roflhouse

010413 –

Welcome to 2013, I’m all settled into my house and the budgets have been tweaked enough to allow me to have somewhat of a social life again. What better way to start of the new year but with old friends? I headed out to Brooklyn Athletic Club (BAC) to meet up Ali and Eric Sandler from eater to go tackle the menu at BAC. Meeting at BAC reunited me with Jeff Axline, the former chef of BRC, before he headed off to Austin to have some fun.

A quick tour of the menu led to a quick tour of the facility that Jeff hoped BAC will become. Outdoor putting and horeshoe greens with accompanying fire for smores, to a full outdoor area for bar service and a separate BAC food truck to entertain the bocce ball players. This should be your new patio hangout, as long as it isnt 30 degrees outside at least. We rushed back in and started looking over the menu for their first day of lunch service.

Bryan Farms Chicken Salad
Sweet Potato Gnocch
Tuna Salad
Jeff’s Mac and Cheese
PorkOBucco
PEI Mussels and Fries
Rueben
Meatball Sub
Fried Green Tomato BLT

Needless to say, the three of us ordered and finished a lot of damn food. The chicken salad was enough for a few to share as was the PorkOBucco. My ideal lunch meal would probably have to be the Mac and Cheese, Mussels and Fried Green Tomato BLT.

Get your ASS to BAC, it’s time to welcome Jeff back to Houston.

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Brooklyn Athletic Club
601 Richmond Avenue
Houston, TX 77006

713-527-4440
www.thebrooklynathleticclub.com

120112 –

Welcome to The Pass and Provisions, it’s everything you’ve wanted out of a Houston restaurant. The casual side, Provisions, the fine dining side, The Pass, and a bar that houses all the crazies of the Houston industry.

8 Course Menu

> Snacks: Salmon x Foie Gras Old Fashioned x Nasturtium Soup
> Truffles: Kaeshi Egg
> Raw: Nori Bucatini x Tofu x Uni x Clams
> Beef: Tar Tar x Yolk x Marrow Brioche
> Bread: French Onion Soup Toast x Onion Variations
> Pig: Headcheese x Bread Blood Pudding x Candied Apple
> Intermezzo
> Vegetables: Squash Cake x White Chocolate x Dippin Dots
> Cheese: Macarons
> Petite Fours

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The Pass
807 Taft Street
Houston, Texas 77019
713 – 628 – 9020

@passprovisions
www.passandprovisions.com

101012 –

When I first met David, he was the mastermind behind some of the best dishes I saw and tasted at the now shuttered Samba Grille. I wasn’t worried that David would find his own path with his new restaurant Alma. It’s one of those up and coming neighborhood restaurants that has you coming back for more and more. While it’s a bit outside of my own neighborhood, the Eldridge area has no idea what Alma has in store for them.

I decided to take my mom over to Alma to revisit David’s take on cebiches and other assorted dishes and everything was as I remembered it, fresh and crisp with attention to detail. While I came at the end of lunch time, the tables were dwindling down but the service was top notch. I’ll definitely be back, only next time I’ll have to bring my girlfriend since she got super jealous when I told her where I was headed.

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Alma Cebiche and Bar

1275 Eldridge Pkwy #100 Houston, TX 77077

Monday – Friday (11:00 AM – 2:00 PM | 5:00PM – 10:00 PM)
Saturday (11:00 AM – 10:00 PM) | Sunday (11:00 AM – 3:00 PM)

http://www.almahouston.com

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092712 –

Well, let’s get back into the swing of things for a moment. I’ve finally moved into my new house and my finances are somewhat in order which allows me to go out for a nice meal every so often. We’re at provisions to celebrate a post PCAT achievement for my girlfriend. It’s been a while since we both went out and had a nice meal. With Seth and Terrence’s new venture fresh from opening I thought it would be a nice way to encourage Annie to work harder and harder.

Welcome to one part of the epic triple. The Bar x The Pass x Provisions.

I parked across the street since I’m a cheap asian guy, we walked over to the restaurant and were greeted with a warm smile from the host and hostesses, we were then led into the dining room. The room had an awesome brightness and energy to it. Only problem was that our host took us past all the tables, while we waited and looked at the tables before us, it took me a small moment to realize we were going to be sitting at the bar overlooking the kitchen. This also meant i was sitting next to the oven, sweat started to stream down my forehead before I asked Annie to switch spots with me so I wouldn’t look like I took a shower at dinner.

A quick greeting from Terrence, Seth and Alex and we both felt at home. Cocktails were ordered and we looked at the menu with some input from the chefs. We decided to go with the Kimchi Pan Au lait, Salad of Lettuces, Guanciale and Uni Pizza, Pate en Croute, Smoked Salmon and 1/2 Dozen Oysters.

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Provisions
807 Taft
Houston, TX 77019
713-628-9020

www.passandprovisions.com

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032212 –

Oxheart. A progressive restaurant in Houston that draws from its regional roots.

There’s been a huge movement to use local ingredients and local this and local that with an ever changing menu that truly changes and progresses. There hasn’t been a restaurant that accomplished this since Rucker left Bootsie’s in Tomball. Places have tried to change their menu and use local and haven’t quite succeeded. Newcomers such as Roost have started to pick up on it and change their menu every few weeks. We now have Oxheart to throw into the mix. With a few choices in menus which start at $49 for the 4 course Late Winter Menu or the $49 4 course Garden Menu and up to the $75 7 course Tasting Menu, you definitely have some options available to fit your budget. Luckily with their options the whole table doesn’t have to commit to a single type of tasting menu. When I came with friends, they didn’t have their liquor license and were BYOB. Justin Vann was able to recommend a wonderful champagne to accompany the tasting menu that Annie and I decided to go with.

Tasting Menu. 75.

• Okame Spinach Steamed over jasmine tea, with shiro miso and grains
• Raw Amish snap peas, mushroom, creme fraiche, cured and smoked mullet roe
• Southern Hake Cooked in Milk, brassica stems and roots, potato, head lettuces
• Gulf oyster warmed in its shell, red bunching onions, young leek, brown butter
• Caramelized carrots, umpqua broccoli, avocado, kombu and sunflower seed pistou
• Oxheart roasted in beef fat, mostarda of puckled early season strawberries, heirloom beets with coffee, sunchoke
• Mousse of home made buttermilk, chocolate, garden fennel

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Oxheart
1302 Nance Street
Houston, Texas 77002
832.830.8592

oxhearthouston.com

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030812 –

“Texas is About to Get Bigger”

Welcome Katsuya to Texas. On March 8th, I welcomed the newest California inspired Japanese chain to the Houston area with a nice OpenTable secured reservation at 9:30pm. Katsuya joins the ranks of Uchi, Kata Robata, Sushi King, Blue Fish, Nabi, Miyako, Azuma and other Japanese restaurants in the nearby area. Katsuya also joins the ranks of the newly constructed West Ave block of Kirby with the standout favorite Pondicheri and less popular spots in Ava, Alto and Eddie V’s.

As Annie and I made our way to Katsuya, we were already decently full from our first dinner at Feast and some cocktails at Anvil, however I wanted to check the new japanese spot out and see what LA had to offer Houston. We walked through the doors at 9:20 and were greeted to an ultra trendy, extremely faux rich vibe. Welcome to the new Washington Avenue. I felt extremely underdressed, but hell, the food should be able to stand on it’s own so I decided to order a few of their “signature” dishes.

Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno
Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna
Eggplant Robata
Enoki Bacon Robata
Okra Bacon Robata
Tomato Bacon Robata
Skirt Steak Robata
Miso Marinated Black Cod
Soft Shell Crab
Sushi Sampler
Vegetable Tempura

After putting in an order that should have showcased what Katsuya was all about we waited, and waited, and waited. I attribute the few cocktails I had at Anvil early with my patience. I can’t say the same for Annie. At the 10:20p mark, no food came to the table and I started looking around for some form of acknowledgement from the numerous management that was walking the floor or the 30 waiters or 20 food runners or 6 hostesses. A pathetic apology was given from both my waiter and management. A short while later food started to come out after they blamed their lack of service on a computer error.

The yellowtail sashimi arrived first, at first bite, the yuzu / soy sauce mixture overpowered the fish. It could have been any fish under the yuzu and I would have never known, slivers of jalapenos adorned the fish but offered zero levels of spiciness. The essential Katsuya dish arrived next. Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna was supposed to be the essential Katsuya experience and if this was the height of what Katsuya is about, I want nothing more to do with it. Rice that has spent a few minutes on the griddle top with spicy tuna and a sliver of jalapeno on top. I’ve never eaten at a Katsuya in California and I have no idea if their idea of spice starts with tobasco or starts with this pathetic sliver of jalapenos but there was zero heat level to this dish. I’ve had better spicy tuna with more spice and more flavor from HEB. At least at HEB I got 8 pieces that cost me $5 as opposed to $14 for the Katsuya version. Following this trainwreck, the robata fare started to arrive. Eggplant, Mushrooms, Okra and Tomato. The latter three arrived in wonderful bacon wrapped form and tasted as such. It’s bacon, if you screw up bacon, you should have your Texas card revoked. Luckily, they didn’t screw it up. I can’t say the same for the dry lifeless eggplant though. Skip that one, or alternatively get it wrapped in bacon. Miso Marinated Cod, Soft Shell Crab, Sushi Sampler and Veggie Tempura arrived in order. My favorite dish of the night was the Miso Marinated Cod, nice and soft texture, and the flavor was actually nice.

Avoid the sushi at all costs. Seriously. If you respect yourself, avoid the sushi.

#fail in a pretty package.

***

Katsuya
2800 Kirby Drive
Houston, TX 77098
713.590.2800

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022212 –

Cocktails:Anvil
Beer:Hay Merchant

I love this place.

Southern Star Le Mort Vivant
Karbach Weisse Versa
Southern Star Blonde
Redstone Meadery Black Raspberry
Brouwerij Bockor Jacobins Rouge
Real Ale Coffee Porter
Clown Shoes Hoppy Feel 1.5

boom.

Chicken & Waffles: Crispy chicken livers over a buttermilk waffle with spicy molasses butter
Sweet & Spicy Crispy Pig Ears
Pulled Oxtail & Mushroom Gravy
Blood Sausage Queso Fundido

tasty food is tasty.

The Hay Merchant
1100 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX 77006
(713) 528-9805

http://www.haymerchant.com/

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011912 –

It was a random night running through Grand Prize to meet friends where I ran into a bunch of friends in the industry, it really seemed like everyone was there that night. I said hi to Lyle of The Modular and he introduced me to Philip Speer, the pastry chef of the Uchi Restaurant(s). I had his Fried Milk dessert before at Uchiko and it was great, probably the best part of my previous meal at Uchiko.

Philip invited me out to Uchi Houston to check out the restaurant and their remodeling effort which once housed the beloved Felix Mexican Restaurant. First walk through their doors and it was a great, lively, inviting place. I was a bit disapointed at the available amount of light at the tables, but staff assured me it would be addressed. It’s friends and family service aka soft opening. Today was their second day open for service and frankly they were already in full swing of doing things properly.

Annie and I asked for a few recommendations and away we went..

Yokai Berry: Atlantic Salmon, Dinosaur Kale, Asian Pear, Yuzu
Roasted Edamame
Sake Toro: Salmon Belly, Ikura
Ebi Tempura
Boquerones: Spanish Anchovy
Dewbee Chicken: Short Grain Sweet Rice, Banana Leaf, Thai Chili Vinegar
Wagyu: Torched Seared Beef
Pork Jowl: Brus­sels Sprout Kimchee, Romaine, Preserved Lemon Crème Fraiche
Foie: Seated Foie Gras, Quinoa
Brussel Sprouts: Crispy Brussel Sprouts, Lemon Chili
Ham and Eggs: Katsu Pork Belly, Yolk Custard, Espelette
Peanut Butter Semifreddo: Apple Miso Sorbet
Lime Cremeaux: Chocolate Croquant, Thai Chili Meringue, Cocoa, Vanilla Lime Gel, Kefir Lime Sorbet

13 dishes later and we were at a nice level of fullness before we headed to the car to make our way to Samba Grille for dinner #2.

I was really satisfied with the level of service and the food mirrored what I’ve had at Uchi and Uchiko, for their second service this is purely unprecedented in Houston. I’m really interested to see how far service has progressed when I head back for one of my 4 reservations over the next two weeks. On my second reservation I’ll be doing the omakase and attempt to compare it to the Kata Robata omakase service.

Uchi Houston
904 Westheimer
Houston, TX 77006
www.uchirestaurants.com

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121011 –

A great night out at Ambush Bar and Refuge followed by Anvil Bar and Refuge and some Gabriel and Dresden in the mix with some late night Hollywood Vietnamese prepped us for what should have been a fantastic lunch at Torchy’s Tacos. We were semi hungover and really hungry, the severe lack of parking in their small lot off Shepherd with a low car unfriendly entrance left us finding temporary parking at the nearby Exxon gas station.

As we walked up, the brisk 50 degree weather deterred people from sitting on their patio, I can imagine this patio offering up some great views of the Shepherd traffic, exhaust fumes, beer, mexican coke and some tacos, such is life. Following the patio we lined up behind the crowds that looked eager to try the Austin favorite a bit closer to home. The line moved fairly quickly, moving from the cold exterior to the warm and colorfully sterile environment of Torchy’s, it reeked of skinny jeans, glasses with no lenses and all that other fun stuff. However, we’re here for tacos, and tacos we shall have.

Fried Avocado
Hand-battered fresh avocados fried and served with vegetarian refried beans, topped with pico, lettuce & cheese. Served with POBLANO SAUCE on a corn tortilla.

Crossroads
Smoked beef brisket with grilled onions, jalapeños, cilantro, jack cheese & a slice of avocado. Served with TOMATILLO SAUCE on a fresh corn tortilla.

Mr. Pink
Guajillo (gua-hee-yo) seared Ahi tuna*, cabbage fresca, cilantro, queso fresco with a wedge of lime. Served with CHIPOTLE SAUCE.

Baja Shrimp
Hand–battered fried shrimp with cooked cabbage slaw topped with pickled jalapeños & onions, queso fresco, cilantro and a wedge of lime. Served with CHIPOTLE SAUCE on your choice of tortilla.

Green Chile Queso & Chips
Torchy’s homemade chips with delicious green chile queso topped off with guacamole, queso fresco, cilantro & DIABLO SAUCE.

Rice and Beans

I bit into my first taco, the Baja Shrimp covered with the Chipotle Sauce and loved the flavors, the crisp shrimp with the crispness of the slaw was a great few bites. I can’t say the same for the Mr Pink, it was literally a slab of Ahi Tuna uncut and was just awkward to eat, I had to cut it in half in order to fold up the taco. At the end, the double corn tortilla treatment created a thick mushy mess. My favorite dish of the day was the light spicyness of the Green Chile Queso and Chips, while the chips were lacking a bit and reminded me of the chips from Taco Bell, the queso was just great. Not quite El Real or XucoXicana level but tasty for the price. Rice and Beans? Skip.

Torchy’s Tacos
2411 South Shepherd, Houston, TX
(713) 595-8226
www.torchystacos.com

3/5: Add another Taco place to the list, you’ll still find me at Taqueria Laredo.

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101311 –

El Gran Malo has been on my list since it’s been hitting the twitter rounds, the idea of infused tequila piqued my interests however my late night run ins with the likes of patron and don julio had be scrambling for the nearest fernet branca or campari based drink.

When we arrived at El Gran Malo the parking situation was horrible, while the valet parking was complimentary, the surrounding areas were all blocked off and we had to navigate the adjacent parking lot to secure our cars. Walking up, the patio was completely full of life, a great sign for me. Walking into the main dining area, there was no one to greet us at the door or take us to a seat. Somewhat confusing and slow at first, we sat down at a 10 person table in the main dining room and waited for a waitress to come to our table while another person sorted out the water situation.

What originally started as a dinner for my girlfriend and I spun into a group dinner with 7 more friends joining the party. Luckily this made it easy to try more on the menu. A quick look over the menu and we decided to order a bulk of the menu. We started off by ordering some infused tequilas, pineapple, strawberry and watermelon with a few tequila cocktails thrown in the mix. As far as food, we essentially ordered the entire menu:

– Guacamole (Avocado, Tomato, Onion, Lime, Cilantro)
– Queso (Roasted Chilies, Oregano, Charred Tomato, House Made Tortilla Chips, Ground Beef)
– Quesadillas (Oaxaca Cheese, Poblano Tajas, Zucchini, Tomatillo and Tomato Salsa, Crema Fresca, Nopales)
– Diablos A Caballo (Jalapeno, Gorgonzola, Goat Cheese, Bacon, Melon Gastrique)
– Tamale Al Chipotle (Chicken Tinga, Steamed Corn Masa, sweet Chili Chipotle Sauce, Crema Fresca, Avocado)
– Empanadas (Smashed Plantain, Black Beans ,Poblanos, Cotija Cheese, Crab)
– Ceviche (Gulf Snapper, Lime Juice, Chili Serrano, Cilantro, Cucumber, Onion, Jicama, Aju Amarillo, House Made Tortilla Chips)

– Tortilla Soup

– Snapper Taco (Seared, Pomegranate Salsa, Shaved Cabbage, Serrano, Micro Cilantro)
– Camarones Taco (Herb Marinated, Picled Carrot, Shaved Cabbage, Jicama, Pineapple Glaze)
– Carnitas Taco (Victoria Marinated Pork, Pineapple Glazed, Charred Scallions, Cilantro, Red Onion)
– Pork Belly Taco (Mexican CocaCola and Lime Braised, Roasted, Peanuts, Pickled Red Onions, Local Bibb Lettuce)
– Chicharrones

– The Burger aka Torta (100% Black Angus Beef, LTO, Pepper Jack, Poblano, Crema Fresca)
++ Chorizo
++ Fried Egg
++ Pork Belly

The standout from the small bites section were the empanadas with the diablos a caballo a close second for me. The crust was flaky with a nice mixture of plantain and cheese which, probably the best single bite of the night. The jalapenos, when cut burst with cheese that masked a nice hidden spiciness that came out the moment you swallowed. I had a 5 taco basket of the 5 tacos above, I probably wouldn’t order the Snapper and Camarones which were both surprisingly dry as compared to the pork belly, chicharrone and carnitas tacos. The toppings on all the tacos worked well in all cases but I’d personally go for the Pork Belly Taco time and time again. Cyrus, Mo and Eric all had the burger torta with mixed reviews happening all across the board. Cyrus didn’t enjoy it while Mo said it countered my current favorite burger at Hubcap down the street. I’m sure Eric will chime in with his thoughts soon.

First Impression
I’m definitely looking forward to coming back for more food.
3/5: Slow and Confusing start leads to some great Tequila, Empanadas and Tacos

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