Brunch and Conversation: Houston Restaurant Week

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Sal Y Pimienta Houston Restaurant Weeks Preview

Two weeks ago, I along with some local food bloggers and writers was invited out for a preview of Sal Y Pimienta's Houston Restaurant Weeks menu. For starters, I had never visited this restaurant before in my life, so my curiosity was peaked. And after looking over their restaurant weeks menu, I just knew that I had to try this place. Sal Y Pimienta(which translates to salt & pepper) is a local restaurant looking to give us a close taste of South American cuisine. The restaurant is located in the beautiful City Center off of I-10 headed west, and is not hard to miss with their unique decor with a pop of orange all over.

#HRW Etoile Cuisine Et Bar

Restaurant:
Etoile Cuisine Et Bar

Location:
1101-11 Uptown Park Blvd
Houston, TX 77056

Hours:
M-T 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm
F-Sa 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 10:30pm
Su 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 9pm

Ambiance:
Bon, J'ai eu ma chance a être transporter au etoile...cough, cough. Don't mind me( you can Google Translate that). I had the chance to visit Etoile Cuisine et Bar for brunch with a group of local bloggers, and what a tasteful experience. Etoile is located in the Uptown Park shopping center right off of 610. The restaurant is very calm and sophisticated, and yet having a simple not over the top feel.

What I Ate:
As part of Houston Restaurant Week, my first course was a " Tartine de brie et poires, caramel Poivre" which was refreshingly sweet tartine topped with sweet pears, arugula and honey. My second course was the "Hachis de plat de cotes de boeuf,ouef poche," a spectatcular dish consisting of mashed potatoes, with a short rib hash topped with a cabarnet syrup with a poached egg on top. Last but not least, I ordered the " Iles Flottante a La Vanille," I wasn't very impressed with the vanilla floating island, as it tasted more like egg-white, but the caramel mousse was esquisite( wish I could have had it with vanilla ice cream). Oh but before you go, let me not forget the best summer drink I've had...The Cucumber Fizz, such a refreshing drink(I'll probably go back again for it, it cost 5$)

Tartine

Cote de Beouf

Iles Flottante a La Vanille

Cucumber Fizz

Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen Houston Restaurant Week Preview

A group of food bloggers and writers were invited to a menu tasting at Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen, on July, 21(My birthday!!!). Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen is a Tex-Mex restaurant owned by Sylvia Cesares, serving authentic Mexican food. Having been a food scientist at Uncle Ben’s Rice, Cesares has been able to combine her food expertise and her southern family cuisine to bring to Houston uniquely crafted dishes. At a young age, Cesares knew she wanted more from life, so whether in the kitchen or at work, she always knew that there was always something better. While working behind the scenes in the food industry, Cesares knew that she wanted to own a restaurant of her own.

It wasn’t until she had a conversation with a stranger on a plane ride, that she became inspired to be courageous and make a change. "It became clear to me that it was about fear," Cesares said about her big “Aha moment.” Then after that, the rest is history. Cesares shared with us her dishes for Houston Restaurant Week, which were exquisite. Hearing the story of how much love, care and sweat is put into making the perfect dish, added to the whole experience. The food itself was already good, but hearing the work that goes into crafting the perfect dish, makes one appreciate every bite.

For more information on Sylvia’s Enchiladas and Houston Restaurant Week, click here.

Sylvia’s Enchiladas has 3 locations in Houston:

Woodway

Dairy Ashford

Eldridge Parkway

"Great food, great service" - Sylvia Cesares

Here's a quick look of what to expect;