks (out of a possible 5)

Mockingbird Bistro & Wine Bar 8/19/05

2005-08-20T11:14:00.000-05:00

Friday night. 8:15 PM. We are hungry and ready to go out to dinner. As usual, however, we cannot decide where to go. With memories of the weekend before spent in New York dining and drinking heartily and superlative meals at Olive’s New York and Gramercy Tavern, the usual standbys (Mai’s & Barnaby’s) just won’t do. So we head to our neighborhood bistro – Mockingbird Bistro & Wine Bar. We are a little concerned however as it is after eight on a Friday night. Will we be able to get in?

We don’t valet just in case we can’t get in (and really why valet when there is ample street parking?). Surprisingly, there is ample availability and we are promptly seated. The restaurant is about 2/3 filled. What’s up with this? Friday night at one of the best restaurants in Houston and a great date place! Come on Houston, I know this is not New York (where at 10:00 PM in the evening many people are just arriving for dinner as we observed the weekend before), but really, do Houstonians really roll up the sidewalk that early! The number of diners dwindles as the night progresses.

Mockingbird has a lovely rustic feel to it with chandeliers, lots of dark wood, low lighting and wooden gargoyles hanging form the ceiling. Like I said, definitely a romantic date kind of place. For those with long memories, touches of the former Quasimodo’s are still visible.

The staff immediately brings very cold ice water and bread with a spicy infused olive oil for dipping – all excellent. The latter is always a nice touch as some people arrive at dinner very hungry and need something to tide them over till the meal is served. From my perspective however, it is quite dangerous as the possibility is that you will fill up on free bread and be unable to really enjoy what you are paying for – the main course.

We look at the wine list but both realize that we are not in the mood for wine. Pity! It’s a decent, reasonably priced wine list with a good assortment of wines by the glass – though some of the glasses tend to the pricier side of up to $12. And, this is a wine bar. Craig opts for water while I mull ordering a cocktail. I ask if they have Lillet Blanc. Disappointment. I hesitatingly go for my standard – half expecting them to say no – a Mojito (which I was drinking long before they became trendy and will continue to drink after they become passé). What arrives is by far one of the best Mojitos that I have had in a long while (the best having been in Copenhagen, Denmark of all places). It is smooth with the right touch of lime and mint and judiciously not too sweet. Two drinks later, I also realize that they pack a nice punch as well.

To start I order the warm Foie Gras with Peach Tart and Almonds. I feel about fresh Foie Gras, the way Chris feels about Veal (see Gravitas by Chris) – crazy in love – though I don’t name mine (I prefer my food to be impersonal). I got over the whole force-fed goose guilt a long time ago while living in France. Nothing compares to the smooth, creamy silkiness and rich mouth feel of warm Foie Gras. God, I love Foie Gras. The pairing with the peach-almond tart is excellent to the very last morsel, which I sop up with bread. I have had the Foie Gras at Mockingbird before but it is paired with different fruit accompaniments depending on the season. I am once again not disappointed. My only regret is that the serving is so small and at $18, not necessarily bon marché.

My main course is Strip Steak au Poivre with Roasted Mushrooms and Pearl Onions, Watercress and Pommes Frites (French Fries for your philistines). For $30, I get an excellent tender piece of Strip Steak with a peppery kick cooked just right as I requested – medium. The mushrooms and pearl onion are a nice foil. The Pommes Frites deserve special mention. There are only a few places in Houston (in my opinion) that can turn out consistently outstanding fries – crunchy on the outside, tender inside with the right touch of saltiness – Café Montrose and Mockingbird are among them. These are served in the European style with a side of mayonnaise but Mockingbird goes one better and uses a garlic aioli (olive oil mayonnaise touched with mustard and garlic) – magnifique! Honorable mention must also go to the watercress which adds a peppery earthy note to the dish though these were a little past their prime (the leaves were a tad leathery). Watercress always brings back fond memories of growing up where huge bowls of watercress at dinner, freshly plucked from the river, were a summer staple.

Dessert was a stretch, as I was already getting quite full but with the meal on a roll, why stop short? The dessert menu was divided into Cheese, Fruit, Chocolate and Café. Strangely, a root beer float with a hazelnut straw was listed under the fruit section. Huh? I go for the Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Sauce and White Chocolate Ice Cream. Is this for chocoholics or what? The dessert is good but the consistency of the cake is quite dense and a little gummy. It looks like a puck on the plate and is quite heavy. Perhaps after such a rich preceding meal, I should have opted for something a little lighter. There is no room left for after dinner drinks.

Overall, Mockingbird continues to live up to my memories of previous meals. This is an excellent choice for a date, anniversary, impressing out of town guests, or hell, just a Friday night dinner for two. The heavy French accent of the menu will also please any Francophiles who might despair over the lack of French restaurants in Houston. It’s not cheap however. Average cost per diner with tax and tip was $73 though you have to allow for the fact that I had among the most expensive items on the menu – Foie Gras and Steak.

Rating: 5 Forks (out of a possible 5)

Los Cucos by Chris

2005-08-13T06:42:00.000-05:00

Appetizers: Chips with salsa and chile con queso
Main Course: Fajita Beef Enchiladas
Dessert: I never have dessert at a Tex-Mex restaurant. It just doesn't seem right.
Drink: Diet Coke

We hadn't had dinner with Quynh and Clark in what seemed like ages, so it was decided that we would hit Los Cucos. This was despite the fact that the Astros game was starting soon, but sometimes I make a sacrifice.

It was quite crowded this time. Cindy and I have been a couple of other times, and it was never this busy. But a vibrant restaurant is usually a good thing, as long as I don't have to wait for a table. My personal rule for waiting to be seated is no more than 30 minutes, the theory being that I haven't ever tasted anything worth waiting an extra 30 minutes for. I didn't have to invoke the 30 minute rule this time.

Service was kind of spotty this time around, probably due to the volume of customers. But it wasn't so bad that I became agitated or impatient. That's the good thing about Tex-Mex restaurants, there's always free chips on the table. Free chips make me happy.

I was a little alarmed at the sweatiness factor of our waitress. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being a 300 pound man having just run 2 miles in 100 degree heat, I would put our waitress at a 6. Not really sure why she was sweaty, but you have to be concerned when rivulets of slight salty water are running down someone's temple in a well air conditioned room. I alleviated my concern by shoving more free chips down my gullet.

Anyway, we started with some Chips and Queso. The chips and queso are different from the regular tortilla chips they bring to the table. These chips are thick, fried tortillas. And they're not free. They do taste good, though. My only issue is with the number of chips they give you. There were only eight of these fried beauties on the plate, for four people. Believe me, I counted, because I wanted to determine how many I could eat without everyone at the table getting angry that I ate too many. I've always been like that, and I won't apologize for it. I'm sorry, but that's just the way I am. I had four of the chips.

Next up were the Fajita Beef Enchiladas. I was pleasantly surprised during our first visit to discover that they offer beef enchiladas either with ground beef or fajita beef. I prefer fajita beef, because in my mind that's how the ancient Tex-Mexicans prepared their enchiladas. I'm all about the authenticity. My only complaint about the dish is the mexican rice that comes with it. It has kernels of corn in it. Not a big fan of the corn. Anything that looks the same coming out as it did going in shouldn't be eaten. I mean, what's the point? I end up picking out the corn and eating the rice. I suppose I could just eat the corn, since I probably wouldn't taste it, but then the corn would have won, and I can't have that.

Rating: 4 forks (out of 5 forks)

Bathroom Report: Didn't have to use the bathroom this time. Probably should have. My apologies to the table sitting behind me. Sometimes the cheese and I don't mix well, and I start floating some air biscuits. It was only later that Clark and Quynh told me the people at that table kept looking over at our table for some reason.

Cuckoo for Los Cucos

2005-08-12T20:17:00.000-05:00

Los Cucos recently replaced a spot on Memorial that had been previously inhabited by C. Lantro's. Don't get me started on that place - we only went once and everything was served on polystyrene plates! Anyway, it's a good thing Los Cucos moved in.

A few weeks ago we went to visit some relatives in the distant town of Katy. Afterwards, we decided since we didn't get to that part of town too often, that we would go to Katy Mills Mall ($66 for pair of kate spade pumps? Who wouldn't go?). On the way to Katy Mills, only about two or three miles, we saw two Los Cucos across the street from each other and then another Los Cucos on a pad site at the mall. Now, I have no problem with the same place across from each other. Take for example the two Starbuck's on West Gray and Shepherd - I think more of a good thing is always an excellent idea!

So, we headed over to Los Cucos. We walked in on a busy Friday night crowd. We got our drinks (nothing alcoholic, although I saw plenty of people sucking down margaritas) and then had to wait a little too long to order. Other than the tortilla chips crushed in my menu, that's about the only bad thing.

We order the chile con queso. Typical cheesy velveeta-type cheese with peppers, but the best part is the chips that come with it. Thick tortillas cut into triangles and fried. Mmmmm. I then had the shrimp chimichanga. Now, chimichangas are basically fried burritos, right? You don't have to do a stellar job on the insides because people don't see them. Well, Los Cucos did a great job - in fact, the shrimp was big and tasted fresh. Came with beans, guacamole and lettuce. Good meal.

Overall rating: four forks (out of a possible five forks).

Omni and Beyond

2005-08-12T10:31:00.000-05:00

The last time anyone I knew mentioned the OMNI, it involved women of ill-repute and the long arm of the law. Count me in! I hear brunch is excellent, too.

Next Dorks with Forks

2005-08-09T11:58:00.000-05:00

The next conclave of Dorks with Forks will be a Noé at the Omni Hotel. We're a bit worried about the restaurant considering recent reviews have noted the lack of guests, but we're willing to brave bachelorette parties trying to find the Black Swan to try Robert Gadsby's latest creation.

In the meantime, individual Forks members will be posting on other dining establishments that may be of interest. Enjoy!

Vultures at Gravitas

2005-08-08T21:18:00.000-05:00

Perhaps not the show from the Food Network called "Good Eats", but an evening with Good Friends out weighs disappointing food and service. As we were ushered into a somewhat dark and gloomy room with a very small cast of scary characters at the other tables, the room seemed to be cold, I thought from the air conditioning, but later realized it was from the vulture like wait staff that kept circling the table looking for something to do. I will agree with Cindy that the salad we had was very good however. My main course, Chicken with Cornbread (decribed as "Fried"), was very interesting to say the least. It was good but I think Fried Chicken and Cornbread is a lot better than Chicken and Fried Cornbread! Finishing touch was the Lemon Tart with Pistachio Cream - good/sour. If you're on a date this is the dessert for you ......pucker up for the evening.

Total Rating: 3 Forks (Out of a possible 5) since I need the other two to kill the vultures!

Ah Gravitas

2005-08-08T18:40:00.000-05:00

When we arrived at Gravitas, it is true that the place was dead. It didn't stop the multitude of waitstaff and bus boys from buzzing around and looking generally busy. It really did amaze me, however, that given the ratio of people working to people eating was about 2:1 that we didn't get exceptional service. We got service, but nothing extraordinary (sometimes creepy - see Patrick's post below).

I ordered the spinach salad with bacon and a poached egg. Put an egg on top of anything and it will taste good. That's my motto. This was an excellent salad.

Next were the steamed mussels in Stella Artois. Stella Artois is only one of two beers on draught at Gravitas, the other being Shiner Bock. The mussels were good - not too chewy, but I have had better. The mussels did come with some awesome french fries, which were shared amongst the table. Here's the odd thing - we asked for mayonnaise for the fries and when our waiter brought it, he mentioned that eating our fries like this was like how they serve the pomme frites at bistro moderne. What? The first time I had ever had mayo with fries was at the Red Robin in Tacoma, Washington in 1999. The WTO riots were going on and it just seemed like the right kind of comfort food.

For dessert, I had the butterscotch bread pudding. Quite delicious! The bread pudding was not too sweet and the butterscotch flavor was in the sauce only. It also came with a bit of pistachio brittle, which Patrick quickly snatched off of my plate before our waiter could clear the table.

Overall rating: 3 forks (out of a possible 5)

A nice casual dinner spot, but the price is a little more than I would be willing to spend on a casual dinner. Although, the egg on the salad was darn good.

Gravitas from the Couch

2005-08-08T18:23:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, the aura of Gravitas was so overwhelming, that Quynh got ill and hence we had to back out of the evening. On a lighter note, my Nathan's hotdog and the ribeye that I tried to fry up were quite tasty. Next time we shall enjoy with the rest of the Forks.

Gravitas by Chris

2005-08-08T18:02:00.000-05:00

Salad: Hearts of Romaine with Fried Bleu Cheese and Celery Dressing $8
Main Course: Pan Fried Veal Schnitzel with Buttered Spatzle $22
Dessert: Triple Layer Godiva Chocolate Cake with scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream $6.50
Drink: Tap Water

I was informed a week or so ago that Dorks With Forks would be meeting at Gravitas on Sunday, August 7. I am not very good at selecting restaurants, so my input is usually not required. Should anyone ever ask me to choose a restaurant, I’ll almost always recommend Spaghetti Western or Goode Co. Seafood. Just wanted to set up the ground rules here before we start playing.

We arrived in a German made luxury sedan for our reservation at 7:00 p.m. The valet was very happy to see us, as there were only two other cars in the valet lot. I should note that valet parking was free. Well, free except for the obligatory tip.

We were promptly seated, which was no surprise. There were only two or three other parties in the restaurant.

The waiter came over promptly and asked what we would like to drink. Two members of our party ordered a glass of wine. The glasses arrived about five minutes later, which I found annoying even though I wasn’t drinking any wine.

The waiter informed us that they were out of Steak Frites, which is what I wanted to get. We placed our orders without incident.

The salad was exactly what I was expecting, which was Hearts of Romaine and disc of fried bleu cheese. Overall it was very satisfying, since I don’t like a lot of crap in my salad.

Since the Steak Frites were out, I went for the veal, a.k.a. baby guts. God, I love veal. This was very nicely fried. I silently named my newly fried friend lil’ Mooey, and then I ate him. He was delicious. I was not aware of what spatzle was. Patrick gave me a long soliloquy about how it was made, but I can’t remember what he said. I was thinking about how I really would enjoy it if I could eat more of lil’ Mooey. The spatzle was ok, just not my cup of tea. The consistency reminded me of scrambled eggs for some reason. I didn’t finish it.

Dessert was going to be the Chocolate Brownie with Peanut Butter Ice Cream. Alas, the brownie had nuts in it, which I cannot tolerate. I went with the Triple Layer Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream. For me, chocolate cake is hard to mess up. The worst thing that can happen for me is if the piece is too small. The second worst thing is if it’s too dry. Thankfully, neither of these things happened, so I was pleased.

Overall, this was a good meal in my opinion. The ultimate question is whether I would think to recommend this place should someone ask me where I would like to eat. Probably not. It was a good meal, just a little too pricey for my taste. Maybe on a special occasion.

Rating: 3.5 forks (out of 5 forks)

Bathroom Report: The bathroom, located "behind the wall unit" as our waiter explained, was clean. I was a bit baffled that the urinal was in its own little room with a locking door. I always assumed urinals were out in the open to prevent the savages from making bears in them. People do strange things in private. Anyway, I stepped in, realized there was a door, stepped out to make sure I was in the right place, and stepped back in. I was briefly tempted to desecrate the urinal, just to teach them a lesson. I relieved myself without incident. The faucet in the sink took a second to get used to as well. The handle to turn on the water looks kind of like a soap dispenser. It took a few tries, but I finally figured out how to get the waters flowing.
Mission Accomplished.

Bathroom Rating: 3 (out of 5)

They tried too hard. I only like fancy bathrooms if they are user friendly.

Gravitas 8/7/05

2005-08-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Based on the buzz and with such a "weighty" name, our expectations were high. Additionally, an accidental drive-by on the previous evening (Saturday) had revealed a packed parking lot - very promising indeed. Dinner reservations were at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday. The restaurant was almost empty when we arrived (only three other tops in use) and only a few more tables trickled in during the evening, but then again Sunday dinner is never popular in Houston. The overall ambiance, setting and layout (with open kitchen) was pleasant and loft like with warm woods and a huge blackboard covering one wall (unused on the evening we were there but hopefully to be put to good use later) though overenthusiastic air conditioning rendered the space frigid this evening.

Our preternaturally perky waiter with a maniacally toothsome smile (think "A Clockwork Orange"), was attentive though a little disturbing. There was a very nice selection of wines by the glass (always a good sign) all priced at $8 a glass - quite reasonable. The wine list by the bottle was reasonably priced with enough variety to please most palates but certainly not encyclopedic. I had a very nice sauvignon blanc and a reisling.

Our waiter informed us that they were out of the Steak Frites and that Salmon was being substituted for the listed Trout in the grilled fish entree. Was this evidence of a very busy Friday/Saturday business or just poor kitchen management? Several of us were disappointed as the Steak Frites had looked promising. Our waiter interjected that while the Steak Frites was unavailable, the Beef Bourguinion was a nice substitute. We all stared blankly at him. How could beef stewed with red wine, bacon and mushrooms possible be viewed as a substitute for a grilled steak? Obviously since both were (a) beef dishes, (b) of French origin and (c) served with potatoes (albeit french fries versus potato puree) our waiter thought so! He continued to grin like the Chesire Cat - very distrurbing.

For the appetizer, I had the "Red and Yellow sliced Beefsteak tomatoes with watercress and grated Horseradish". The presented dish was quite pleasant with the sharp flavor of the arugula and horseradish complementing nicely the sweet earthiness of the tomatoes. However, there were only red tomatoes (with no explanation). I asked our waiter and he responded that the kitchen had decided to substitute before breezing off grinning. Another round of blank stares on our part. What exactly did they substitute (more red for yellow I guess) and why? I did note that in explaining the dish to another table a few minutes later, he dropped the yellow beefsteak tomatoes from the description.

For my main course, I had really liked the pasta selections, but they were only available as starters so I ordered two different kinds (tortellini with spinach and sage butter and roasted chicken with angel hair). I asked for them on one plate but they brought them on separate plates. The explanation: "the chef did not want the sauces to mingled". Now mind you (a) neither had a runny sauce (b) their flavors were complementary (in my mind at least) and (c) isn't the customer the king? Obviously, the chef reigns supreme (perhaps he has been watching too many Iron Chef re-runs). I had to combine them myself on one plate at the table (a bit cumbersome and irksome). Final analysis: good but not great. The flavors did not really pop from either pasta preparation and were not memorable. Perhaps I might have had better luck with the real main courses.

Dessert was the off the menu special of carrot cake. They were also offering an apple creme brulee described by our waiter as "a tight little creme brulee with sauteed apples, a caramelized sugar top and a calvados sauce". Tight?! More blank stares. More waiter grinning - this was getting creepy! The carrot cake was nice overall though not the best I have had. Pluses: nice bits of carrot and a pleasant underlying orange flavor, minuses: an overly sweet frosting and a dense chewy cake.

Total impression: a quite nice place for a casual dinner or in town guests. Take out of towners to somewhere more stellar. The menu is not overly inventive but neither is it too pedestrian. Prices are mid range ($47 average per person for appetizer, main and dessert with wine, tax and tip).

Total rating: 3 Forks (out of a total maximum of 5)

Welcome to Dorks with Forks!

2005-08-07T22:15:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our blog! Dorks with Forks is a group of six friends who like to eat. We share our thoughts on Houston's eating establishments on this site. Enjoy!