tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-199537002024-03-07T02:25:39.981-06:00Food in HoustonA discussion of restaurants, food stores, dishes, and trends in Houston.anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.comBlogger310125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-77485856409265096352011-07-18T16:21:00.009-05:002011-07-21T16:38:03.033-05:00Sorrel, Radical Eats, Tepatitlan, Korean Noodle HouseA few interesting meals lately:<br /><br /><strong>Sorrel Urban Bistro</strong> (2202 West Alabama). Last night was their 2nd night. Very promising. This less-expensive, high-end restaurant features a Danish chef, daily-changing menu, and a farm-to-market concept.<br /><br />Large plates are in the $20s and small plates are around $10. The wine list is a mix of small-producers and organic wines.<br /><br />Bread service includes a deliciously bitter sorrel pesto. A small plate of cured halibut with sweet dill sauce and thinly sliced English cucumbers had a nice balance of sweetness, tang, and sea. Luscious butter-poached lobster and quail eggs sat atop a bitter arugula salad. A slightly over-cooked pork chop was covered in tangy cooked onion and tomato.<br /><br />These are simple dishes, often with only 3 or 4 high quality ingredients. The kitchen is big on balancing contrasting flavors. Their minimalist approach to ingredients nicely fills a void in Houston's maximalist restaurant scene.<br /><br /><strong>Radical Eats</strong> (3903 Fulton St.) Kudos for opening a restaurant east of I-45 and north of downtown. Apart from a few great Mexican restaurants, this area is a food desert.<br /><br />This new dive is a work-in-progress that serves all-vegan Mexican food. Service is friendly and so laid back that you might think you're in Austin. The real reason to go is quality ingredients with interesting preparations.<br /><br />A fried avocado taco is outstanding. The avocado chunks resemble cornmeal-crusted oysters. Jalapeno sauce is seriously hot and flavorful. A great mix of textures and flavors, this is one of the better tacos in town.<br /><br />Chile Rellenos are a healthy version of one of the world's least healthy dishes. Here, a baked poblano is stuffed with mushrooms, onions, and tofu on a base of spicy tomato sauce. If you need batter, cheese, and fat, you'll be sadly disappointed. But if you are looking for an interesting preparation of vegetables, it's a success.<br /><br />Enchilladas in nogado (walnut) sauce are slightly less successful. Although I dig the tortillas and the mushroom filling, the nogado sauce tastes like health food, not traditional nogado. As Pico's nogado sauce proves, sometimes you have to have cream -- which isn't an option for vegans.<br /><br />Overall, Radical Eats is a godsend for vegans, and a nice alternative for the rest of us.<br /><br /><strong>Tacqueria Tepatitlan</strong> (4720 N. Main location). I was previously disappointed. Then I discovered the trick -- skip the Tex-Mex plates and order off the tacqueria portion of the menu. (And it helps to speak some Spanish).<br /><br />Tacos, gorditas, tostadas, huaraches, and sopes are served with a choice of 10 different meats. Birria (baby goat) was strongly spiced, but not too much to cover the delicious goat flavor. Picadillo had an earthy, spicy flavor. Carnitas were crispy and chopped into small cubes, which works well for tacos.<br /><br />Best of all are huaraches, which have a masa base and an addicting texture.<br /><br />It's not the best Mexican food in the Heights, but the tacqueria offerings are far better than your average taco truck.<br /><br /><strong>Korean Noodle House</strong> is a funky Spring Branch restaurant in a ranch-style house (1415 Murray Bay). Half the fun is finding the place, then eating on long bench's in someone's house.<br /><br />The #1 reason to go is homemade, handcut noodles. There is something inspiring about a bowl of noodles in which each noodle has its own individualistic shape.<br /><br />The #2 reason is kimchi, easily the best I have had. It is spicy, funky, and addictive.<br /><br />The menu consists of hot noodle dishes (mostly soups) and cold noodle dishes. Prices are mostly $10 - $12. For handmade noodles of this quality, it's a steal.anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-63980301416398680112011-06-30T13:12:00.006-05:002011-07-18T16:10:09.583-05:00Where I'm eating now - 2011 versionIt has been 12 months, and my standby restaurants have changed. Time for an update.<br /><br />These are are not necessarily Houston's best restuarants -- although some of them are. They are where I eat most often because of the combination of food, drinks, value, and feel.<br /><br /><strong>Top 20 (2011) </strong><br /><br /><em>Heavy rotation</em><br /><br /><strong>Vinoteca Poscol</strong> (Italian, Montrose). Marco's wine bar remains one of the most compelling places in town to eat. I haven't found better house-made charcuterie. Most of the daily specials are tasty, but I more often am drawn to the daily-special terrine with unusual combinations like rabbit meat, peas, Lambrusco and sweet potatoes. It has Houston's most affordable great wine list. And that dessert with marscapone and stewed dates is incredible.<br /><br /><strong>Feast</strong> (Rustic European, Montrose). I have heard that the original owner team may all return to the Houston location. After all, New Orleans may not be as adventurous as Houston. Let's hope they do return and stay. Although Feast is best known for its offal and other unusual ingredients, the big secret is that this kitchen could make any ingredient, no matter how mundane, taste good. This is delicious food -- and easily one of Houston's top 3 restaurants, if not the best.<br /><br /><strong>Kata Robata</strong> (Japanese/Modern American, Kirby). What a remarkable year. As Chef Hori-San continued turning out the best sashimi dishes in Houston, the kitchen added Seth Siegel-Gardner, one of Houston's most adventurous chefs. The result was a mix of molecular gastronomy and Japanese food unlike anywhere else. Seth brought together small plates with bewildering combinations of ingredients. Many of his best dishes focused not on seafood, but on park. For six months, Kata Robata was Houston's best restaurant. Sadly, Seth only planned to stay half a year, and he left this month. Yet Hori remains, and continues to prepare the best Japanese food in Houston.<br /><br /><strong>Pondicheri / The Queen Vic Pub</strong> (Indian, Kirby area) These two casual Indian restaurants have taught me how well Indian food works great beer. Indika's sister, Pondicheri, has the edge on food and atmosphere. Chef Anita Jaisinghani changes the menu from week to week, making her unusual Indian dishes even more interesting. The best dishes are often street-food appetizers and thali combination plates. The modern atmosphere with lots of light and Indian fabrics makes this one of my favorite spaces in town.<br /><br />Queen Vic -- Oporto's sister restaurant -- combines British Indian food with British pub food, yet doesn't hold back on spices. The curries here are particularly good. The best dish may be scotch egg, a gently hard-boiled egg surrounded by a thick crust of ground lamb resting in a sea of spicy curry. The beer list is better than Pondicheri, and one of the best in the city.<br /><br /><strong>Himalaya</strong>. (Indian/Pakistani, Southwest Freeway) I don't particularly like to eat in this restaurant, but it is my favorite place for takeout. The Indo-Pakistani dishes burst with spice, flavor, and comforting textures. I have had a lot of Indian food around the country, but nothing else quite so good.<br /><br /><em>Medium rotation</em><br /><br /><strong>Down House</strong> (Heights). This is a new breakfast/lunch hangout in the Heights with a Darwin theme (!!?). They offer beer pairings with every dish, yet they close at 3 p.m. Surely that will change soon? Although the menu is neither big nor particularly revolutionary, I like the focus on simple flavors and local ingredients. A pork belly banh mi may be my favorite banh mi in town. A grilled lemon chicken sandwich with olive tapenade, capers and feta cream is far better than any chicken sandwich should be. The fish tacos with sauteed cabbage and carots are superlative -- if a little too pricey.<br /><br /><strong>Pho Binh</strong> (Vietnamese, locations around town). The lunch crowd is a diverse group of working men. They are drawn by the meaty broth, noodles, and beef parts that populate my favorite bowl of pho in Houston. If you don't want pho, don't go.<br /><br /><strong>Giacomo's cibo e vino</strong> (Italian, Kirby area). Despite an excellent entree involving chicken and butter, the highlights are mostly tapas-sized dishes on the ciccheti menu, with dishes like cumin-spiced lamb meatballs and braised chicken thighs with sweet peppers and onions. It's a great place for a light meal. Judging by the crowd, women seem to like this place a lot. Decent Italian wine list.<br /><br /><strong>Udipi Cafe</strong> (Indian, southwest). As a meat lover, I feel guilty eating at this Southern Indian vegetarian buffet off Hillcroft. Will they smell the odor of beef on me? Will they see that pork-eater look in my eyes? Yet within minutes of eating this delicious, spicy food, I forget that I am eating nothing but vegetables. This is diverse food, combining a multitude of flavors.<br /><br /><strong>Zelko Bistro</strong> (Heights, modern). Perhaps not deserving of all the hype, this is one of the better new Houston restaurants. The menu and preparations are simple, almost earnest. I particularly like the daily fish, which almost always seems to be grouper.<br /><br /><strong>El Real</strong> (Tex-Mex, Montrose). El Real does not deserve all of the negative / ambivalent reviews it has received. Were the reviewers eating at another restaurant? Or did they just not get it? This is true, classic Tex Mex of the highest order. That means you get a lot of mild chili gravy, cheese, and lard. El Real captures the classic flavor of Felix's and improves on it. It also channels a lot of other Tex-Mex classics from around the state. I love the queso, the guacamole, the chips, the salsa, and the enchiladas. Nothing too fancy. This is real.<br /><br /><strong>Pico's Mex-Mex</strong> (Mexican, Bellaire). While on the subject of Mexican food, Pico's has been on my top 10 and 20 lists from the beginning. Avoid standard Tex-Mex or fajitas and order something from the specials board or something from Oaxaca or Yucatan. The mole is sublime.<br /><br /><strong>Hugo's</strong> (Mexican, Montrose). High-end Mexican food that reflects the personality of his chef. Plus the only great wine list I have ever seen in a Mexican restaurant.<br /><br /><strong>Garson</strong> (Persian, Southwest). I recently rediscovered this elegant Iranian restaurant, which serves tasty grilled meats and complex stews. I really dig the flat bread, feta, radishes, and herbs they serve gratis to start the meal.<br /><br /><strong>Philippe's Restaurant</strong> (French and Southwestern, Galleria). Honestly, it sounds like a bad idea to combine high-end French cuisine with Texas flavors and traditions. That's why Philippe Schmit's new restaurant is so surprising. Tuna tartare with tequila tastes like some classic Tex-Mex dish. Burgundy beef cheeks looks like beef bourguignon, but taste like -- a juicy barbecue brisket? I especially like the dishes served in a jar, such as snapper/potato brandade (dip) and venison pate. I like this food more in winter.<br /><br /><strong>Tan Tan</strong> (Chinese, Bellaire Chinatown). I can't decide on my favorite restaurant in Houston's glorious Chinatown, so I will list the one I visited last. Huge menu with great noodle dishes. This is part of Houston's unique Chinese/Vietnamese fusion. Both cuisines are well represented here in a cheesy, festive environment. Fun.<br /><br /><strong>Piola </strong>(Pizza, Midtown). My current favorite pizza place. Piola is an international chain with crispy-crust pizza. The menu is as interesting as it is oblivious to American pizza restaurant cliches.<br /><br /><strong>Haven</strong> (Southern, Kirby). Not just local ingredients, but local cuisine, inspired by East Texas food from a pre-International era. This is the oustanding Southern food restaurant that Houston always deserved and finally has.<br /><br /><strong>Reef </strong>(Seafood, Midtown). The seafood served may change daily or weekly, but the flavors all seem to remain the same. Reef seems like its in a bit of a rut. Still, it has some of the best dishes in town and remains the best representative of Gulf Coast seafood.<br /><br /><strong>Honorable mentions</strong>: Bootsie's Heritage Cafe (not on the list because its in Tomball), Mary'z, Stella Sola, Revival Meats, Asia Market, Brasserie Max & Julie, Fung's Kitchen, Benjy's, Shade, Backstreet Cafe, Divino, Dolce Vita, Kraftsmen's Cafe, Teotihuacan, Pasha, Mandarin Cafe, Laurier Cafe, Indika.<br /><br />There are a number of good restaurants (Da Marco, Tony's, Chez Roux) that are not on this list because I just haven't been in the past year.anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-48580346938019366472009-11-11T12:52:00.008-06:002009-11-16T09:48:41.786-06:00Blog on hold / Thai Curry did me in"I'm writing a book.<br /><br />I've got the page numbers done."<br /><br />-Steven Wright<br /><br /><br />This blog is going on hiatus for a while. I am suffering from a dreadful mental condition.<br /><br /><strong>Writer's block</strong><br /><br />I write for a living. My law practice is writing. I teach a class on writing. I even am writing a book, which I have to finish by January.<br /><br />So it makes no sense that I have writer's block. But I do.<br /><br />A few weeks ago, I promised that my next post would be about Thai curry. I haven't been able to write that post -- or any post. For some reason, I lost all inspiration to write about food.<br /><br /><strong>First Try: Asia Market</strong><br /><br />After starting a curry series, I knew I had to write about Thai curries. They are my favorite curry. But they also don't quite fit our concept of curry. Surely there would be much to write.<br /><br />I sought inspiration in Asia Market's wonderful red curry, Kang Dang.<br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402923271482936370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwduiulD1FAXijdn5aPbOcSJEZebB6UPY_LoRbAfb0xLKWkQ-dBZbY6zy5NoFhkGBf3VP0MQ__0ULuExRbcYVKNAMZeHoOEitIxe7kpcVRUlw3FlT9JP6dw-uqMUTz4IHvFij4VA/s400/Kang+Dang.JPG" border="0" /><br />I planned to argue that Thai curry is not what we think of as curry. It is not a mix of dry spices. (Massamun is the exception). Instead, Thai curries are a mix of hot peppers, coconut milk, onion, kafir leaf, galangal or ginger, and other garden (or jungle) ingredients.<br /><br />Thai curries are usually about the balance of the sweet creaminess of coconut milk and the heat of the peppers. They are not curries as in an earthy blend of spices, like an Indian or Pakistani curry.<br /><br />Beyond that, I could not think of anything interesting to say. What to do? Maybe eat more curry?<br /><br /><strong>Second Try: Vieng Thai</strong><br /><br />A curry on the menu at Vieng Thai caught my eye. Gang Pa is a "country-style red curry without coconut milk." I wondered, without coconut milk, would it still be Thai curry?<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402923406572826178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tgZAFAABAUfzEJW8-BkeRa7v5dHByalaNpQZxdFORqTcavb5SSr-rUv9nDGjLhyphenhyphen3MEgIX3UphceWuIymIUXVlNiWc-OvomTeciZTzTDG4AWkv1kF-cQsfI2LqlmVClCANJkn7w/s400/Gang+Pa.jpg" border="0" /><br />This dish was more like a spicy pepper soup. It lacked the sweet/spicy/sour balance of most Thai dishes. It was just spicy and sour, like a really peppery bowl of Tom Yum. Apart from the peppers, I couldn't decide what made it a curry.<br /><br />So what is curry? Heck, I have no idea now. The word curry doesn't make any sense.<br /><br />Is it a mix of spices? Not if you include Thai curry. Is it a hot and spicy sauce? Not if you include Japanese and French curries, which have little heat at all. Is it a thick Asian sauce? Not if you include Gang Pa, which has the consistency of a thin soup.<br /><br />Worse, curry is a fascinating food. You could write a book about curry. But I can't. I seem to have lost the ability to say anything interesting about food at all.<br /><br /><strong>Why a hiatus?</strong><br /><br />A few months ago on Technology Bytes, Jay Lee criticized Houston food bloggers. He asked what expertise they have to write about food. Is it because they eat? We all eat, Jay argued -- in his snarky way. So is everyone qualified to write a food blog?<br /><br />I have no qualifications other than the fact that I think a lot about food and culture. [If I have something interesting to say, then I'm qualified.] But when I don't have anything interesting to say, Jay is right. There is no reason to write a blog.<br /><br /><strong>The new restaurants are not inspiring . . . yet</strong><br /><br />Perhaps I will find inspiration in all the restaurants opening this fall. But probably not.<br /><br /><strong>Straits</strong> is a good attempt at upscale Malaysian. But honestly I don't have much interesting to say about it that I haven't said about the more interesting, and cheaper <strong>Banana Leaf</strong>.<br /><br /><strong>Haven</strong> might be worth a post or two - if it ever opens.<br /><br />And <strong>Stella Solla</strong> is at least giving us a lot of gossip. But I don't write much gossip.<br /><br />The other 10 or so high-profile restaurants opening this fall sound pretty dull, pretty mainstream.<br /><br />New steak restaurants? Yawn. A seafood restaurant inspired by Boston's Legal Seafood? Yawn. A gastropub serving short ribs? Yawn. Italian restaurants by chefs or restauarantuers who peaked in 1990?<br /><br />I could go on. The crop of new restaurants two years ago was fantastic, perhaps the best Houston has ever had.<br /><br />This year, the bad economy means retreading, going with the safe bet, simple foods. I understand. I watch Gordon Ramsay. But I'm not inspired.<br /><br />So for the next several months I am going to go to Disney World (Tim Keating is at Flying Fish), write my book (not about food), and practice law. Maybe the New Year will bring me some sort of inspiration.<br /><br />Maybe we can talk more then.<br /><br />Bye.</p>anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-83323963946978014792009-10-30T11:23:00.007-05:002009-10-30T12:13:57.414-05:00Curry part 2 - Japanese curryIt may be a lowly, fast-food dish in Japan, often prepared from a sauce mix. Yet Japanese curry is one of my favorite Japanese dishes -- and one of my favorite curries.<br /><br />Its personality differs from the curries of India, Pakistan, and Malaysia. The best version I have found is at Kubo's Cafe in the Bellaire Chinatown.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSf69l2GzZrFOjOZW2OgARKjkS1HLk7x55w-oatmmntlObxqKigWgt0Zi-Uxbw26_EvIJLHvQ9ojcSJ8MoV4VIPa_2BQxVFUfQ0j3Pnil6T9CAMKnPbpWh7S9cr3EF_xvf1huMPA/s1600-h/Japanese+curry.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398430243890492034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSf69l2GzZrFOjOZW2OgARKjkS1HLk7x55w-oatmmntlObxqKigWgt0Zi-Uxbw26_EvIJLHvQ9ojcSJ8MoV4VIPa_2BQxVFUfQ0j3Pnil6T9CAMKnPbpWh7S9cr3EF_xvf1huMPA/s400/Japanese+curry.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Is it curry or is it roux?</strong><br /><br />The word "curry" is confusing. In Japan, there is a distinction between curry sauce and roux. The roux is the base and is often as simple as curry powder and flour cooked in oil. The roux is then used to make a curry sauce which includes other, chunkier, ingredients like meat or potatoes.<br /><br />Yet every version of Japanese "curry rice" that I ordered in the U.S. serves only the roux. Other ingredients -- rice, pickled vegetables and someimes a side protein -- are served on the side. At Kubo's, you can order just curry rice, or curry sauce with beef, chicken, pork katsu, or shrimp tempura.<br /><br /><strong>Curry with Japanese personality</strong><br /><br />Curry came to the Japanese via the Europeans, not from India. So you might look at Japanese curry as a dumbed-down, milder version of an Indian curry that appeals to an audience afraid of too much spice.<br /><br />But that is not how I look at it. Sure, the personality of Japanese curry couldn't be more different from the Malaysian dry curry I described in part 1. But the personality seems inherently Japanese.<br /><br />The texture is smooth and delicate, almost creamy. There are no lumps. The roux is, more than anything else, consistent.<br /><br />The flavors are beefy, mustardy, and slightly spicy. Yet no one flavor stands out. And every bite tastes exactly the same.<br /><br />The flavor is unified, and distinctive. If you did a blindfolded tasting of curries from 10 countries, the Japanese version would be easy to identify.<br /><br />This curry makes sense in light of the Japanese aesthetic, which values simplicity and an almost obsessive pursuit of perfection.<br /><br /><strong>Why do I like it so much?</strong><br /><br />I should prefer the intense spice, variety, and earthy grittiness of the Malaysian curry. But something about Japanese curry is more comforting, almost addictive.<br /><br />Perhaps it is the texture, almost exactly like my East Texan grandmother's cream gravy. But it also has something to do with that distinctive Japanese curry flavor.<br /><br />Unfortunately, Japanese curry rice has been hard to find in Houston. Most Japanese restaurants don't serve it -- since it isn't sushi. I became addicted to it 18 years ago in Boston, and have had a hard time finding it here ever since. Fortunately, Kubo's Cafe now serves 6 varieties, all with that same roux.<br /><br />If you like some heat, like I do, make sure you get one of the small red tubes containing Japanese crushed pepper. Ten or so dashes of pepper it just as hot as a curry from India or Pakistan.<br /><br />And nothing beats a spicy, smooth gravy.<br /><br /><strong>Next: Thai Curry</strong>anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-21564955775936006122009-10-30T09:54:00.004-05:002009-10-30T12:18:10.739-05:00Halloween QuizI'll get back to curry later today.<br /><br />For now, try this Halloween quiz: Can you guess what this dish is and what Houston restaurant was fearless enough to serve it last weekend?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTm4khk4Dm8mEoADjbfHJcmofSEST7X2IrWjkaPoM97CZt1xt_HWZhl_BxJiN_AkkhvzvDboD9KAUIL4mpft7g1Bi2BksUUHiKkwHKDuGjhdUUEy9O7PYX0Fx5z8HbvDRSCG-Xw/s1600-h/mystery+dish.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398406565260033506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTm4khk4Dm8mEoADjbfHJcmofSEST7X2IrWjkaPoM97CZt1xt_HWZhl_BxJiN_AkkhvzvDboD9KAUIL4mpft7g1Bi2BksUUHiKkwHKDuGjhdUUEy9O7PYX0Fx5z8HbvDRSCG-Xw/s400/mystery+dish.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />When I was in 5th grade, my school had a haunted house. My job was to prepare foods, like cold spaghetti in ketchup, that felt gross. Guests would stick their hands in a hole in a box and feel the foods. Of course, the guests were told that they were feeling something's (or someone's) cold organs.<br /><br />Is this dish the same sort of imitation? Or is it the real deal?<br /><br />(Hint: this dish was awfully tasty.)<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>UPDATE</strong>: The dish, served by the folks at Feast, was "cold pigs brains on toast with green sauce."<br /><br />It had a very mild liver-like flavor. The texture was glorious -- soft, moist, fluffy, almost gelatinous. It reminded me of a delicate, pate mousse.<br /><br />Of course, it looked exactly like brains -- which may explain why my wife placed a bite in her mouth, but simply could not swallow it.<br /><br />She missed out.anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-27955204909362430342009-10-28T13:22:00.005-05:002009-10-28T14:31:55.394-05:00Curry part 1 - dry Malaysian curry<strong>Thinking about curries</strong><br /><br />This is the time of year for spices. In summer, I avoid spice. It overpowers the garden flavors of summer vegetables and fresh herbs.<br /><br />But when the weather starts to get cold, I hit the spice cabinet.<br /><br />Last weekend, I did my annual spice cleaning and replacement. I noticed some spices that I had used very little -- fenugreek, turmeric, coriander. Those spices started me thinking about curry.<br /><br />As much as I love curries, the word curry is troubling. It raises a lot of questions:<br /><br />What is curry? Is it a blend of spices (or is that masala)? Or is it just a word for certain Asian sauces? If so, what is common to curry?<br /><br />Is the word just a Western oversimplification of flavors we don't quite understand? Or is there really a category of food that is rightfully called curry?<br /><br />I don't know the answers -- at least not yet. But I am going to try to find out.<br /><br /><strong>Malaysian dry curry</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixcYGixx7cXtrKZCm-e2lqEGjooLTjtOyGQSynqD46CRXd_kKovk7jhtyy2OF4eFwsWOijAZz4BjHCDfFU73nVZkASucQR7fc33sRrRPwZBwlpqngWDnR4kdUCD06lYSQLMcMpPQ/s1600-h/malay+curry.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397723574994557874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixcYGixx7cXtrKZCm-e2lqEGjooLTjtOyGQSynqD46CRXd_kKovk7jhtyy2OF4eFwsWOijAZz4BjHCDfFU73nVZkASucQR7fc33sRrRPwZBwlpqngWDnR4kdUCD06lYSQLMcMpPQ/s400/malay+curry.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Perhaps the best place to start thinking about curry is Malaysia.<br /><br />Malaysian dry curries strike me as the essence of curry. The gritty curry you get on beef rendang looks like coarse spices resting in a small amount of oil. The flavor is full of intense spices, but not particularly hot spices. Malaysian curry tastes primitive; it tastes of-the-earth.<br /><br />But the reality is a little more complicated than that.<br /><br />At <strong>Banana Leaf</strong> in the Bellaire Chinatown, I ordered Banana Leaf Curry Chicken. The plate consists of hacked up chunks of bone-in, dark meat with a rendang-like sauce.<br /><br />It is a dish that makes you focus on spice flavors. At one moment, the flavor is cardamom. Then ginger and garlic. And more than anything else, I taste the earthiness of cumin.<br /><br />This curry looks like a simple mix of spices cooked in in oil. But it is more complex. The base is coconut meat -- an ingredient whose flavor I don't detect in the final sauce. But coconut meat may explain the gritty texture. <br /><br />It also is not a simple dish. Malaysian curries are often cooked for a long time, sometimes hours.<br /><br /><strong>The curry's personality</strong><br /><br />My theory is that every curry has a personality. Sometimes the personality reflects the culture. Sometimes it may not.<br /><br />The personality of dry Malaysian curry is deceptively simple, basic, and masculine. Its texture is oily, gritty, primative. It changes from bite-to-bite as different spices step forward to assert themselves. Yet it is not a curry that allows any other flavor to dominate the raw earthiness of the spices. There is no sweet coconut here, no peppery heat -- just spice.<br /><br />This is a curry that demands one thing: "The spice must flow."<br /><br /><strong>Next: Japanese curry</strong>anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-63330606522193941582009-10-22T10:23:00.008-05:002009-10-22T11:29:34.063-05:00tiradito<strong>popping up everywhere</strong><br /><br />I had never heard of tiradito before summer 2008. Randy Rucker had returned from Peru and served this tilefish tiradito with lemon verbena, fennel blossoms, and kimchee consomme.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdA0PtQjpQ9O1F9jYQ3x95Q-5j_gBnDAKXadK9_95sXqF_oSnZPf6ddDN-TTPMswYOYwGF-cORomIgwX0omboCj_OarllvkJuFs-QtywQ59a2PpYuYc4slLZYRd85VX_SQ5dUDQ/s1600-h/Rucker+tiradito.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395447290636466898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdA0PtQjpQ9O1F9jYQ3x95Q-5j_gBnDAKXadK9_95sXqF_oSnZPf6ddDN-TTPMswYOYwGF-cORomIgwX0omboCj_OarllvkJuFs-QtywQ59a2PpYuYc4slLZYRd85VX_SQ5dUDQ/s400/Rucker+tiradito.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Since then, tiraditos have been popping up on menus around Texas. At Reef, Bryan Caswell has made famous this tiradito of sea bream with blackfin tuna bacon, green apple, and avocado:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4VcafgCvJZ4YDW4JS6uXc3VHEIcKnmFhGD1ae47QcDwLoo795E_hhu8c6Ky5AupDeKiGOOst9416WhlazLELL7YTLXEcr84HLdK_6rnsT0CK0i06UqglGh3OjRb1Tx7u6zBxxQ/s1600-h/tiradito+at+Reef.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395447205990536146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4VcafgCvJZ4YDW4JS6uXc3VHEIcKnmFhGD1ae47QcDwLoo795E_hhu8c6Ky5AupDeKiGOOst9416WhlazLELL7YTLXEcr84HLdK_6rnsT0CK0i06UqglGh3OjRb1Tx7u6zBxxQ/s400/tiradito+at+Reef.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />In Dallas last week, Stephan Pyles's menu offered three tiraditos, including these two: scallop and Spanish mackerel.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBGhDEUOi6SKCw-r_RtAkwcNxjI9FekOXLcu-sSAr-lg3L3bSQpZYtvab_6ZcTLjklQl8sZ5ITcKEsugFmoWC_akc_dBf2zao6cF08bzCdTbb5NZYBIpaA88OUdOpzwaWU1LpjA/s1600-h/tiradito+at+Piles.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395447125348247458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBGhDEUOi6SKCw-r_RtAkwcNxjI9FekOXLcu-sSAr-lg3L3bSQpZYtvab_6ZcTLjklQl8sZ5ITcKEsugFmoWC_akc_dBf2zao6cF08bzCdTbb5NZYBIpaA88OUdOpzwaWU1LpjA/s400/tiradito+at+Piles.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Several Dallas restaurants now serve tiradito. That makes sense. Dallas has one of the many outposts of Nobu. And Nobu has a lot to do with the history of tiradito in America.<br /><br /><strong>what is it?</strong><br /><br />Tiradito is a Peruvian raw seafood preparation that lies somewhere in between South American ceviche, Italian crudo, and Japanese sashimi.<br /><br />Typically, the fish is sliced thinly and marinated with lime juice, sometimes ginger, and sometimes hot pepper. Unlike ceviche, it does not use onions. Compared to ceviche, the flavor is delicate, and doesn't overwhelm the fish.<br /><br /><strong>a little background</strong><br /><br />Tiradito is relatively new. Although the Peruvians traditionally had access to fantastic seafood, they did not like it and rarely ate it. Only in the last half century has any seafood, much less raw seafood, starting appearing on Peruvian menus.<br /><br />In the early 1970s, Nobu Matsuhisa left his sushi apprenticeship in Japan to help run a sushi restaurant in Peru catering to Japanese immigrants.<br /><br />It was Nobu who helped popularize the tiradito. And it was Nobu who introduced it to the U.S. when he started opening restaurants here. Ever had that popular dish of yellowtail sashimi with citrus and japalapeno? You can thank Nobu and his brief Peruvian interlude for it.<br /><br />Unlike most of the U.S., Houston's connection with tiradito is not through Nobu, but direct from Peru. A few years ago, Michael Cordua took some young chefs, including Rucker, to Peru to learn about Peruvian cuisine. Those chefs returned with a lot of ideas about tiradito.<br /><br /><strong>styles</strong><br /><br />There is not much of a tiradito orthodoxy. So you see a wide range of styles.<br /><br />The Stephan Pyles's tiraditos were minimalist. The fish was treated delicately, with only a hint of other flavors. It worked, especially with the scallop.<br /><br />In contrast, Rucker and Caswell's tiraditos are more complex, and perhaps slightly more interesting. In their dishes, the marinated fish is only a component, combined with other ingredinets and flavors.<br /><br />Like ceviche, most tiraditos highlight raw fish with citrus. But unlike so much ceviche, a tiradito preparation does not use too much onion or sauce to cover up the fish. Tiradito preparation is better than ceviche, and is an interesting Latin alternative to crudo and sashimi.<br /><br /><strong>leche de tigre</strong><br /><br />At least one other idea Randy Rucker brought back from Peru was <strong>leche de tigre</strong>. Not for the faint of heart, leche de tigre is the juice byproduct from making a tiradito or ceviche.<br /><br />Leche de tigre is citrusy, fishy, and spicy. It is rumored to be a good cure for hangover, as well as a boost to, um, potency. It is the kind of drink that will grow hair on your chest. I wish more of these Texas chefs serving Peruvian raw fish also would serve us a shot of this wonderful juice.<br /></div>anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-35119671743747790502009-10-19T13:36:00.006-05:002009-10-19T13:50:46.952-05:00Reef photosI signed up for the food photography course when I learned it would be at Reef.<br /><br />I'm no photographer. But I couldn't miss the chance to shoot a few dishes at Reef during the day. At night, Reef may be Houston's worst restaurant for photos. Something about the lighting blurs every shot.<br /><br />Yet in the afternoon, with lots of natural light, Reef makes photos easy, even for a point-and-click novice like me.<br /><br />So here are some of Brian Caswell's greatest hits -- plus the man in the orange cap himself.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghp5AnS1B8xeGNPVi6IB3pMoSMDls2P775iW9xT-PCuWuNfsGRJiMAbb7NWNHSbZg-c0LY301YRajEf_PGhWUTZw32xaaqRzftwjWn5wrOxZhE1GZyhQhxOV0FbZpSNCSmzSlzw/s1600-h/tiradito.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394385192431556050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghp5AnS1B8xeGNPVi6IB3pMoSMDls2P775iW9xT-PCuWuNfsGRJiMAbb7NWNHSbZg-c0LY301YRajEf_PGhWUTZw32xaaqRzftwjWn5wrOxZhE1GZyhQhxOV0FbZpSNCSmzSlzw/s400/tiradito.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8kwNtRKLQebbEAGhgkIu4rBKRyuFF2SGwX6rA76P7IRciherbqTqPI7S_F9V7Kmtnbaj2zDIjvr4k2cKrwAPjg6b-rkGFxalioCagkiQSVVVgSGHiZPk99e79Nlw3H5tmIyE6Rw/s1600-h/Caswell+and+sliders.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394385088559123138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8kwNtRKLQebbEAGhgkIu4rBKRyuFF2SGwX6rA76P7IRciherbqTqPI7S_F9V7Kmtnbaj2zDIjvr4k2cKrwAPjg6b-rkGFxalioCagkiQSVVVgSGHiZPk99e79Nlw3H5tmIyE6Rw/s400/Caswell+and+sliders.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjh2g1lMtZ6NuEul4ve-HGasir3UO7A_UVCjVvbLE19LvfuruTLXhwieVfcjw2r4EOeqVb09bCDGO17oc2v4R6XMF9okmgedvbDWGABnO3QvrkM8DfmVB16iOYFncLnx-V2cq0_w/s1600-h/brocolini.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394385007361472274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 364px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjh2g1lMtZ6NuEul4ve-HGasir3UO7A_UVCjVvbLE19LvfuruTLXhwieVfcjw2r4EOeqVb09bCDGO17oc2v4R6XMF9okmgedvbDWGABnO3QvrkM8DfmVB16iOYFncLnx-V2cq0_w/s400/brocolini.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhkfzWA-apTU9oYKHUYr9YNbpvWaGTcMtNhciVn9nsA66mYhCatxJH1ebBxa_e6noUNzJxO6JdrjrsJI1Osmq0SlbxCA-C0bCXCIQ2ciCP9NgonuhvMQdnREuF459OaOw8EsuwA/s1600-h/amberjack+and+beets.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394384907561386466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 285px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhkfzWA-apTU9oYKHUYr9YNbpvWaGTcMtNhciVn9nsA66mYhCatxJH1ebBxa_e6noUNzJxO6JdrjrsJI1Osmq0SlbxCA-C0bCXCIQ2ciCP9NgonuhvMQdnREuF459OaOw8EsuwA/s400/amberjack+and+beets.JPG" border="0" /></a>anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-76772159773600168962009-10-01T09:13:00.011-05:002009-10-01T14:10:45.763-05:00Foam at Catalina Coffee<strong>More outstanding cappuccino foam</strong><br /><br /><strong>Waldo's</strong> foam <a href="http://foodinhouston.blogspot.com/2009/09/foam-at-waldos-coffee-house.html">impressed me</a> with it unruly, cotton-candy texture.<br /><br /><strong>Catalina Coffee's</strong> impresses with a different style of foam -- tightly focused and dense, with artistic patterns.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLy6FwK_F7W1na41ORI02w-UFkqPvJjZ_YWycs1Uw4ddPHN-rVQjNUKySWN1z5bSjmupNw-lA6NhIo7qHBYg-6s80GAxuRcBJA_4orE1B2UFJ0FnxkvWUqvuTBvgbind2kBw6mjA/s1600-h/catalina+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387634932537116722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLy6FwK_F7W1na41ORI02w-UFkqPvJjZ_YWycs1Uw4ddPHN-rVQjNUKySWN1z5bSjmupNw-lA6NhIo7qHBYg-6s80GAxuRcBJA_4orE1B2UFJ0FnxkvWUqvuTBvgbind2kBw6mjA/s400/catalina+2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The whole operation at Catalina Coffee on Washington Ave. is a little more serious, a little more sophisticated than Waldo's counter-culture aesthetic. Catalina's counter even features baked goods and a CD on display -- just like you-know-who.<br /><br />But like Waldo's, Catalina isn't Starbucks. The baristas are artists -- and individuals.<br /><br /><strong>Will it be art?</strong><br /><br />Catalina's <a href="http://catalinacoffeeshop.com/">web page</a> shows foam in the pattern of a heart. As you can see from the 1st photo, this morning, I got a leaf. Two days ago, there was no pattern other than a carefully constructed cylinder topped with a perfectly flat plateau.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKvTux_tGfaPfa2wpTQy62wcnOEcDw921ZVigJIdOURi8cHlxH60vECNUhZtLrsoAYd-8y92EaWZfocYLsuz9qqPBcxcT2_B28a3uDxqm_VVNYj8vsgXGCCoyBapD7lyjz6mYfA/s1600-h/catalina+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387635031526108706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKvTux_tGfaPfa2wpTQy62wcnOEcDw921ZVigJIdOURi8cHlxH60vECNUhZtLrsoAYd-8y92EaWZfocYLsuz9qqPBcxcT2_B28a3uDxqm_VVNYj8vsgXGCCoyBapD7lyjz6mYfA/s400/catalina+1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />If I go to Catalina often enough, will I get the same pattern twice? Or is every drink an individualized creation?<br /><br />Sure, visual patterns don't change the flavor. But they can make the coffee better. Drinking is a visual experience too.<br /><br /><strong>Why independent coffee houses matter</strong><br /><br />We shouldn't hate corporate coffee. American coffee is far better after Starbucks than it was before. Even McDonald's now serves decent coffee drinks.<br /><br />But every Starbucks cappuccino is essentially the same. As is every McDonald's cappuccino. They are assembly-line product that customers value for consistency.<br /><br />Wildly different, a cappuccino at Catalina or Waldo's is going to be the creation of an individual. It probably will taste a little better. Its beauty may even approach art.<br /><br />And it almost certainly will be more . . . human.<br /><div></div>anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-68105921194788402672009-09-26T11:12:00.008-05:002009-09-26T15:23:26.897-05:00Houston's new peasant food<strong>Vinoteca Poscol</strong> surprised me.<br /><br />I expected a trendy tapas / wine bar. I expected a cheaper casual version of Da Marco. I expected what Alison Cook called a "useful restaurant" with modest portions.<br /><br />And I expected more of a crowd.<br /><br />What I found was something far more interesting. Along with <strong>Feast</strong> and to a lesser degree <strong>Dolce Vita</strong>, Poscol is an example of a new type of food in Houston -- a revolutionary style that overturns our preconceptions about food.<br /><br />But with all the excitement, where are the masses? On recent Friday and Saturday nights, we easily got a table at 8 p.m. at Poscol with no reservation.<br /><br />Like Feast, a lot of people don't "get" Poscol. It doesn't match their idea of great cooking or fine dining. In fact, it goes against our culture's idea of fine dining.<br /><br />This isn't a review of Poscol. It is an argument for what I call new peasant food. And it's something of a manifesto. (Sorry.)<br /><br /><strong>What is new peasant food?</strong><br /><br />"Peasant food" may not be the best phrase. It may sound derogatory. It may unfairly suggest authenticity. But it is uesful for a related-set of ideas:<br /><br /><strong>1 - Under-appreciated, inexpensive ingredients</strong>. Peasant food is inherently cheap. Like poor people anywhere, European peasants made do with the ingredients they had -- left-over animal parts, easy-to-grow vegetables, simple grains. No precious ingredients. The feudal lord ate those.<br /><br /><strong>2 - Traditional preparation.</strong> The focus is often roasting, braising, cooking over a fire. (I suspect the guys at Feast, like Marco Wiles, know some pretty advanced techniques; you just don't see signs of it on the plate.)<br /><br /><strong>3 - Modest presentation.</strong> No abstract art here. Peasant food is usually slopped in a bowl or on a plate. It often isn't pretty.<br /><br />Examples? <strong>Bacala </strong>may be Poscol's best dish -- a gooey, unattractive casserole of salt cod served with toast. Salt cod is a cheap way to preserve a once cheap fish. It's a pre-modern version of canned fish. Yet this cheap dish explodes with flavor and a rich, creamy texture.<br /><br />Poscol's <strong>beet and hazelnut salad</strong> - These aren't expensive multi-colored baby beets. They are simple chunks of soft, red beets, simply roasted, and mixed with nuts and goat cheese.<br /><br />Poscol's <strong>Bruschetta</strong> - Poscol's offers 5 toasts topped with simple ingredients -- chicken liver, fava beans. Feast does something similar -- topping toast with chicken hearts, and chicken liver.<br /><br />Feast's <strong>roasts</strong>. Feast is the place in Houston for simple roasts with cheap cuts of meat (lamb leg, roasted pork belly) and cheap veggies, like potatoes and kale.<br /><br /><strong>Why peasant food?</strong><br /><br />I can see a lot of arguments for this type of food.<br /><br />One is environmental and economic. If you eat meat, it is cheaper and greener to eat the whole animal. Cheap produce has benefits too. Fava beans, potatoes, and rutabagas are less costly and environmentally damaging to produce -- and ship -- than black truffles or even California heirloom tomatoes.<br /><br />Another is argument is cultural. Modern cooking -- from standard cooking-school techniques to molecular gastronomy -- may be too far removed from our primal activity: foraging for food, cooking it on a fire, and eating.<br /><br />But for me, the real argument is this:<br /><br /><strong>It's all about the Revolution</strong><br /><br /><em>The best argument for new peasant food is its deconstructive/revolutionary effect</em>. American fine dining is still too constrained in its choice of ingredients. We still expect great restaurants to serve the same set of items: lobster, fillet mignon, sea bass, truffles, foie gras, morel mushrooms. So pricey restaurants almost all focus on these types of ingredients.<br /><br />Expensive ingredients are expensive because of supply and demand, not necessarily quality. For instance, in 19th c. New England it was a sign of poverty to eat lobster. In the 1970s, sport fishers in Canada would dispose of blue fin tuna after getting their photos taken with the fish because it had no market value. These ingredients are no better now than when they were dirt cheap. Similarly, cheap ingredients taste no worse simply because they are cheap.<br /><br />Expensive ingredients are a tool to fleece the customer. Because there isn't a huge supply of Hudson Valley foie gras, restaurants can charge us more for it. Pricey ingredients prop up the entire price restaurant cost structure. Sure, foie gras is really good. But so is chicken liver.<br /><br />Pricey ingredients are what customers have been conditioned to expect. That may be why some people have such a hostile reaction to Feast, and why Poscol isn't getting the crowds it should.<br /><br />When great chefs focus on cheap ingredients, it is an act of revolution. It is a way of opening our mind to foods right under our noses -- brilliant foods we have ignored because they lack social status.<br /><br />So please keep showing me what you guys can do with cabbage, turnips, and fava beans. As you drive around throwing bricks out windows, I am having a great time just being a passenger.<br /><br />And if some of you still don't get it, let me paraphrase George Clinton: "Free your mind and your palate will follow."anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-85401175009506077852009-09-25T09:12:00.006-05:002009-09-25T11:06:52.698-05:00New Food MediaA few recent developments in Houston food media:<br /><br /><strong>Southbound Food Radio</strong><br /><br />Would you believe <em>the</em> best new source of information about Houston restaurants is on . . . AM sports radio?<br /><br />Southbound Food is a weekly radio show about Houston restaurants with three great hosts:<br /><br /><strong>Bryan Caswell</strong>: chef and co-owner of Reef and Little Bigs<br /><strong>Lance Zierlien</strong>: Houston's best am sports radio host (I'm a longtime listener)<br /><strong>Jenny Wang</strong>: the shining star at the center of Houston's Chowhound and blogger scene<br /><br />I just discovered Southbound's <a href="http://www.southboundfood.com/Podcasts.html">podcsts</a>, which include Randy Rucker explaining why he left Rainbow Lodge and new restaurants by John Tesar and Tony Vallone.<br /><br />These are not only informative. They are a huge amount of fun.<br /><br /><strong>Fearless Critic's new restaurant guide<br /></strong><br />A few years ago, I mentioned the first Fearless Critic Houston Restaurant Guide. Its reviews were mostly written by local chefs.<br /><br />The <a href="http://houston.fearlesscritic.com/">new 2010 edition </a>has just been released. This time, the new reviews were written mostly by Houston bloggers -- with a serious amount of editing.<br /><br /><em>Disclaimer</em>: I was one of those bloggers. I will not make any money off the book. But it would be unfair for me to review it.<br /><br />I'll leave you to decide: are reviews better written by professional chefs or amateur bloggers?<br /><br /><strong>Houston's food blogs: dying or just changing?</strong><br /><br />Last year, Houston food blogs exploded. As Fearless Critic editor, Robin Goldstein, told me, Houston had the most exciting food blog scene outside of New York. And Houston's scene was more of a community than New York.<br /><br />This year, the air seems to be rushing out the bubble. Many amateur food blogs have gone silent. Others are published less frequently. And they are less adventuresome.<br /><br />Some of the bloggers have gone professional. The Houston Press hired several oustanding bloggers -- which is both a good and bad thing. On one hand, the Press's <a href="http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/">Eating our Words</a> has frequent posts and is a great source of information. It may now be Houston's best food blog. On the other hand, you can feel the corporate control. Writers have to write a minimum number of posts. And the style is not as idiosyncratic as an amateur blog.<br /><br />Of course, the same thing has happened to me. Although I'm not paid, I put more energy this year into Fearless Critic than this blog. The Fearless Critic had style guidelines. And my style changed to comply.<br /><br />One by one, the bloggers have been co-opted by for-profit ventures. And the blogs have changed.<br /><br />The energy also has diffused because so many bloggers now spend their time on Twitter. Twitter makes blogs seem wordy, old-fashioned, and old media.<br /><br />Worse there has been a lot of public criticism about food blogs in Houston, including a rumor that food bloggers demand free food from restaurants. I seriously doubt that rumor is true, but the charges hurt the community. <br /><br />Our food blogs have lost the high energy, DIY ethic of 2008 when we all did it solely for the love of food. <br /><br />Perhaps food blogs will continue in a style that is more informed, restrained, and mature. Or perhaps the halcyon days of Houston's amateur blogs are over.anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-46787602862224644362009-09-24T08:55:00.009-05:002009-09-24T10:21:55.116-05:00Zoe's Kitchen and a rant about BS chicken breasts<strong>Zoe's Kitchen</strong><br /><br /><strong><a href="http://www.zoeskitchen.com/">Zoe's Kitchen</a></strong> is a chain with over 25 locations across the South. They have two in Houston: Washington Ave. and S. Shepherd near 59.<br /><br />The chain's "philosophy" is "simple, close-to-the-garden ingredients."<br /><br />Great idea, right?<br /><br />On my first two visits, I read the menu and left. Nothing sounded interesting. It was filled with chicken salad, chicken salad and fruit plate, grilled chicken kabobs, grilled chicken pita, grilled chicken dinner, and "protein power plate" (with grilled chicken).<br /><br />Finally, a friend drug me here, and I found something I liked well enough -- grilled chicken breast with sides of grilled vegetables and white beans.<br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhD1VmGh_ypmJM0Yq79ULD0BbqqQxhZm7LNY9pq_QciZkdYiJIVPycOWwLOY5ZbO6PBoMk8mCnEgZxvFjN0kYtF0MYhXXVI5g_4_hYPfBAP6YEBV9IoXdJVqkSI0bai4ecm5EuIA/s1600-h/IMG00167.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385033980802197842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 278px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhD1VmGh_ypmJM0Yq79ULD0BbqqQxhZm7LNY9pq_QciZkdYiJIVPycOWwLOY5ZbO6PBoMk8mCnEgZxvFjN0kYtF0MYhXXVI5g_4_hYPfBAP6YEBV9IoXdJVqkSI0bai4ecm5EuIA/s400/IMG00167.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />It is rare to find fast-food white beans. These were full of flavor -- garlic, rosemary. But the beans had been cooked too long. Imagine the texture of runny mashed potatoes. Still, they tasted pretty darn good.<br /><br />The grilled vegetables had a smoky flavor and an al dente texture. They had not been cooked too long.<br /><br />The center of the dish was Zoe's "power protein" -- a grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast. Or as I call it, <strong>BS chicken</strong>. It was coated with olive oil and some flavorful herbs. As BS chicken goes, it isn't bad.<br /><br /><strong>The problem with BS chicken breasts</strong><br /><br />This dish left me wondering: why do so many Americans prefer BS chicken breasts?<br /><br />If you care about flavor, and you have cooked many chickens, you learn a few things:<br /><br /><strong>1 - Dark meat has more flavor</strong>. Ok, I understand that the world is divided between white meat fans and dark meat fans. But it is beyond dispute that dark meat have more concentrated chicken flavor. If you want to get "close to the garden," that is what chicken tastes like.<br /><br /><strong>2 - Chicken tastes better when cooked on the bone with skin.</strong> Even if you don't eat the skin, cooking with skin and bone improves flavor. They add meatiness, protect the meat, and prevent drying. If you take off the skin, then you need to compensate with a lot of oil.<br /><br />In short, BS chicken breast is chicken without all the flavor.<br /><br /><strong>Why BS chicken?</strong><br /><br />Sure, a lot of people argue that BS chicken breasts are healthier. But I doubt the difference is very significant. I also think there are two other real reasons Americans prefer BS chicken:<br /><br />1 - BS chicken fans <em>are afraid of meat</em>. They are the same people who don't eat a fish with the head. They fear body parts like skin and bone.<br /><br />2 - Many BS chicken fans think of meat as "Protein Power" -- a industrially-produced substance divorced from the animal that created it. These are often the same people who drink protein shakes. The blander the better. For them, food's sole value is nutrition -- not enjoyment, not art.<br /><br />BS chicken fans might as well be eating soylent green.<br /><br /><strong>End of my rant</strong><br /><br />For a chain, Zoe's isn't bad. Some side dishes are pretty tasty.<br /><br />I only wish that more restaurants would at least give us a choice:<br /><br />Can't you at least offer dark meat?<br /><br />And can't you serve some chicken that isn't BS?</p>anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-51783069185195234972009-09-23T09:12:00.006-05:002009-09-23T10:07:40.833-05:00Mole loco<strong>Mole: a recipe for creativity</strong><br /><br />At some point, my favorite sauce became mole -- but not all mole.<br /><br />The problem is that mole is something of a generic term that refers to a wide variety of Mexican sauces. For instance, <strong>Pico's</strong> serves 3 moles, all very different. Pico's <strong>mole negro</strong> may be the best version of Mole I have found in Houston.<br /><br />The most common mole here is <strong>mole poblano</strong>. It typically mixes dozens of ingredients -- almost always a variety of chile peppers, and sometimes dashes of exotic elements like peanuts and chocolate.<br /><br />Perhaps because of the variety of ingredients, there are an infinite number of mole recipes. For most Mexican chefs, the goal is a mole that is not dominated by any one ingredient. Rather it is a balance, with a flavor all its own.<br /><br /><strong>Mole gone wild</strong><br /><br />Of course, strange things happen to a dish in America. Many Houston restaurants are pushing the mole envelope, adding more sugar, more peanut butter. For instance, <strong>Teala's</strong> mole tastes like Thai peanut sauce. It's not bad. But is it mole?<br /><br />So we all knew what would inevitably happen: someone was going to push the envelope with chocolate.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBTafXHEJ-sB2weasMlUapx4305yCHOtUiQrxl5VoAAhKNSPGF_7DTAs0gqQgZGzawVi6rKaqa1bhoYyN3MGyR0f_D0nW15ExtBUjKfx0qImOqSmYuWWJERnfpLzmlx_0dmSWBA/s1600-h/cielo+mole.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384666112903808722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBTafXHEJ-sB2weasMlUapx4305yCHOtUiQrxl5VoAAhKNSPGF_7DTAs0gqQgZGzawVi6rKaqa1bhoYyN3MGyR0f_D0nW15ExtBUjKfx0qImOqSmYuWWJERnfpLzmlx_0dmSWBA/s400/cielo+mole.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.bellarestaurants.com/cielo/pdf/cielo_menu.pdf"><strong>Cielo Mexican Bistro</strong></a> - Downtown on Main - serves a chocolate mole sauce. Note that the word chocolate is first. <br /><br />I hadn't noticed mole on the menu. But when I ordered a spinach and sweet potato enchiladas, the waiter said I had a choice of three sauces. One of them was "chocolate mole."<br /><br />The problem with giving a choice to guests like me is that we don't always make good choices. I chose chocolate mole. For some reason I thought it might work with sweet potatoes.<br /><br />In fairness, these enchilladas might appeal to some people -- such as people who have a huge sweet tooth. The filling was heavy on sweet potato, and very sweet. The mole was also sweet. Really Sweet. Really Chocolatey.<br /><br />It tasted like a chocolate rugelach -- or the inside of a chocolate croissant. Only a few slices of raw red onion cut through the overwhelming wave of chocolate and sugar.<br /><br />This was, without a doubt, the sweetest, and strangest, mole I have tried.<br /><br />Then the irony. After I pushed the remainder of the dish away, the waiter asked me if I saved room for dessert.<br /><br />"Dessert? I just ate it."anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-81049440595640891802009-09-20T11:04:00.006-05:002009-09-21T07:46:53.954-05:00Lola at breakfast<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjUgXikFc45SKYh9GDScM1796qa-OlQ8GW931aJHyobj533S6RCXXX6E9ZO3G0fqH5a_07hFJHuZlall1hXto1wb5iBkZYnGeB30UXK4-hk9yjDV-W2jbGr6J323G8ZqzXCEzlQ/s1600-h/Lola,+Breakfast.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383581189028845650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjUgXikFc45SKYh9GDScM1796qa-OlQ8GW931aJHyobj533S6RCXXX6E9ZO3G0fqH5a_07hFJHuZlall1hXto1wb5iBkZYnGeB30UXK4-hk9yjDV-W2jbGr6J323G8ZqzXCEzlQ/s400/Lola,+Breakfast.JPG" /></a><br /><strong>Ken Bridge</strong><br /><br />Houston is going be hearing a lot about Ken Bridge.<br /><br />Another blogger recently called him "<a href="http://fredeatshouston.typepad.com/wwwfredeatshoustoncom/2009/07/lola-lola.html">a genius</a>." Of course, he's not a genius like Marco Wiles or Scott Tycer. He's more a genius like Tillman Fertito -- but in an Inner Loop sort of way.<br /><br />There are 2 secrets to his success.<br /><br />1 - Bridge knows his target: the Inner Loop's mid market. His restaurants -- Dragon Bowl, Pink's Pizza, and now Lola -- identify under-served niches and exploit them. His food is rarely great, but almost always good.<br /><br />A few years ago, I called Dragon Bowl's dishes <a href="http://foodinhouston.blogspot.com/2006/09/dragon-bowl-asian-bistro.html">"clueless" but "fun."</a> Yet now I eat there at least once a month. It isn't authentic Asian food, but it has the flavors to make me return.<br /><br />2 - Bridge believes in hard work. I've seen him stir frying veggies at Dragon Bowl, spinning pizza dough at Pink's, and now manning the griddle at Lola's. When he opens a restuarant, he becomes a line cook. And he stays until he knows everything is going just right.<br /><br />So this morning I found Bridge flipping pancakes at the newly opened Lola. A bead of sweat was dangling from his chin. His nearly shaven head was glistening. He was working hard, really hard.<br /><br /><strong>Lola - pricey diner food</strong><br /><br />At Yale and 11th, Lola is Bridge's diner-concept restuarnat -- imagine something in between Houston's cheesy 59 Diner and San Francisco's upscale Fog City Diner.<br /><br />Or think of it as an Inner Loop Denny's -- just a whole lot better.<br /><br />The breakfast menu is exactly what you expect: omelets, huevos rancheros, pancakes, chicken fried steak. Dinner includes meat loaf, flank steak, braised pok ribs, and miso sea bass. And lunch runs from burgers to a roast-beef-debris sandwich.<br /><br />The pricing is aggressive. An omelet is $11. Pancakes, $9. A burger, $10 -- plus an extra buck for cheese! Dinner prices are closer to what you might expect -- $12 - $18.<br /><br />At first the pricing surprised me. But then I thought Bridge must know what he is doing. He knows that people will pay a 50% mark-up for higher quality. And Lola may be his highest quality venture yet.<br /><br /><strong>A plate of eggs</strong><br /><br />"Breakfast Lola" is the basic Houston breakfast -- eggs, bacon, grits and bacon ($11).<br /><br />I was most impressed with the grits - consistently textured and flavored with parmesan. Grits work best with some salt and and a little fat. Some of Houston's better grits (for example, Breakfast Klub) do that with butter. But Bridge does it with parmesan. It is one of the best bowls of grits in town.<br /><br />The eggs were good quality, but too watery for my "over easy" order. Of course, it is hard to fault a kitchen serving a huge crowd after having been open for two days.<br /><br />Applewood smoked maple bacon was far more flavorful than most diner bacon. And the sourdough bread was better than most diner toast.<br /><br />Even the coffee was noticeably richer, smoother, and higher quality than the vast majority of Houston breakfast joints.<br /><br /><strong>Why Lola will do well</strong><br /><br />I will report again after I eat some lunches and dinners here. But this one simple breakfast plate proves to me that Lola will be a hit. There are times when everyone -- even funky Heights residents -- craves basic diner food.<br /><br />Most Heights residents won't eat at Denny's. And most Heights breakfast joints are lousy. So Lola fills a gap.<br /><br />Bridge is pushing simple, comfort food to a crowd who is hungry for it. He knows that if he increases the quality, he can get people to pay a lot more for it.<br /><br />Bravo, dude.anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-63836872416013709722009-09-18T10:34:00.008-05:002009-09-18T15:59:24.142-05:00Fish heads, almond soup, cheese or font<strong>Looking dinner in the eye</strong><br /><br />A few years ago, a reader asked where to find whole fish in Houston. Historically, Houston restaurants have limited themselves to filets of fish - with good reason. Some people freak out when they are served anything that still has eyes.<br /><br />My thought? If I am going to eat a creature, I need to be willing to look it in the eye and cut it up myself.<br /><br /><strong>Ibiza - stand-up fish</strong><br /><br />Last weekend, Ibiza served a Mediterranean fish (bream?) with a fascinating presentation. They managed to use the fish collar to prop it standing up on the plate.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHsmbyV38_LcZk6gBDNZB__58aXp6AT7URdxPtSDkWQ9Io06kkn00q5JNG-YKkOXcoiVLy-gVbr-83YGUZTb4dYje1qFAp7WqG1atGyKQNo7RNwcVVrehkzl75gOAylvVLIfz0w/s1600-h/Ibiza+fish.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382833485447297282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHsmbyV38_LcZk6gBDNZB__58aXp6AT7URdxPtSDkWQ9Io06kkn00q5JNG-YKkOXcoiVLy-gVbr-83YGUZTb4dYje1qFAp7WqG1atGyKQNo7RNwcVVrehkzl75gOAylvVLIfz0w/s400/Ibiza+fish.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Not only was this visually striking, but it avoided the problem of having to flip the fish over midway through the meal. Architecturally, this may be the best way to serve a whole fish - so long as you can keep it standing up.<br /><br /><strong>Feast - giant fish head</strong><br /><br />It is one thing to eat a fish with a head attached. It is another to eat a fish with a head as big as yours.<br /><br />Feast, as always, raises the presentation stakes. Last night, they served a roasted pompano head. The giant head took up a whole plate. It's giant eye stared at me.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCaFY1nYptkWekcI5y-k2h-Xur1z4UQEJp3Bx1CiRMVNkOCsObNuM5v4_cebNCDN-dSqLvJqjWpILHIsr2Z1uto2qBRRa8FAQsnI2kZP26YZDBXq-1HM_ivtAXr6aWYhSAMr8Dog/s1600-h/feast+fish.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382833346897663858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCaFY1nYptkWekcI5y-k2h-Xur1z4UQEJp3Bx1CiRMVNkOCsObNuM5v4_cebNCDN-dSqLvJqjWpILHIsr2Z1uto2qBRRa8FAQsnI2kZP26YZDBXq-1HM_ivtAXr6aWYhSAMr8Dog/s400/feast+fish.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Although it was a starter, there was enough meat in the cheeks and top and back of the head to make a whole meal. The deliciously oily fish was accented with lemon and sprigs of thyme.<br /><br /><strong>Almond soup</strong><br /><br />Feast also is serving a fascinating chilled almond soup. Although it tastes creamy and decadent, there is no cream. The secret is almonds and high-quality olive oil -- with a few sliced grapes and a hint of garlic. This Spanish dish is as tasty as it is beautiful.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocnRRVAolnIw46JV-3not4ZlWBKJwXloFJElxCMxf8LQc2rcM0Ytpqvn3CrfaHszbn83TLT_A7qpWYdjD0rLzxMqNLyh1fuFnOAK1TPiNHBf6TE_mUKb5hqM_4yAiB1l4Btm0SA/s1600-h/almond+soup.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382833093507720466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocnRRVAolnIw46JV-3not4ZlWBKJwXloFJElxCMxf8LQc2rcM0Ytpqvn3CrfaHszbn83TLT_A7qpWYdjD0rLzxMqNLyh1fuFnOAK1TPiNHBf6TE_mUKb5hqM_4yAiB1l4Btm0SA/s400/almond+soup.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Cheese or font</strong><br /><br />Think you know cheese? Can you tell which words are cheese names and which are the names of type fonts? Then see how well you do with this <a href="http://cheeseorfont.mogrify.org/">time-consuming game</a>.<br /><br /><strong>Transitions and Turmoil</strong><br /><br />I have heard a lot of restaurant news and rumors lately:<br /><br />-Jason Gould left <strong>Gravitas</strong>.<br /><br />-<strong>Bedford</strong> closed.<br /><br />-Brian Caswell and the owners of <strong>Reef</strong> are opening a new Italian restaurant in Bedford's location. Jason Gould is rumored to be involved.<br /><br />-Randy Rucker left <strong>Rainbow Lodge</strong>.<br /><br />-The owners of <strong>Glass Wall </strong>are rumored to be opening a burger shop in the Heights possibly named <strong>Burgerzilla</strong>.<br /><br />-Randy Evans' <strong>Haven</strong> is coming soon.<br /><br />-Ken Bridge (<strong>Dragon Bowl</strong>, <strong>Pink's Pizza</strong>) is opening a new restaurant called <strong>Lola</strong> at Yale and 11th. I heard it opened today.<br /><br />It's going to be an interesting fall. </div></div>anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-39576326492891969552009-09-17T15:23:00.006-05:002009-10-01T09:41:18.391-05:00Foam at Waldo's Coffee House<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENN4wFP7yLjLwGdgKV94-oLybGM46Xp6nExfIZXZzQXzKyJgK8eTofUGmKzZBoVDF3KkTjv93pBCNs7sn7-Zv2HO5polxH3TgR3Cst0u5_mXwg7w9C_kUXkRrV7jkXfc8QpPWUQ/s1600-h/waldo's.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382538039316486130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENN4wFP7yLjLwGdgKV94-oLybGM46Xp6nExfIZXZzQXzKyJgK8eTofUGmKzZBoVDF3KkTjv93pBCNs7sn7-Zv2HO5polxH3TgR3Cst0u5_mXwg7w9C_kUXkRrV7jkXfc8QpPWUQ/s400/waldo's.jpg" border="0" /></a> I finally found the anti-Starbucks.<br /><br /><strong>Waldo's Coffee House</strong> on Heights Boulevard is as un-corporate as you can imagine. From the front door, you walk into a living room with tables, chairs, furniture. To order, you have to find your way through the house back to the small kitchen.<br /><br /><strong>Good Foam</strong><br /><br />I asked the barista what she does best. "Cappucino. I make good foam."<br /><br />Sure enough, she makes a very interesting cappuccino -- about 1/2 foam. It's thick, really thick. Nothing like Starbucks - or any other mega-chain.<br /><br />Unlike a lot of independent coffee houses, this is not a work of art with designs like fern leaves. No, this is clumpy, almost cotton-candy like foam. The appeal is not visual, but textural. The thick foam may not appeal to everyone, but I like it.<br /><br /><strong>A question of technique?<br /></strong><br />I quizzed her on about her foaming technique. "It's in the wrist." She grinned facetiously, then tried to give a few real answers. First she explained that she was trained by an European chef who knew how to make good cappuccino. Then she said that she experimented with technique for a while to get the best texture "because I know what I like."<br /><br />If I were in her shoes, I would narrow it to just one good story and run with it.<br /><br />Because a lot of people are going to be asking how she makes this foam.anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-31695529548624689812009-09-15T17:01:00.011-05:002009-09-16T14:16:24.540-05:00Chez Roux - elegance in an inelegant land<strong>A beautiful restaurant on Lake Conroe?</strong><br /><br />When I think of Lake Conroe, I think of beer joints and all-you-can-eat buffets. The last thing I think is fine dining.<br /><br />Perhaps that is why it took me a year to go to <strong>Chez Roux</strong> - a restaurant full of contradictions and surprises. The restaurant is in a gorgeous new structure next to the La Torretta Del Lago Resort.<br /><br />The design is contemporary -- and focused on the product. The first thing you see in the center of the room is a giant, glass-enclased room with floor-to-ceiling wine racks, filled with wine. The next thing you notice is all the activity in the open kitchen. You can see parts of the kitchen from almost anywhere in the restaurant.<br /><br />It feels like a high-end restaurant in London or New York. It feels like the last thing you would ever find on Lake Conroe.<br /><br /><strong>Minimalist preparation, concentrated flavors</strong><br /><br />The food is contemporary, simple, and ingredient-focused. Most impressive is the concentration of flavors. The kitchen must have a Wonkavision device that shrinks big dishes to tiny bites, concentrating the flavor.<br /><br />Consider this tiny <strong>pork belly beignet with grain mustard ice cream and turnip salad:</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53e8SGhBIkZ5og8v3fMZjKQYHX9fkaUlCqR9ftoh1xvvyix-aaWygzjRYtoqLZaw_IxFtv0VUB_L7i9Jg2XufJ1MC9CBFor5tEVGoFs6Y8QjrlHUv4o0ACrThYsnflvgH_L7BsA/s1600-h/pork.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381819293403847778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53e8SGhBIkZ5og8v3fMZjKQYHX9fkaUlCqR9ftoh1xvvyix-aaWygzjRYtoqLZaw_IxFtv0VUB_L7i9Jg2XufJ1MC9CBFor5tEVGoFs6Y8QjrlHUv4o0ACrThYsnflvgH_L7BsA/s400/pork.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />The cylinder of pork was about the size of a silver dollar. Yet the pork flavor was intense and accentuated -- not overcome -- by cumin. Similarly concentrated was the mustard flavor of the ice cream.<br /><br />My wife passed me her <strong>Peeky Toe Maine stone crab with an asparagus and pea salad</strong>. She wanted to see if the crab "tasted ok." It was some of the most flavorful crab I have tried. She was concerned because it had a strong sea flavor -- and so much of the crab we have in Houston is bland and flavorless.<br /><br />She was tasting the real flavor of crab for the first time.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLVh-363ecTYPvf5jv2HYTMsSeJmpsf6C19hnX_gIYcvn1y2A_LQFM2t6UR5fdkg6T7XXnDDED3fVIvZr4hGT12Z1QAYeZT1RSHSGaCnaL_j2usuf3hnKrwxc5DAlKz6rOteLcQ/s1600-h/crab.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381819218659215218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLVh-363ecTYPvf5jv2HYTMsSeJmpsf6C19hnX_gIYcvn1y2A_LQFM2t6UR5fdkg6T7XXnDDED3fVIvZr4hGT12Z1QAYeZT1RSHSGaCnaL_j2usuf3hnKrwxc5DAlKz6rOteLcQ/s400/crab.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Despite a few dabs of foam and chives, the crab was served without any accents. It didn't need them. Nor did these beautifully seared <strong>Massachusetts sea scallops</strong>:<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkH8mwF0KGENI53URmiTj7LPEKIdavLWGPEtNBSJko1jSaWvXbRdZAMQmP12j_PbCBG9JPGbMQ0cHYXtompo1yRP0v7KKhyfzj6UTA2yAaMkz4sg5Us-iQeVumEEn5oK4vyHb4A/s1600-h/scallops.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381819128898574658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkH8mwF0KGENI53URmiTj7LPEKIdavLWGPEtNBSJko1jSaWvXbRdZAMQmP12j_PbCBG9JPGbMQ0cHYXtompo1yRP0v7KKhyfzj6UTA2yAaMkz4sg5Us-iQeVumEEn5oK4vyHb4A/s400/scallops.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Sea bass</strong> was nicely prepared with flaky flesh and crispy skin. But the flavor star of the dish was a "fondue" of green olives and vanilla gastric. The simple, punget flavors married well with the interesting textures of the fish.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xshqOnWI9kBhUy1_LEo7SWpStUDcLH26hINGaIzDk8IcmWwKMenWg6PkdpfaEHi3BYkHpDQ8SHf2jdimLOcDhWCilW2N0CG774kkODL-Oe-z_H2K3efroKIyc0pl9vTTeynGBg/s1600-h/sea+bass.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381819053702098130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xshqOnWI9kBhUy1_LEo7SWpStUDcLH26hINGaIzDk8IcmWwKMenWg6PkdpfaEHi3BYkHpDQ8SHf2jdimLOcDhWCilW2N0CG774kkODL-Oe-z_H2K3efroKIyc0pl9vTTeynGBg/s400/sea+bass.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Where the heck are we?</strong><br /><br />As I ate these dishes, I kept having to pinch myself as a reminder that we were still on Lake Conroe -- not transported by magic to London or Paris.<br /><br />Yet there were reminders of Lake Conroe.<br /><br />As we entered the restaurant, a noticeably drunk group stumbled in behind us. They carried plastic cups full of beer. Their shirts were untucked and they were red-faced from a day of golfing, boating and drinking Bud on the Lake. They slurred their words with boozy Texas accents. Then the bedraggled group was seated at the best seat in the house -- the Chef's table ($800 minimum).<br /><br />Our charming waitress had a thick Texas twang, which she tried to cover with some faux European pronunciations. I thought she might be from Louisiana. It turns out that she was from Montgommery, Texas -- a small town on the banks of Lank Conroe.<br /><br />The tables near us weren't ordering the same delicate dishes of crab and sea bass. No, they ordered the $96 Black Angus rib eye, more than 2 lbs. of thick meat.<br /><br />It fit the stereotype: rich Texans without taste who love a giant steak.<br /><br />I'm no snob. A giant steak can be glorious. It just isn't what I would order here.<br /><br /><strong>The only thing wrong is the place</strong><br /><br />Chez Roux is one of the best restaurants in the Houston area. But it doesn't fit. It belongs in the middle of one of the world's great cities. It appeals to the sensibilities of that audience.<br /><br />But these fancy ingredients cooked in French style ain't ever gonna appeal to the Lake Conroe crowd. And it is hard to see the restaurant changing the crowd that goes to Lake Conroe.<br /><br />I only hope that time proves me wrong. <div></div></div></div></div>anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-2877738264167352772009-08-27T14:03:00.003-05:002009-08-27T16:00:14.405-05:00tacos a go-go<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPf9bg4K5VnnXoS9BiMKTA2qyceNo9g2F8HVijlHHcKR_K0mgp5c3heoB3OlppE3Xd4M5Bpt2vFEoYxfK7oVUXEqcvU0JZKE8ztf2rjVTu8VJkMxvKlsVlczkoJpy53Ebd8SYZQ/s1600-h/2+tacos+a+go-go.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374721468279804498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPf9bg4K5VnnXoS9BiMKTA2qyceNo9g2F8HVijlHHcKR_K0mgp5c3heoB3OlppE3Xd4M5Bpt2vFEoYxfK7oVUXEqcvU0JZKE8ztf2rjVTu8VJkMxvKlsVlczkoJpy53Ebd8SYZQ/s400/2+tacos+a+go-go.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://tacosagogo.com/">Tacos A Go-Go</a> is a little taco shop next to the Continental Club on Main. It has been getting a lot of attention in the press. Like its neighbor, the interior tries hard to channel an Austin vibe -- colorful decor and kitschy artifacts, including a shrine to the virgin surrounded with Christmas lights, and a giant bust of carmen Miranda.<br /><br />When a place looks like that, I get suspicious about the food.<br /><br />Fortunately, the food turns out to be pretty tasty. A <strong>chorizo breakfast taco</strong> was loaded with a generous serving of egg and sausage. For lunch, a <strong>carne guisada taco had</strong> large chunks of tender, stewed beef in a light-textured gravy.<br /><br />I have had more flavorful chorizo elsewhere. And the guisada could have used some more cumin. Yet the quality of both tacos was far above average. And the hot red and green salsas will help if you are looking for more flavor.<br /><br />The big surprise is <strong>barbacoa</strong>. After one bite I knew the flavor wasn't beef. It was my favorite meat -- lamb. It has the texture of the best taco-truck tacos, yet it is the gamey flavor of lamb that takes it over the top.<br /><br />For my admittedly warped palate, this is as good as barbacoa gets.anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-55662236615725395752009-08-14T10:00:00.004-05:002009-08-19T10:18:42.143-05:00tall sandwiches, egg on topIf it happens once, it is an oddity. But when it happens twice, it's a movement.<br /><br />Gravitas and Beaver's are serving narrow sandwiches that are so tall -- at least 5 inches high -- that neither will fit in your mouth. And both are topped with a messy fried egg.<br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKZI0rBH3XfnsanQ_4aTd0X0cP9QJXSNODRKo5eqQAj7avS4RC0imDfM70b6o9EfeBXog5iv_N-yUVcKm3ZDZfeISxw5EKTrcKIxtw30WcK1msE8bKRmclXYMb-_MdBhL4JouIQ/s1600-h/IMG00148.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369834846087063906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKZI0rBH3XfnsanQ_4aTd0X0cP9QJXSNODRKo5eqQAj7avS4RC0imDfM70b6o9EfeBXog5iv_N-yUVcKm3ZDZfeISxw5EKTrcKIxtw30WcK1msE8bKRmclXYMb-_MdBhL4JouIQ/s400/IMG00148.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Gravitas's Aussie Burger</strong><br /><br />Gravitas's <strong>Aussie Burger</strong> comes on a thick but narrow Kaiser roll, with a thick but narrow meat patty. Then it is stacked high with lettuce, tomato, beets (!), pineapple(!!), and an sunny-side-up egg (!!!).<br /><br />I wasn't sure how to eat this burger. It did not come close to fitting in my mouth. So I tried cutting it with fork and knife. But that created an unwieldy mess that wasn't really a burger. Ultimately I had to eat the component parts separately.<br /><br />The combination of flavors was intriguing, even if it was difficult to eat them all at the same time. The meat was juicy. And the whole thing <a href="http://blogs.chron.com/cookstour/archives/2009/07/burger_friday_a_3.html">looked stunning</a>. But architecturally, it was a mess.<br /><br />Would I order it again? Heck yeah.<br /><br />Sadly, Gravitas's chef, Jason Gould announced his departure last week on Twitter. I hope he isn't leaving town and taking his tall burgers with him.<br /><br /><strong>Beaver's Pit Boss Chickwich </strong>(pictured above)<br /><br />This sandwich is almost as tall, topped by a fried egg, and extraordinarily messy. But the very architecture is an admission that you can't eat this one by hand. And that's ok.<br /><br />Jonathan Jones' chickwich mixes shredded chicken with a spicy barbecue sauce. The bottom bun lays on top of a layer of sweetly dressed cabbage slaw. The chicken is topped with slices of jalapeno, an over-easy egg, and some thin, crunchy onion rings.<br /><br />This sandwich simply can't be eaten by hand. The bottom bun is soaked by dressing from the slaw on one side and the sloppy chicken on the other.<br /><br />Unlike the Aussie burger, this one was easier to eat by fork because the component parts were smaller and soggier. You could get a bit of chicken, slaw, egg, bun, and jalapeno in every bite.<br /><br /><strong>A philosophical movement?</strong><br /><br />What's behind these impossibly tall sandwiches topped with an egg?<br /><br />These chefs, like me, may be sick of the tiny little sliders, which are so cute and can be popped in your mouth in one bite.<br /><br />In contrast, these behemoths aren't cute. And they can't be popped in your mouth. You can't even get your mouth around them. They are an argument for the sandwich as a manly, messy monstrosity that refusees to be reduced -- in size or flavor.<br /><br /></p>anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-26139438376161110882009-08-13T16:55:00.000-05:002009-08-13T16:56:10.819-05:00Restaurant closingsLike everyone, I have felt a little pain from the recession. I have lost some income. My savings have been cut in half.<br /><br />But I am lucky that nothing truly terrible has happened. I haven't lost my job. And none of my favorite restaurants closed.<br /><br />That is, not until now.<br /><br /><strong>Goodbye Mint Cafe, La Jaliscience</strong><br /><br /><strong>Mint Cafe</strong> was one of my favorite casual restaurants. The food was simple, Middle Eastern food, with a few interesting surprises.<br /><br />Mint was run by a family. And the more we went, the more we felt like family. That makes the closing even harder to swallow.<br /><br /><strong>La Jaliscience</strong> on Yale was one of my two or three favorite places to eat Mexican food. Like Mint, it was nothing fancy, just simple, inexpensive Mexican food. It also felt like family. And I felt like the crazy gringo cousin who could speak just enough Spanish to get by.<br /><br />In the past few weeks, I have gone to both restauarants and found them shuttered.<br /><br /><strong>The economy and restaurants</strong><br /><br />For the most part, restaurants in Houston have faired ok in this recession. Most of my favorite restaurants inside the Loop have stayed afloat.<br /><br />Yet the Greater Houston area has had a lot of closings. Many of these are listed at <a href="http://www.b4-u-eat.com/closings.asp">b4-u-eat</a>.<br /><br />This lists suggests that the suburbs have been hit hard. Sadly, the end of nationwide recessions is often the hardest part for the Houston economy -- and for restaurants struggling to stay open.anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-84168258200164221822009-08-04T14:05:00.006-05:002009-08-04T14:45:38.025-05:00Pho Binh 3<strong>Who makes Houston's best pho?</strong><br /><br />That is a question food bloggers can debate endlessly. In Houston, right now, the debate centers on 3 contenders:<br /><br />-<a href="http://foodinhouston.blogspot.com/2009/02/bun-bo-hue-at-pho-danh.html">Pho Danh </a><br />-<a href="http://foodinhouston.blogspot.com/search?q=thien+an">Thien An</a><br />-<a href="http://www.phobinh.com/phobinh03.htm">Pho Binh</a><br /><br />The debate is complicated by the fact that Pho Danh has 3 locations, and Pho Binh has at least 7.<br /><br /><strong>Pho Binh 3</strong><br /><br />Yesterday, I finally made it to Pho Binh's Mangum location. Apparently, it was the 3rd Pho Binh opened, but it is also <a href="http://www.phobinh.com/">the headquarters</a>. So I thought it was a good location to sample.<br /><br />The restaurant is a collection of smart business ideas:<br /><br />1 - focus on only two Vietnamese dishes that every likes: Pho and grilled meats;<br />2 - open only for lunch;<br />3 - give a choice of exactly what meats to include (so the less adventurous can avoid tripe and tendon); and<br />4 - make the pho cheap ($6.45 for a generous "regular" bowl; $7.50 for a large).<br /><br />It works. The dining room was packed by noon. And the crowd was diverse -- although about 80% were guys. (There is something manly about noodles).<br /><br /><strong>Pho details</strong><br /><br />I tried a traditional version with rare steak, brisket, tendon and tripe:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqUbvUo3mPNR_3Am9qrrwdkonAC64LB28Bv479AxHgu_ALeWUZqPPN0bln_9mMX84BdtySPbH55dBZmUsYA5ANgELOOwVwQxuidWe1xw2QXvTW_5JRtKaZgJPplCAH5a9ywvjzA/s1600-h/pho+binh.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366189494780185378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqUbvUo3mPNR_3Am9qrrwdkonAC64LB28Bv479AxHgu_ALeWUZqPPN0bln_9mMX84BdtySPbH55dBZmUsYA5ANgELOOwVwQxuidWe1xw2QXvTW_5JRtKaZgJPplCAH5a9ywvjzA/s400/pho+binh.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />The ultimate test of pho is the broth. This broth is much better than the average pho because of its spices. Pho almost always includes star anise and cinnamon. You might also find cloves, cardamom, or ginger.<br /><br />This pho smelled and tasted like a spice market. It may be the most concentratedly spiced pho in town. I suspect this is why some bloggers think it is the best.<br /><br />I sllightly prefer for Pho Danh for a few reasons. First, its broth tasted more complex, like it was cooked longer, even if the spice wasn't as strong. Second, Pho Danh provided a wider selection of accompaniments, including a variety of herbs. At Pho Binh, you only get one herb, plus japalenos, sprouts, and lime.<br /><br />Still, these are minor quibbles. Pho Binh, Pho Danh and Thien An all make pho that is far, far better than your average soup with noodles, including all the swill that is often passed off as pho.<br /><br />All 3 contenders demonstrate why pho is one of the world's great soups.anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-11231940974146301462009-08-03T12:38:00.009-05:002009-08-03T17:07:16.071-05:00Venezuelan empanadas<strong>Empanadas again</strong><br /><br />In May, I started hunting for good empanadas. I didn't like strange crust flavor of the fried Argentinian empanadas at the <a href="http://foodinhouston.blogspot.com/2009/05/empanadas-part-1-original-marinis.html">Original Marini's</a>. The fried hemp empanada at <a href="http://foodinhouston.blogspot.com/2009/05/empanadas-part-3-hempenadas-at-ruggles.html">Ruggles Green </a>were a little too greasy. The baked Argentinian empanadas at <a href="http://foodinhouston.blogspot.com/2009/05/empanadas-part-2-manenas-and-rustika.html">Manena's</a> tasted best. Still, I had a feeling that I could do better.<br /><br />Then a good friend offered to make her favorite empanadas from a Venezuelan recipe.<br /><br /><strong>Feast of empanadas<br /></strong><br />When Lizzette brought out the platter of fried empanadas and arepas, I was a little overwhelmed.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbuZ-GuIi1ptu6RXTpttmeYvELAX1RnSZXekmQBivCWjd6z1mmlbDrjmZyqwLvZPW8vAq87g_ECF8mi_LlP88P8ze26HBp4ddchnZpe_0I4jUNhptu6N7RNWC2WfyWcXSQ-NMHw/s1600-h/empanada+plate.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365793832697610418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbuZ-GuIi1ptu6RXTpttmeYvELAX1RnSZXekmQBivCWjd6z1mmlbDrjmZyqwLvZPW8vAq87g_ECF8mi_LlP88P8ze26HBp4ddchnZpe_0I4jUNhptu6N7RNWC2WfyWcXSQ-NMHw/s400/empanada+plate.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Fried empanadas are usually heavy. So it is hard to eat more than one. Yet within 30 minutes, 5 people devoured the entire plate. Strangely, these fried empanadas almost tasted light.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfK0d4Xk7e2k9d4PYA8pltt95PpiZXrmBM4owv2L-W62nsbq50H717JNmEcUM8z8aAJHPtuixbn-zE0z_mWahjTKfUqR3Mis5LniC3pJH75yDGk9vdGVIOwd2YFEnmm96rFittw/s1600-h/last+empanada.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365793778404718754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 391px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfK0d4Xk7e2k9d4PYA8pltt95PpiZXrmBM4owv2L-W62nsbq50H717JNmEcUM8z8aAJHPtuixbn-zE0z_mWahjTKfUqR3Mis5LniC3pJH75yDGk9vdGVIOwd2YFEnmm96rFittw/s400/last+empanada.JPG" border="0" /></a> There is no question. These empanadas were far, far better than the fried empanadas at Marini's and Ruggles. They didn't have the frozen burrito flavor. The crust had a clean, light flavor and a crispy texture. <br /><br />Although we had a few varieties, my favorite had a filling of queso blanco and sugar cane. It was a striking contrast of sharp cheese flavors and with the sweetness of the sugar cane.<br /><br /><strong>The secret - masa</strong><br /><br />Lizzette let me in on the secret of why these Venezuelan empanadas were so much better -- the crust is not made of flour, but masa corn meal.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3nECU8wAv4vwUf96rrF1JtlPH70nMkFEWSYPF8zv39cgpuyKsblNzKf39y2GKdXUrHxqapEH6e5O4WK0otmh2RuwV-AGDlugPPA4NAZvDLRPigHIDISm3gHgZkr3hgNUkGnoKZw/s1600-h/masa.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365793708567637410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3nECU8wAv4vwUf96rrF1JtlPH70nMkFEWSYPF8zv39cgpuyKsblNzKf39y2GKdXUrHxqapEH6e5O4WK0otmh2RuwV-AGDlugPPA4NAZvDLRPigHIDISm3gHgZkr3hgNUkGnoKZw/s400/masa.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Arepas</strong><br /><br />The last batch was a real treat. Lizzette tired of rolling out and folding empanadas. Instead, she used the same masa crust to make arepas.<br /><br />We cut open and stuffed our own arepas with <strong>guiso de pollo</strong>, a stew of chicken, raisins, and spices. We then topped them with a fabulous green sauce called <strong>guasacaca</strong> -- made with a pepper called aji dulce, avocado, onion, bell pepper. tomatillo, garlic, parsley, and cilantro. The sauce was mild on pepper but heavy on wonderful garden flavors.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_w-jXSww5xy6OKMhD4nvGqljflo_OSTlhrIUudgNB3N5lZwUXlvwDYGaQwmhNAW35CuA7kR_58oOo34AzYuwDtezi_VGQVfn5NmiYJ2CVLO60PAp4_lOA2gN22hep7wdWCfITYA/s1600-h/arepa+con+guiso+de+pollo.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365793626726904146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 389px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_w-jXSww5xy6OKMhD4nvGqljflo_OSTlhrIUudgNB3N5lZwUXlvwDYGaQwmhNAW35CuA7kR_58oOo34AzYuwDtezi_VGQVfn5NmiYJ2CVLO60PAp4_lOA2gN22hep7wdWCfITYA/s400/arepa+con+guiso+de+pollo.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />In both the arepas and empanadas, the masa added a texture of grainy earthiness. It also soaked up less grease than fried empanadas with flour crust. This crust was far superior.<br /><br /><strong>Where to get Venezuelan empanadas?</strong><br /><br />Although you might not get the chance to have Venezuelan-style emapanadas at my friend Lizzette's house, I hear they serve them at <a href="http://tuttopanebakery.com/">Tuttopane bakery</a>. I can't wait to try them.<br /></div>anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-34356596516607411762009-07-29T10:01:00.006-05:002009-07-29T10:56:47.459-05:00Uni pics (uni dinner at Rainbow Lodge)I have written too much about Randy Rucker and the Rainbow Lodge. So I am not going to write about Randy's uni dinner at the Lodge a few weeks ago.<br /><br />Instead, here are some photos.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcPFySxvNxiACkHGVhS2nEeDwBxonrMYOYFOpHBaCOLjHSH0s2L3DIVYfB6g3TvIxwxFQc_qcfRLpTU-xIP5MDNaEPUVcM90tMeyjw1iF-Ufi6XfqoANW8Ju69AKf-QGn2OPicQ/s1600-h/uni.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363898190679024274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcPFySxvNxiACkHGVhS2nEeDwBxonrMYOYFOpHBaCOLjHSH0s2L3DIVYfB6g3TvIxwxFQc_qcfRLpTU-xIP5MDNaEPUVcM90tMeyjw1iF-Ufi6XfqoANW8Ju69AKf-QGn2OPicQ/s400/uni.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17HNPxDODcpeWb6yP1gvmWsM6Mh63Y3fPsD4FfhcnNs1coM_il56qTFegyLmyIp04DsKOk9sx-DdF8QE8XZSYHfzB4aTdtfv9fDbAEW_jfTO64hvQGoUYQXf-VpklmjeqLwd3ZQ/s1600-h/uni+duck+egg+roe.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363898091061888002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17HNPxDODcpeWb6yP1gvmWsM6Mh63Y3fPsD4FfhcnNs1coM_il56qTFegyLmyIp04DsKOk9sx-DdF8QE8XZSYHfzB4aTdtfv9fDbAEW_jfTO64hvQGoUYQXf-VpklmjeqLwd3ZQ/s400/uni+duck+egg+roe.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEist0gI3-FNZkht535_ylhuKmEIs5_ExK43dQoC_y_Jo1zxSQ8IWyNfwR9A1YaP7KumQotj1TiK00YSyc_gvs-70FnlPxKj3S6deS4x1e_MsdLMWMqYojOZtrwYrEDVbbDaXW2Img/s1600-h/uni+and+gnochi.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363898013327874482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 286px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEist0gI3-FNZkht535_ylhuKmEIs5_ExK43dQoC_y_Jo1zxSQ8IWyNfwR9A1YaP7KumQotj1TiK00YSyc_gvs-70FnlPxKj3S6deS4x1e_MsdLMWMqYojOZtrwYrEDVbbDaXW2Img/s400/uni+and+gnochi.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6CpTXZg9xn03a-cvH9cMFLtBopuu_US2FYKCaTb-BLRq-RQGo0KNqUFKHPdp0zZUS8jXSuWq8ngMIeetpjaVXro1f7BBS2Xu4gnYuZM0d2YYmw4ZDPEH8tf4AyGITA6q1nc5kQ/s1600-h/uni+pork+belly.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363897871125573474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 286px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6CpTXZg9xn03a-cvH9cMFLtBopuu_US2FYKCaTb-BLRq-RQGo0KNqUFKHPdp0zZUS8jXSuWq8ngMIeetpjaVXro1f7BBS2Xu4gnYuZM0d2YYmw4ZDPEH8tf4AyGITA6q1nc5kQ/s400/uni+pork+belly.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWW5CKL-5ybYA3waRha6OSBOoVv1mm6gr839rEqVgGHYJx34qWdeXoVI40s0h_kiZlYHKt5iP78VJsRdXm_UIN37CgDr5iWTJZexH9HdKKtwmMfwjAFJcuVbQqVOCZbPKzIw-YmQ/s1600-h/dessert.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363897713963258162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWW5CKL-5ybYA3waRha6OSBOoVv1mm6gr839rEqVgGHYJx34qWdeXoVI40s0h_kiZlYHKt5iP78VJsRdXm_UIN37CgDr5iWTJZexH9HdKKtwmMfwjAFJcuVbQqVOCZbPKzIw-YmQ/s400/dessert.JPG" border="0" /></a>anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-61467694943368669242009-07-28T11:25:00.014-05:002009-09-20T10:59:54.020-05:00Boston report<strong>The Boston food scene</strong><br /><br />When I lived in Boston in the early 90s, the food was dull. Upscale restaurants served "Continental" food, old-school Italian, and unseasoned seafood.<br /><br />The city seemed afraid of flavors, paralyzed by its Puritan antipathy to pleasure.<br /><br />But over the last 15 years, I had heard Boston's food was getting better. Several farmer's markets opened. And some innovative chefs set up shop.<br /><br />Last week, I tried some of Boston's top-rated restaurants. The food was better. But it wasn't New York or Chicago. Heck, it wasn't even as good as the best in Houston and Dallas.<br /><br />One restaurant was an exception. This little Japanese shop was serving food much more exciting than any Japanese food in Houston, or even Texas's best Japanese restaurant - Uchi in Austin. In fact, it may have been the best meal I have had in the past year.<br /><br />Boston's amazing little Japanese restaurant is called O Ya.<br /><br /><strong>O Ya</strong><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxTqrziX5s2sO2V_iOZ4OZN4sArp8ei04gOtD1CWzHfPYjh2QF-PIFZpvxVllqjAZjuSgBdA1DApHrNaewQEK0-4zCwkxs89pDqfitLjE9aDd_0Yg_5YvF9B3Myb0F7_8IA4ShQ/s1600-h/scarlet+sea+scallop.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363549189449159890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxTqrziX5s2sO2V_iOZ4OZN4sArp8ei04gOtD1CWzHfPYjh2QF-PIFZpvxVllqjAZjuSgBdA1DApHrNaewQEK0-4zCwkxs89pDqfitLjE9aDd_0Yg_5YvF9B3Myb0F7_8IA4ShQ/s400/scarlet+sea+scallop.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />O Ya isn't glitzy. Its 37 seats are tucked in an old firehouse in a dead part of town. Many customers wear jeans and shorts, even though it is hard to eat for less than $150 a person.<br /><br />Tim Cushman's dishes succeed with top-notch ingredients and brilliant flavor combinations.<br /><br />Take for instance the <strong>scarlet scallop </strong>above. The impossibly large scallop is marinated in beet juice and sliced thinly to curve around sushi rice. It is topped with yuzu and tobiko. Scallop has such a delicate flavor that you don't want to tinker with it much. These light accents of citrus and earthy sweetness bring the scallop to life.<br /><br />Sometimes, though, Cushman's accents get most of the attention. His best-known dish is <strong>hamachi served with a banana pepper mousse</strong>. The dab of green pepper is surprisingly spicy, and at the same time garden-fresh and delicate.<br /><br />Cushman realizes that food's visual appeal is almost as important as flavor. These <strong>fried Kumamoto oysters</strong> had a perfectly thin, crispy shell - probably a tempura batter. They became a work of art when topped with squid ink bubbles (foam).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72pINfd8I_fPC0BsUjVVATsRK7ZlCt0qgD2LE9jgKl8ErdizlwTd1mJF8hzD0JXpFaGF-C0mLoebE8E64LFMngX0gqft9NU5QdZqcvzMXC8pUcvRrbd4rYxLgn5ctDzfTsgDOpw/s1600-h/oyster+and+squid+ink.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363549092414116642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72pINfd8I_fPC0BsUjVVATsRK7ZlCt0qgD2LE9jgKl8ErdizlwTd1mJF8hzD0JXpFaGF-C0mLoebE8E64LFMngX0gqft9NU5QdZqcvzMXC8pUcvRrbd4rYxLgn5ctDzfTsgDOpw/s400/oyster+and+squid+ink.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />The same <strong>Kumamoto oysters</strong> show up in a completely different sashimi presentation -- in the shell with watermelon pearls and minced cucumber. This version was even more mind blowing than the first.<br /></p><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBnXWwrJ1WjyYc3AnnnFbpZVe5E5qOT-v_Pk_Mbwi5mivSJX5g1GHuzi5wZbwY4vdfTyQARemv6RIze5Guldvco8UFwcMujKVwDCg2GbJ1tMtZN28otUtudcgBSSxKr2fEHcBSA/s1600-h/oyster.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363548970003209570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBnXWwrJ1WjyYc3AnnnFbpZVe5E5qOT-v_Pk_Mbwi5mivSJX5g1GHuzi5wZbwY4vdfTyQARemv6RIze5Guldvco8UFwcMujKVwDCg2GbJ1tMtZN28otUtudcgBSSxKr2fEHcBSA/s400/oyster.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Cushman's flavors are surprisingly international, unbound by tradition. For instance, shima aji (amberjack) was served with Santa Barbara uni (sea urchin), ceviche vinaigrette, and cilantro.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPkEZ6vsM9Ci7nt47HUzBhOVyyOeWrBAXNyICuHRJYBSBMSDNDt2tkDEx2I053o_MT7GmuA5-ntpgzNliHN8-CVS6V5wClDscVQb_sgFzECGzuOyZTjA0FUxKyTb-zED2qMZIsw/s1600-h/shima+aji+and+uni.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363548812735089074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPkEZ6vsM9Ci7nt47HUzBhOVyyOeWrBAXNyICuHRJYBSBMSDNDt2tkDEx2I053o_MT7GmuA5-ntpgzNliHN8-CVS6V5wClDscVQb_sgFzECGzuOyZTjA0FUxKyTb-zED2qMZIsw/s400/shima+aji+and+uni.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />In the hands of a lesser chef, this mixing of cultures can be vulgar, sensationalist, inauthentic. But this food was the product of a world-class chef, unconstrained by a particular tradition.<br /><br />O Ya is part of Boston's thriving community of contemporary sushi fusion restaurants. Others include Ken Oringer's Uni, Oishii, and Oga's in Natick, MA. This is one food genre -- perhaps the only food genre -- in which Houston's scene just doesn't compete at the same level as Boston.<br /><br /><strong>Other Boston restaurants</strong><br /><br />Boston's best-known chef is Barbara Lynch. We tried three of her restaurants -- No. 9 Park, B&G Oysters, and the new Sportello.<br /><br />At <strong>No. 9 Park</strong>, I appreciated the intellectual combinations and artistic plating. Sometimes, the combinations were almost too brainy, such as lobster paired with monkfish -- a fish with a lobster-like texture once known as "poor man's lobster." These were served with chorizo and fennel. I liked the artsy combination, but the flavors were too restrained.<br /><br />Perhaps the best dish was <strong>salade de courgettes</strong>, a playful assembly of different summer squash.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFoo8vw2inKUNU6Dlv9EjptPDYY0gMoD8KGgGcZE2rJtpi103U7OdnQtyHZPVIBdUOYt-ie5tvCQ0z4_NsQ8LHzODl0Fv9oZ8WX3i4AjzGecRlMf_O2HFaR_ODE6A8pxTNAJ3HPQ/s1600-h/squash+at+no.+9+park.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363548552815787122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFoo8vw2inKUNU6Dlv9EjptPDYY0gMoD8KGgGcZE2rJtpi103U7OdnQtyHZPVIBdUOYt-ie5tvCQ0z4_NsQ8LHzODl0Fv9oZ8WX3i4AjzGecRlMf_O2HFaR_ODE6A8pxTNAJ3HPQ/s400/squash+at+no.+9+park.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Park's much cheaper <strong>B&G Oysters</strong> was a fairly ordinary, but good quality seafood bar.<br /><br />I was much more impressed with Lynch's newest casual restaurant -- <strong>Sportello</strong>. Instead of tables, the restaurant uses a lunch counter concept. You sit on a stool, watching all the cooking happen just feet away.<br /><br />Dishes were simply prepared, market-based Italian food. The best dish was a remarkably simple salad of raw shavings of fennel and celery dressed with only olive oil and lemon. I also enjoyed a crispy-skin salmon dressed with summer beans and bacon. It is rare to find a restaurant that makes minimalism so appealing.<br /><br />Finally, Kenneth Oringer's <strong>Clio</strong> was an interesting fusion of French and Asian cuisine, much like Jean Georges Vongerichten's restaurants. Oringer's dishes had a lot going on -- perhaps too much going on. The dishes do away with Boston's suppression of flavors, but they go in so many directions it is hard to keep track. <br /><br />I'm not complaining. Given Boston's sad culinary past, creative restaurants like Clio and O Ya are what the city needs. </div>anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19953700.post-10385108090227041802009-07-16T10:30:00.010-05:002009-07-16T13:51:25.451-05:00Anvil - Houston's best bar<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibC2TyAh4oY9fIIyj9LFvjA0BLm-ujdium2UGDjl82HubYdtX7mekL2xRJ3dpsV_IkAk9hjOlMKEh77N8GrS4G86O4hTYd-vAJN_CFnmLV2InpfPFxQEjLhmtn4PkTVY-Jqeahw/s1600-h/anvil+drink.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359081082979548594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibC2TyAh4oY9fIIyj9LFvjA0BLm-ujdium2UGDjl82HubYdtX7mekL2xRJ3dpsV_IkAk9hjOlMKEh77N8GrS4G86O4hTYd-vAJN_CFnmLV2InpfPFxQEjLhmtn4PkTVY-Jqeahw/s400/anvil+drink.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>The problem with cocktails</strong><br /><br />I rarely drink hard liquor. But when I do, I want to taste it.<br /><br />Perhaps that is why I never understood vodka -- booze without flavor. Or fruity rum drinks -- booze disguised to taste like fruit and sugar.<br /><br />The sad fact is that most Americans who drink are not drinking for the flavor. They want a buzz. They want to lower inhibitions and meet people. Or just get drunk.<br /><br />So I stopped going to bars. When I want to drink, I want an artisinal gin or small production American whiskey. I want it neat. I only want a little. I want to focus on it. So I drink at home. Alone.<br /><br />Until now.<br /><br /><strong>Anvil - temple to the cocktail</strong><br /><br />Anvil is not really a bar. It is a temple devoted to the art of the cocktail.<br /><br />The priests behind the counter do rituals. The rituals take some time. You have to wait a while before you drink.<br /><br />Last night, the man behind the counter selected an old-fashioned glass. He inspected it. And then he began to assemble. He carefully stirred some rye with large ice cubes. Slowly. Then he strained the rye into my glass. He poured absynthe over a small spoon letting it drizzle slowly into the drink. He carefully rubbed lemon peel around the outside. He occasionally sniffed the drink to check his progress.<br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359080895468725890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 339px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSgqXgKYVkV_vDegu_Nw8vxDJEDf6qxGanNuTIFWsDZWfyOKTXhl0-3UARx9vm7akvZFIDwQMgfoguisjXIdPsswG04FQ2oCwNKhfJUY5iTatk1P3PMZajRTH5q6ajKWEwwqMog/s400/sazerac.JPG" border="0" /><br />He asked me whether I wanted the lemon twist in the drink. It looked so stylish that I said yes. I detected a slight grimace. Wrong answer.<br /><br />The <strong>sazerac</strong> is America's first mixed drink, from pre-Prohibition New Orleans. It tastes like a liquor, not fruit juice. I was amazed by the quality of the rye. It was accented -- not disguised -- by bitters, absynthe, and a slight essence of lemon peel. <br /><br />It reminded me of the product of a great sushi chef. No sugary sauce. No fried bits. Just high quality fish with wisely chosen accents.<br /><br />Next I ordered an <strong>old fashioned</strong>. He prepared it with the same ritual and care. I felt honored.<br /><br />Every drink comes with a large glass of water. The point is not to drink alcohol because you're thirsty. The only point of the alcohol at Anvil is flavor.<br /><br /><strong>And Beer?</strong><br /><br />I can't imagine ordering anything at Anvil other than a cocktail.<br /><br />But last night, another <a href="http://ytee.wordpress.com/">local blogger</a> told me that he was a beer fan. "Where," I asked "can you get the best beer in Houston?" I was surprised at his answer:<br /><br />"Anvil."<br /><br />I never noticed any beer at Anvil. Yet apparently, it has an excellent selection of small-production beers on tap. Just as importantly, Chris said, they swap out the taps frequently. He explained that this prevents the beer from becoming stale. He told me that Anvil respects the beer better than anywhere else in town.<br /><br />Maybe I will try a beer at Anvil someday -- after I work my way through Houston's best selection of American whiskey:<br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359081000703590018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 332px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGVjIO9O2WtLlu47apGcmTgmDE_8GWEUbK2Oq5g15mDGU-2K_RWS6pwzH4jOhRDfa8csS1DVUBYxxezN3Clvxrw_SX5OfVgbZOI9Uv-589CEy_ELvmBEyKbyWntdh8nXnceMxIA/s400/anvil+bar.JPG" border="0" />anonymouseaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14983816483601480054noreply@blogger.com14