Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Ginger & Fork Houston Restaurant Weeks Preview
Friday, February 24, 2017
Houston Astros owner Jim Crane opens Potente and Osso & Kristalla Downtown
Potente and Osso & Kristalla are the newest additions to the downtown dining scene. They come to us from Astros team owner Jim Crane who looks to help guests create memorable moments with family through dining. The restaurants, named after Crane's children, are located at the ground floor of the new luxury apartments a short walk from Minute Maid park.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Houston Superbowl Neighbordhood Dining Guide
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
A Taste of South African Food at Peli Peli Restaurant
I had the [absolute] honor of dining at Peli Peli Restaurant. Peli Peli is a South African infusion restaurant with locations at Vintage Park and The Galleria. The restaurant has been around for 9 years, but recently open a new location inside the loop.
As you walk into the Galleria location, you'll be welcomed by a rainbow of LED lights that are perfectly assembled from the front room, the bar to the back rooms. As you arrive in the middle room, depending on the time of day, you'll witness the ceiling lighting change from sunrise to sunset. And as you look to the walls you'll see maps of Johannesburg and " South African Flavors" printed on the walls. You'll also get to see some unique art pieces live painted by performance painter David Garibaldi.
Peli Peli is owned by Thomas Nguyen, Michael Tran and Chef Paul Friedman( who is of South African decent). Together they want to introduce you to South Africa, through through the dishes on the menu. You’ll notice some influences from other cultures, which in part shows how diverse the country really is. We tasted some popular South African dishes like; Bobotie, Melktart(meaning Milk Tart in Afrikaans) and the South African KingKlip fish.
If you're not familiar with South African food, like most people, don't fret. Their well-versed and knowledgeable staff will be right there to walk you through the menu. But, one thing I can tell you about your dining experience at Peli Peli is, you will not be disappointed.
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| Bobotie: A traditional South African dish consisting of spiced mashed meat baked in a "pot-pie" way. Very flavorful, 2nd best thing on the menu. |
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| Prawn Bisque: This soup was so comforting and filling. It was topped with lobster meat. |
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| South African Kingklip & Scallops: Special South African fish, imported from the motherland. The fish has a tougher texture but was very well seared and went perfectly with the slaw. The Shrimp was cooked as well. |
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| Side Slaw w/ a mixed veggie/potato dish |
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| Huguenot & Madagascar Filet Medalions & Lamb Chop: 6 oz. filet topped with creamy clue cheese & bacon, and Green Peppercorn sauce. Perfectly prepared, to.die.for. |
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| Melktart Brûlée: Traditional South African dessert adapted by Chef Paul, topped with brûlée crumble. You will feel perfectly at peace, joyful and in love with your first bite. Then you will come for more of this heavenly dessert. ( You've been warned!) |
Sunday, November 22, 2015
The Tuck Room at iPic Theaters Houston
Earlier this month, I along with my Houston Food Blogger Collective peers, were invited to attend a media tasting at the new "It spot" in the River Oaks District. The Tuck Room, a chic " Mad Men-like" den and lounge, recently opened inside the iPic Theaters in River Oaks District's newest shopping center.
" TUCK (verb): Into something; to be in a place that is hidden; to eat, especially when done with enthusiasm."
The Tuck Room brings together the creations of 3 time James Beard Award winning Chef Sherry Yard, and Master Mixologist/Sommelier Adam Seger, in this sophisticated lounge. Guests can stimulate their taste buds with savory shareable dishes from the menu, and also satisfy their thirst with creative handcrafted cocktails.
We tasted an array of creatively made cocktails and dishes, which I would all recommend. My favorite drink was the passion fruit margarita, made at the Liquid Nitrogen Bottle Service area( P.S. you can get bottle service for $100). The dish of the night that I could not manage to put down were these pulled pork sliders, made with BBQ pork, smoked Gouda cheese, pickled peppers served on Texas toast.
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
#HRW Etoile Cuisine Et Bar
Restaurant:
Etoile Cuisine Et Bar
Location:
1101-11 Uptown Park Blvd
Houston, TX 77056
Hours:
M-T 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm
F-Sa 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 10:30pm
Su 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 9pm
Ambiance:
Bon, J'ai eu ma chance a être transporter au etoile...cough, cough. Don't mind me( you can Google Translate that). I had the chance to visit Etoile Cuisine et Bar for brunch with a group of local bloggers, and what a tasteful experience. Etoile is located in the Uptown Park shopping center right off of 610. The restaurant is very calm and sophisticated, and yet having a simple not over the top feel.
What I Ate:
As part of Houston Restaurant Week, my first course was a " Tartine de brie et poires, caramel Poivre" which was refreshingly sweet tartine topped with sweet pears, arugula and honey. My second course was the "Hachis de plat de cotes de boeuf,ouef poche," a spectatcular dish consisting of mashed potatoes, with a short rib hash topped with a cabarnet syrup with a poached egg on top. Last but not least, I ordered the " Iles Flottante a La Vanille," I wasn't very impressed with the vanilla floating island, as it tasted more like egg-white, but the caramel mousse was esquisite( wish I could have had it with vanilla ice cream). Oh but before you go, let me not forget the best summer drink I've had...The Cucumber Fizz, such a refreshing drink(I'll probably go back again for it, it cost 5$)
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| Tartine |
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| Cote de Beouf |
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| Iles Flottante a La Vanille |
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| Cucumber Fizz |
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Corner Table - Houston, TX
Restaurant:
Corner Table
Location:
12716 Virginia Street
Houston, Texas 77098
Hours:
M-Th 11a-10p
F-Sa 11a-11p
Sa 11a-4p
Had some very needed food and conversation with my oldest sister and her friend at this chic restaurant & entertainment venue. Corner Table is Houston's premiere dining for paleo, vegan, vegetarian and gluten free cuisine. The restaurant is located in River Oaks, on Westheimer. The decor of this establishment is art inspired, with beautiful paintings and chandeliers all around. In addition to the restaurant, Corner Entertainment has venues that would make any party spectacular. With a hole in the wall inspired bar, a sophisticated wine room with chandeliers, royalty inspired wall decks and chairs, topped with live entertainment- how could your night go wrong? Their dishes are paleo based. Paleo is a lifestyle consisting of eating nutritional foods, like naturally grown fruits, vegetables, nuts and natural meats. The Paleo style of eating is said to help with digestive problems, which can be caused by processed and packaged goods. The executive chef at Corner Table is House Kitchen season 11 winner, Ja'Nel Witt.
What I Ate:
I ordered the Chicken & Orzo, which included grilled chicken, feta, portabella mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and zucchini in a lemon cream sauce. The dish was not too overdone, which made it amazing. The portion was just perfect as I could even finish it after having an entree.
Houston Press will be hosting the Artopia preview party at this venue tonight at 7p. The event will include live music, live painting by Micah Simmons & Andres Chapa, and entertainment by magician Michael Carducci, drink specials featuring Circulo Tequila crafted by 1919’s very own Andres Chapa. This is a free event. All guests must be 21+. Be sure to RSVP, and I might see ya there!
Friday, August 8, 2014
Brasserie 19 - Houston, TX
Restaurant:
Brasserie 19
Location:
1962 W Gray St,
Houston, TX 77019
Hours:
Mon 11a-9p
Tue-Thur 11a-10p
Fri-Sat 11a-11p
Sun Brunch 10a-3p, Dinner 3p-9a
Ambiance:
Brasserie Dix-Neuf had been on my list for some time now, so I was interested in finding out what this "French Classicism Meets Modern Luxury" concept was all about. The restaurant joins in with Coppa Osteria and a couple of other restaurants owned by Clark Cooper Concepts. I came to eat here on a Saturday after coming back from my trip to Miami, it was a perfect transition back to the Houston life. It's a very clean, fresh looking area inside and outside, and if you choose to sit outside you can see palm trees and almost feel as though you are near a beach(sigh). I have to so though, that the service is MEDIOCRE, seriously- considering the beauty and freshness of this restaurant, you would think the staff would be in line with that image.
What I Ate:
While looking at the menu, I had my eyes on the Croque Monsieur/Madame and the Brasserie 19 Burger. After weighing my options, I decided to go with the burger and a mimosa- yes, I thought "I'm sure this will be a deliciously fresh burger." Boy was I wrong, after several minutes after- Our food came! I was given a mountain of fries with a burger and the whole nine. My waiter had forgotten my mustard- so I informed him. Several minutes later after stopping my affair with the fries, I looked down at my burger and realized my tomato was rotten. Ugh, EEWWW!!
I looked around for our waiter, who had been all over the vicinity, all over, serving other customers, and he was nowhere in sight. So, I decided to find him myself and told him. The waiter and manager came and grabbed my plate, the manager was kind and professional. He apologized for his staff and ordered that I be made a fresh plate. Meanwhile as I waited, my sister finished her food- AND I WAS STILL WAITING! We literally saw people come and go out of this restaurant and I hadn't eaten a thing- other than those few fries. Several minutes went by, and the manager came with my burger, fries and mustard sauce(Finally!)
I begin to eat the Brasserie Burger that I waited years to get, aaaaaannndd it was the plainest burger I have EVER tasted, even the mustard didn't help. Maybe I'm picky with my burgers( hence why I hardly eat them) or I don't know much about burgers. But what I'm sure of is that the meat should be seasoned- and seasoned well! Overall, this restaurant was a disappointment- Cool environment, but bad service!
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