After the Storm

I grew up in NY and feel a special sadness over Hurricane Sandy. If you would like to help the victims, here's how to do it (taken from George Takei's Facebook page):

We are not out of the woods yet, friends. Sandy has rocked the northeast to the core, leaving houses like this one from Jersey City (tragically overlooking the beautiful skyline of the Big Apple in the distance) in utter ruin. Many of our friends, family, and loved ones have been affected by the storms. Families are returning to their homes, and to lives that will never be the same, and they need...

our help.

Those wishing to donate to the relief effort can text the phrase "REDCROSS" to 90999 to make a $10 contribution for every message sent. In addition, iTunes users will also find a donate button located on the main page for the iTunes store set up specifically for Sandy relief. People can also make contributions by calling 1-800-733-2767.

Please take a moment to SHARE this message to let everyone know how they can lend a hand. Any support is greatly appreciated. Thanks, as always, friends. - George

 

 

Cafe Ginger

We stopped into Cafe Ginger for lunch on a Saturday. We knew that we would be joining friends for a large dinner, so we decided to order a couple of sushi rolls and miso soup. Opting for sushi instead of Chinese may have been a mistake, because Cafe Ginger has more of a classic Chinese vibe. The restaurant is decorated mostly in shades of red and gold, with carved Buddhas and attentive male servers. It has a classy, upscale, almost retro feel.

The miso soup was free but was actually quite tasty. It's probably difficult to mess up miso, and this was savory and satisfying. The rolls were another story.

We ordered the Orange Dragon and the Red Dragon rolls (even the names sound Chinese to me...). The Orange Dragon is spicy tuna rolled in salmon and avocado; the Red Dragon is spicy salmon rolled in tuna and avocado.

Unfortunately, these pretty rolls were extremely boring. The fish tasted fine but there was just nothing special going on there. Part of it is probably our fault; we chose the only rolls without shellfish, since my husband is allergic, and they weren't exactly brimming with exciting ingredients. But part of it is also because this is, at its heart, a Chinese restaurant. The menu is mostly Chinese food, and people I know who have tried the Chinese food here say that it's very good.

I do plan on going back to Cafe Ginger. I like the decor and the service, and I would probably like the food there too -- if I ordered the right thing.

Bring Sonny Back Home!

A very good friend is missing her dog. If you're in Houston and you're reading this, please Like his page and take a second to look at the pictures there. And tell your friends!

Special Out of Town Edition: California Dreaming

The hubs and I just got back from a VERY belated honeymoon in California. We saw just about everything -- we flew into San Francisco, stayed a few nights, and then drove south on Highway 1, ending up in Los Angeles. I came away with a new appreciation for red wine, a fascination with Old Hollywood, and a list of definite "dos" (and one complete "don't) for anyone travelling to California.

Places I Loved:

Perbacco (San Francisco): wonderful Italian food in a loud, slightly crowded but very stylish atmosphere. This place taught me the difference between really well-made gnocchi and the stuff I've been eating from the grocery store. Plus their "Ugly But Good" cookies are NOT to be missed.

La Bellasera (Paso Robles): This is a hotel and not a restaurant, but it's a must-do if you're in Paso. A lovely little place, very close to wineries and good food, with incredibly spacious and clean rooms at an stunningly low price.

burger. (Santa Cruz): An amazingly funky little place. Delicious, fresh burgers with fun California names ("The Dude") and a nice bar. This is a great place to stop for lunch on your way down Highway 1.

Dearly Departed Tours (Hollywood): Again, this isn't a place to eat, but it's a lot of fun. We took plenty of tours on our vacation (Hearst Castle, Hollywood Homes, Alcatraz) and this was by far our favorite. It's not for children (or the faint of heart), but it's great for anyone who loves Old Hollywood or true crime stories.

Skooby's (L.A.): Confession time -- I LOVE hot dogs. The ones at Skooby's are perfect, topped with a variety of fun and non-traditional toppings and served in warm buns on the side of Hollywood Boulevard. The lemonade is amazing too.

Place I HATED:

Whale Watcher Cafe (Big Sur): Avoid this place at all costs. It's located in the middle of nowhere, which is the only reason why we stopped -- I was starving. Flies everywhere, only one server, and they still had the nerve to charge almost $20 for a tuna sandwich. We actually walked out without ordering. Turns out, I would rather wait an hour and eat a burger at the Hearst Castle food court than eat at the Fly Watcher.

Help an Injured Fuzzy-Head

We here at TGWAH love animals, and hate people who hurt them. That's why we're asking for help raising money for a severely injured pitbull.

Elly May was rescued off the streets of Houston this week with some pretty horrific injuries. Her vet believes that she was either raped, or a firecracker was placed inside of her and exploded. Needless to say, her vet bills and medication are going to be expensive, and she will be in foster care for a while. A "Chip In" has been established to raise money for these expenses. PLEASE give if you can, and please spread the word!

Nelore Steakhouse

My in-laws were in town recently for the Metro Houston cooking show, and we decided to check out Nelore. None of us had ever been to a churrascaria before, but I liked the concept. Waiters come around the dining room with various cuts of grilled meats on skewers. Patrons can choose which types of meat to sample, and when. Side dishes and salads are located on an all-you-can-eat buffet. When you're full, or just need a break, you turn a card over on your table to signal the waitstaff to stop; otherwise, they'll continue to offer you meat for as long as you sit there.

Nelore boasts a HUGE selection of both meats and sides. I'm proud to say that I tried almost everything: chicken sausage, leg of lamb, sirloin, filet, and even a parmigiana coated pork chop. I didn't do too shabby at the salad bar either.

 

Everything was tasty. All of the meat was slightly dry, with a robust charbroiled flavor. I also noticed that the cuts of meat were a little more marbled than what I usually buy; my steak was flanked in a large piece of white fat that infused it with a lot of flavor. It wasn't what I was used to, but that doesn't mean it wasn't good.

 

However, nothing was fantastic. Only two items really stand out from everything I tried: the parmigiana-crusted pork (because it was so different) and the mango cream dessert (both because it was unique and it was delicious). Service was predictably wonderful. None of the waiters seemed to really abide by the card system -- they approached you regardless of whether you were trying to signal them not to -- but that's OK; more than once we found that we weren't really as full as we thought we were, once we were offered something new.

 

The real disappointment was the bill. Nelore charges nearly $40 per person for dinner, before drinks and dessert. We didn't know that -- prices aren't listed on the website -- and it was a little bit of a sticker shock. Even though we sampled a lot of food, there is no way that we ate enough to justify that price. If you're going to pay that kind of money for a steak dinner, there may be better options.

Kita

We were in The Woodlands for a concert last weekend, and my husband had a hankering for sushi. Kita was close to our hotel, so we stopped in for an early lunch.

We ordered a pretty typical sushi lunch: two rolls, some sashimi, sake, and a seaweed salad. The Nemo Roll is pictured below.

 

 



This roll is comprised of spicy tuna, rice, salmon and a spicy mayo. For all those "spicies", it really didn't have a lot of heat to it. It was pretty and it was tasty, but it left me longing for something more.

I felt the same way about our yellowtail sashimi. There was nothing wrong with it, per say, but it could have been better. It could have been colder, or more thinly sliced, or fresher ... or something. The spicy tuna hand roll and the salad were both completely fine, but all in all, nothing to write home about.

On paper, Kita isn't a bad place. Our server was very sweet. The space is large and well-decorated, and located in the beautiful water-way district. The food is decent, standard Japanese fare at expected prices. But the restaurant fails to leave the diner with any lasting impression, and maybe that's why it was empty.

Shade

I'm not going to lie to you, I am sick today. Seriously. Every time I look at the picture above, I feel like dying. It's not specific to that picture -- looking at, smelling, or even thinking about virtually any food seems to be enough to push me over the edge right now. With that in mind, I'm going to try to write a thoughtful and honest review of what is a pretty good Houston eatery, Shade.

We decided to try Shade at the tail end of Houston Restaurant Weeks. I did the "noble" thing (it's for the food bank!) and selflessly tried the three course restaurant weeks menu. We started with the carpaccio. I have to be honest, I was not impressed. The beef was fine quality, but something was lacking in the flavor for me. Skip it.

Next I had the scallops. Now those were special! Without going into too much detail (because seriously, my body can't handle that right now), they were sweet, succulent, perfectly cooked and paired delightfully with their sides. What more do you need to know?

For dessert we did the sponge cake with strawberry mousse. The mousse was very good, with a lot of real strawberry flavor. I recommend it.

Shade has a very intimate atmosphere and a great service staff. Our waitress and I happened to be using the ladies room at the same time, and she was accosted by a guest IN THE BATHROOM and asked to change an order. That is something I have honestly never seen before, but she handled it a lot better than I would have. Managing to be pleasant while being bugged on the toilet -- that's a true professional!

Alicia's

Alicia's is located in the West Houston/Katy area, right off the highway and close to the HEB. From the outside it looks like any other Mexican joint, but don't let that fool you. Alicia's is on the Top 100 Houston Restaurants list for a reason.

Let's start with the margaritas. They're perfect. They're light, fruity, and not too sweet. They're also an amazing value, and a great way to start your meal.

The food doesn't disappoint either. I had enchiladas rancheras (chicken enchiladas with ranchera sauce). The best part of the meal was definitely the ranchera sauce. It paired well with everything -- from the plain brown ride to the very good refried beans to the enchiladas themselves. Everything tasted real, like a lot of thought and good ingredients went into each part of the plate. It was satisfying and comforting and fun.

Service was good -- a sweet college-aged kid who actually seemed to enjoy his job -- and prices were fantastic, particularly items on the lunch menu. And it wasn't even crowded! All around, Alicia's is a win.

Branch Water Tavern

The best thing about Branch Water Tavern is the space itself. The place is surprisingly large, with a very nice lounge/bar area in the front, plenty of seating in the middle section, and a large semi-private room in the back. Everything is tastefully if rustically decorated -- hardwood floors and plain white china. As soon as you walk in you feel relaxed and welcome.

The food is standard American fare. We were there for lunch, so I had a rueben sandwich. It was nothing to write home about. I would have liked some sauerkraut on my rueben, but otherwise I have no complaints. There was plenty of good quality meat, cheese and a very nice dressing on a good piece of crusty bread. Fries on the side (a nice surprise, since they weren't mentioned on the menu). Very similar to anything you could get at Laurenzo's, BRC, or any other upscale lunch spot in the same area. Same service and prices too.

I think Branch Water would be an amazing place for a happy hour. The lounge area is large and welcoming, the bar is well stocked, and the atmosphere is laid-back and cool. It's a fine place for a meal, but the mood just says "cocktails" more than "sandwiches" (at least to me).

Kata Robata

My husband LOVES Kata Robata. The food is very creative. Above, you will see one of the specials available on the day we went. Raw Kobe beef with melon and onion. It doesn't sound good, but the flavors -- particularly the melon and the onion -- melded beautifully. That's what Kata Robata does; they take things you wouldn't expect to taste good, and prove to you that they are wonderful.

Another oddly delicious dish was grilled fish collar. I don't think that Americans regularly eat the collar of the fish, and we should. It isn't easy to eat with chopsticks (eventually we just picked the collars up and ate the meat right off the bones, like a rib), but the meat was very tender and had a nice smokey flavor. Plus we got the added bonus of a little crispy fish skin, which is always tasty.

We also had the Houston roll from the traditional roll list. Tuna, yellowtail, avocado, salmon and masago (roe) -- what's not to love? Between the rolls and the collar, we ordered the perfect amount of food. We left feeling completely satisfied but not gross.

Service was basic. Our waitress seemed a little shy, like she may be new at the job. Prices and atmosphere were comparable to most other upscale sushi restaurants in the Houston area. It's not my favorite sushi spot -- that honor still belongs to Sasaki -- but it's a nice place with an interesting menu, and I can absolutely recommend it.

The Bird and the Bear

The Bird and the Bear is a new establishment from the people behind Oussie's. It's located in a shopping center, and although attempts have been made to create a cozy space, it's hard to forget that this space is supposed to be a store-front. There are just too many windows that let in too much light.

It's also hard to forget that this is a new restaurant. Little notebooks and pencils are on every table (why I don't know), and they're emblazoned with the name "Oussie's." Things like that make you feel like this restaurant is secondary to to the older one. If they're using leftover notepads, will the recipes be afterthoughts too?

Thankfully, the food is good. The menu feels fresh and different from Oussie's, with lots of fun little touches (ie: a dish called "damn eggplant"). They also have a large selection of vegetarian dishes, which, as a former vegetarian, I appreciate. And they aren't all pastas either! I had the creative vegetable paella.



This paella is comprised of mushrooms, a variety of peppers, onions and saffron rice. At first I wasn't sure I liked it -- without meat or seafood, paella is inherently a little bland -- but I gave it a second to linger, and I discovered something. It wasn't bland, it was delicate. It was also warm, filling, and very good.

We also enjoyed an escargot appetizer. This dish was different than other escargot, as it wasn't covered in cream or puff pastry. It was just snails cooked in a savory, garlicky butter sauce, with good bread on the side for dipping. This is not a snail starter dish, since you really get the taste and texture of the snails, but if you like them this is a great way to get an escargot fix.

Dessert is NOT to be missed. We had a chocolate cake with banana filling. It was perfectly done, and worth the extra calories.

Service is good, but green. Our waiter seemed nervous, even though he was doing a great job. He overcompensated by using the same script of quips with every customer. Typical new restaurant stuff, I think. He just needs to find his stride. The whole place does. But once it gets there -- and I think it will -- this place might just outshine its predecessor. It certainly won't be an afterthought.

Dozier's

Dozier's is located in Fulshear, about 40 miles outside of Houston. The drive is totally worth it. The space is classic Texas -- taxidermy on the walls, picnic tables with striped tablecloths, etc. The best part is that there is nothing ironic or intentional about it; it's real Texas, before the hipsters got here. The only strange thing is the grocery section in the front of the store. Some of the items make sense (Texas jellies, jars of homemade BBQ sauce) and some do not (overpriced, seemingly old hygiene and pet care products). It's kind of like the "emergency grocery" section in a gas station, but I can't imagine anyone is really buying this stuff out here in the middle of nowhere.

I had the homemade sausage platter with two sides (mac and cheese and potato salad). The sausage was perfection. Spicy, hearty and served with their amazing homemade sauce. My husband's chop beef sandwich was likewise delicious. It was ready at warp speed too -- we barely had enough time to grab drinks and find a table before our food was done. Clearly the staff knows what they are doing.

As you might imagine, prices were very reasonable. Service was basic -- you order at a counter, get your own drinks and condiments, and bus your own tables -- but it was fast. The only person who made us feel unwelcome the whole time was the man at the checkout counter (you pay as you leave), who stared at us intensely for no apparent reason. I don't think he meant to be rude; maybe they're not used to seeing customers who aren't regulars. I guess the solution to that is to become one. 

Special Out of Town Edition: Moonshine

Friends from Austin have usually raved about Moonshine, so when we had to be in town for a hearing, we decided to check it out. We went in at lunch time and there was quite a crowd. It was too hot to eat outside, so we were seated at a cozy little table next to the window. Right away, we liked the country-chic decor. It felt airy and bright, like eating at my husband's grandma's house. And the food was almost as good.

We started with a plate of homemade potato chips with sour cream dip. The hubs really enjoyed the dip, but I wasn't crazy about the chips. I was expecting something akin to Zapp's, but we we got were more like Baked Lays in both flavor and texture. Pass (at least for me).

I had a small Indigo Spinach Salad. First, I love that Moonshine allows you to buy just half a salad. It was a perfect lunch portion. Second, the ingredients in this one just scream summer: blueberries, peaches, fresh spinach. It was the perfect meal for the space we were in, the season and the time of day: bright, fresh, and not overly filling. The complimentary cheddar muffins on the side were also quite good, and helped to round out the meal nicely.

Service was very good. The place was crowded, but they seemed to have a good ratio of servers-to-guests, and we never wanted for anything. Most surprising was the check. I guess we're getting used to Houston prices on everything, but this was a very good value.

Overall, I'll join the ranks and recommend Moonshine. It was just as good as I expected, based on my friends' reviews. It was much better than many other casual lunch places. And it was damn sure better than rain. 

Hearsay

I enjoyed working with the format I used on my last post, so I think I'm going to do something similar for this review of Hearsay. Cool with you? OK, good.

And away we go .....

Space: Hearsay is located downtown, in what I imagine may have been a townhouse or loft at some point. The decor is cool and polished, all hardwood and brick. Plus there is a low-cost public parking lot located about 15 feet from the front door. You can't really ask for more than that.

Service: there was a healthy crowd on the night we went, so I think our server might have been a little distracted. That said, we didn't want for anything while we were there. He just didn't seem to be around a lot, and we had to flag him down to get our check. Maybe things would have been better if we had chosen to sit at the bar and not a table.

Food: We decided to share some small plates. Below you'll find the salmon crostini and the duck quesadillas. We also had the beer-battered asparagus and seared yellow fin tuna. The stand out dish was probably the yellow fin. The fish was comparable to what you might find in any good sushi restaurant, and we both really loved the piquant little salad that came with it. The quesadillas were very good; the duck was actually in the form of sausage, and the portions were very generous. Small plate does not necessarily mean small food! I didn't really enjoy the crostini, which had a fishy flavor and a too-crisp bread that was tough to bite through. And although I appreciate the shout-out to a local beer, the asparagus were greasy, floppy and not very much fun.

Of course, this is a gastro-pub, so I would be remiss not to mention my cocktail. The one I tried was comprised of jalapeno juice, vodka, sugar and lemon. It sounds like it would be spicy (and the waiter warned me that it could be), but mine wasn't. What it was was refreshing and light, the perfect end to a hot summer day. Totally worth the money!

Overall, I liked Hearsay's atmosphere and it's inventive drink menu. The food was only fair, but in the end, a place like Hearsay probably isn't really about food. Go to drink and be seen; grab dinner somewhere else.

Mark's

It's been so long since we ate at Mark's that I'm compelled to keep this review very short and sweet. Overall, the experience was very pleasant, though a little on the pricey side. Let me break it down for you:

1) Atmosphere: Mark's is housed in an old church. The wine is stored where an organ used to be; the floors are rough-hewn wood; stained glass windows are still apparent on the walls. A very welcoming and calming space, and a beautiful repurposing of an old building.

2) Service: Impeccable. Our waiter offered to take pictures for us (it was my birthday) and gave us plenty of time to enjoy our cocktails before offering dinner menus, and our dinner before offering dessert. He also made lots of suggestions. The only thing I didn't like was that he pretty obviously tried to steer us to more expensive selections, even when they didn't really meet our needs. For example, he told us flat-out not to order the assorted chocolates for dessert, and talked us into a much larger (and pricier) item, even though I told him I really wasn't that hungry. If the chocolates are bad they shouldn't be on the menu. I don't want my choices to become a jumping off point for negotiations.

3) Food: expensive, but worth it for special occasions. The foie gras appetizer was delicious, second only to the foie we had at August. For dinner, I had one of the chef's specials (above), and was treated to a platter of fresh seafood and various vegetables. What's interesting is that this dish was almost identical in ingredients to a meal I had at Capital Grille just a few weeks earlier, but it was much better. The seafood was fresher, the side dishes seemed better seasoned, and the whole plate was just a nicer composition than the one at Capital Grille. Little differences that added up to a much better dinner.

Rudy and Paco's

The hubs and I headed down to Galveston for our second anniversary, where we dined at the tiny Rudy and Paco's. Our friendly and obviously experienced waitress told us that Paco is from Nicaragua, and the menu is mostly fresh seafood with a South American twist.

We started with the escargot. I love snails and I like to eat them wherever and whenever I can. These little babies were easily the best I have ever had. It all comes down to the garlic butter sauce, which was so delicious that we soaked up whatever we could with the complimentary bread. My snail ordering days are probably over now, since I don't think I'll be able to find better escargot anywhere else.

We also snacked on plaintain chips and huge house salads while we waited for our entrees. Luckily we saved room, because dinner was wonderful. I had one of the specials, softshell crab. They were fried and served with lump crab meat and capers. On the side were au gratin potatoes, carrots and asparagus.

The crab was perfect: savory, crunchy and satisfying. I particularly loved pulling off the crunchy little legs and popping them into my mouth. The potatoes were also very well done, although a little dry for my taste. My husband had one of their many snapper dishes on my suggestion; snapper is my favorite fish, and he could see why. His plate was completely clean.

Our waitress treated me to a piece of chocolate cake as a special surprise. It was very rich, but not overly sweet. We managed to eat most of it, but it was a team effort. And it even paired well with the wine!

Of course, the real treat was when the bill came. We paid $138 for an appetizer, two salads, two entrees, dessert, and a bottle of Spanish red wine. That is an amazing value! And all of it came with great service and a very nice atmosphere. Paco even came out and said hello to every table -- and from the handshakes and hugs we saw being tossed around, he obviously recognized many customers. Rudy and Paco's may be small, but it easily competes with the best restaurants in Houston -- or anywhere else, for that matter.

Special Out of Town Edition: Red Fish Grill

We were in NOLA over Memorial Day weekend for a friend's bachelorette party. The girls in the group went to Red Fish Grill for dinner on Saturday night. We got there a little early, so the hostess suggested we wait in the bar. And wait we did ...

Unfortunately, I've noticed that some servers don't take me seriously, particularly in nicer restaurants. It might be because I look young, or because I'm a female. Perhaps they think I don't have enough money to buy nice things or that I don't know proper tipping etiquette. Whatever the reason, the bartender at Red Fish Grill (like so many others before him) chose to ignore me. I made eye contact, and eventually, he did ask me what I wanted -- only to cut me off in the middle of my request (for a bottle of champagne; not exactly a difficult cocktail to mix), tell me he'd get with me in a moment, and then ask the people next to me if they wanted a refill on their drinks. That's right -- he chose to ask other customers for their order rather than take mine! Other customers who had already been served and weren't actively trying to flag him down to order something else. Strange, rude behavior, but luckily he was the last of it. We got our champagne and moved to our table, where we were greeted by a much friendlier server.

We started with a plate of their barbecued oysters. We ordered a half dozen, but were treated to a full dozen soft, succulent oysters bathed in a spicy barbecue sauce. It was a like a chicken wing with an oyster in the middle; for me that's a treat-within-a-treat, and I thoroughly enjoyed them.

For my entree I ordered the crayfish and cream cheese ravioli. I was treated to this playful presentation:

I took a bite into the first little pasta puff and HOLY SODIUM BATMAN. I was blinded by salt. I took a swig of champagne and braved another and ... boom, problem solved. The rest of the dish was creamy, soothing and blessedly not over-seasoned. This was a good stick-to-your-ribs dish, suitable as a base for a night full of drinking.

Like I mentioned before, our waiter was extremely sweet, not batting an eye when we needed to split the bill. Clearly big parties are something they're used to dealing with at Red Fish. This is a nice, casual, accessible place right on Bourbon. Is it the best food I've had in NOLA? No. But that doesn't mean I won't recommend it. August is perfect for a nice date or a special family meal; Red Fish brings the party. And in NOLA there definitely is a time and place for both.

Public Service Announcement

This has NOTHING to do with food (well, unless you really want to stretch it, which I don't personally recommend). However, it feels like a teachable moment, so I want to remind my friends and family over the age of 50 to get tested for colon cancer. Don't die of something that is so preventable!

Nikko

Nikko Sushi and Sake Lounge is located in Katy, about half an hour outside of Houston. And it is a lounge, with a beautiful bar and dark red accents. I was digging the space, and the service -- our greeter had lots of helpful suggestions -- but let's face it: it all comes down to the food.

We started with a seaweed salad. In keeping with the lounge theme, it was presented to us in a martini glass. Very pretty, but the salad was fairly average.

We also got our money's worth in terms of sushi. Our host recommend the sea trout, so we had sashimi (on the right of the picture). We also tried the Crazy Crunch and the Sakura rolls. Crazy Crunch is in the middle.

The trout was something we never tried before. It had a very similar texture to salmon and a mild flavor, but with a slightly fishy aftertaste. Both of the rolls were good, but I definitely preferred the Crazy Crunch. Overall, both of these rolls are very similar to anything you can get at any higher-end sushi joint in the Houston area.

Nikko also markets itself as a sake lounge, and they certainly had a nice selection of cold sakes. I don't know much about cold sake though. I can say that the price of the hot sake was very reasonable, and we enjoyed several bottles.

Overall, Nikko is your typical sushi place, but with a very nice atmosphere. Worth a drive from Houston? No. A great choice if you're in Katy? Absolutely.