Josh

The great Junior Murvin!

Sad to report that the chefs have left FC, and the restaurant is closed. They just couldn't fill the big space. What a loss. I hope chefs PJ and Apple try again in another space. Houston needs their food whether it knows it or not.

Since moving to Houston, I've been on a mission to find my new place. I'm the kind of creature of habit that needs a local, a home base. In New York, the dearly departed Redhead, and (also dearly departed) Northern Spy filled that role, and in DC, Boundary Road did the heavy lifting. While it may be a tad premature to say after only one visit, Nobie's is looking the part here in Clutch City. Nobie's is named for the chef's grandmother, and radiates a warm, familiar feel from the very beginning. I think the comforting confines of the former Au Petit Paris help, as do the beautiful vintage speakers displayed throughout, playing an eclectic mix of music off of a stash of vinyl records. It also helped that we immediately ran into an acquaintance at the bar as we walked in...a welcome occurrence when you're new to a city. The bar itself is relatively small, with a few stools, and from the looks of it, the full menu is available there. Cristina and I have a long-documented love of dining at the bar wherever we are, so I imagine we'll end up parked on those stools fairly often. We started with 2 of the 3 cocktail specials of the moment, the lightly effervescent gin-based Snow on the Pines, and the rye-based Baby it's Cold Outside (served warm, which would've been even better if it weren't 70 degrees in Houston right now). Both were excellent, and I imagine it would be tough to go wrong ordering whatever the daily cocktails happen to be. The rest of the drink list is equally well-edited and curated, with 3 interesting draft beer options, and a number of bottles and cans (big ups for Lone Pint Yellow Rose on tap). I took note of the Schlitz tallboy for $3 and $5 shot of Four Roses Yellow Label for another time/context. I miss my occasional late nights at Boundary Road with a friend or 2, winding down with a slightly superfluous Natty Boh and shot of Old Overholt. We started with a couple small plates. The Texas Tartare is a finely chopped steak tartare adapted to our lovely State's tastes with smoked jalapeño and topped with a layer of deviled egg yolk. Served with nicely toasted bread, this was a hit. The "Texas" bits were noticeable but played with a measured hand such that they didn't overtake the basic flavor profile of my beloved steak tartare. This is the kind of thing that can get super gimmicky real fast, and the skill shown with this dish is a real "tell" as to what you can expect from the kitchen here. The beer battered sweet potato tots came hot from the fryer in a bowl ringed with a whipped goat cheese. Crispy, soft, salty, cheesy. So get those. It was tough to pass up some of the other snacks on offer...the dukkah Chex mix and cool ranch chickpeas sounded great. Next time. Our salad of local citrus and fennel was the perfect foil for the richness of the tartare. Segments of grapefruit and orange mingled with paper-thin slices of fennel, bits of mint, red chili, and black sesame seeds. This is a simple salad whose execution elevated it beyond my expectations. There are a few salads on the menu, and if they all receive the care this one did, they shouldn't be missed. Moving along, we shared the Ricotta-stuffed raviolo with crispy duck confit, and the Aleppo prawns with burnt orange. The pasta is a rather robust single raviolo filled with house-made herbed ricotta and an egg yolk that covers everything beautifully once you cut into the shell. This was surrounded with irregularly sized pieces of crisped duck confit. This was a hearty dish whose richness would have been better appreciated in colder weather, but was still greedily devoured. The ricotta was light and lemony, and a nice counterpoint to the richness surrounding it. The prawns were served head-on and simply, seasoned with citrus and Aleppo pepper. These were well-cooked and delicious, though without any accompaniment on the plate, they felt a bit spare. We unfortunately skipped dessert to make it to a movie, but there will be plenty of time for that later. Nobie's hit all the right notes, from the unfussy, comfortable decor, to the friendly, unpretentious staff (none of that "Are you familiar with chef's concept crap), to the soulful, straightforward, ingredient-driven cooking. There's something for everyone here, from bar snacks and well-chosen wines by the glass, to large-format dishes like a grilled octopus and "Fred Flintstone" ribeye. My favorite joints always have that flexibility. Nobie's is a welcome and important addition to the Houston scene. Keep my seat warm guys, I'll be back soon.

This is a great rundown of some of the oldest places in Houston. 4 of these are more or less in my neighborhood (Yale St. Grill, Pizzitola's, Molina's, and Barbecue Inn). "The 10 Oldest Restaurants in Houston" by Natalie Dressman on visithoustontexas.com

After a couple "meh" experiences at other sushi spots around town, I have seen the truth, and it is Hori-san's sushi rice. I absolutely cannot bring myself to get excited about eating sushi anywhere else. Yes, yes, the fish is superb, impeccably prepared, and seasoned such that your soy sauce and freshly grated wasabi stare on longingly as you neglect them throughout the meal. But that rice. So perfectly seasoned, juuuuust sweet enough, and never overpacked or structurally unsound. I honestly think you do yourself a disservice by ordering sashimi at Kata. As far as I can tell, the play is to get an appetizer or two (chicken skewers 3 ways, miso eggplant, and the ceviche wouldn't be a bad way to go), and then ask for an omakase sushi from the chef with as few or many pieces as you feel like. We've done this both from the sushi bar and the tables.

Wow. Thanks, Don. I am so excited about the prospect of a Houston forum as vibrant and filled with members as insightful, knowledgeable, and funny as I experienced in DC. We're a pretty unknown quantity here in Houston, so this will be a long term project, but one I aim to make successful. Houston is lucky to have some strong voices online already, including (among others) Alison Cook, Greg Morago, & JC Reid at the Chronicle, James Brock at Paper City, Phaedra Cook and her new venture at Houston Food Finder, Katherine Shilcutt at Houstonia, and Eric Sandler at Culture Map. As we set out here, I'm looking to all of these fine folks for expertise and hope they join to engage with others in the Houston food community. Lets do this thing!

So far, I've had them at Pho Binh (Heights location), Les Ba'get on Montrose, Nam Eatery (Heights), and Pho Tan An (Katy). Pho Binh has been the most consistent (and is closest to my house). The thit nuong and bo nuong xa have yet to disappoint. Les Ba'get wins for the most interesting take (the oak-smoked brisket), as well as the delicious house-made shrimp chips, but I've noticed some consistency issues there. My last sandwich was stuffed with very grisly pork slices, and piled high with strangely flavorless pickled vegetables. Yet to try the perennial favorite Les Givral's, which seems to have a wide gulf in quality reported between its downtown and Washington Ave. locations.

Having returned to Texas after a 20-year absence, I've been trying to immerse myself in as much Houston-ness (and Texas-ness as a whole) as I possibly can. Gotta get back into the swing of things. So far, this has meant an embarrassing number of tacos (of the breakfast and non varieties), barbecue galore, all manor of delicious Vietnamese things, Whataburger lunches, and of course, vats of queso. I don't think I've had a non-Texas beer since returning, and I don't feel a longing for anything else at this point. (OK, that's a bit of a lie, as I would kill for a Bell's Two-Hearted right now.) So in that spirit, Hugo's seemed to be a natural choice of venue to celebrate my ##th birthday last week. Dinner started with margaritas (there are a number of interesting variations to choose from in addition to the very well-made standard), chapulines (fried grasshoppers served with salsa, guacamole, and blue corn tortillas), and tamales de pescado. Our waiter only showed the slightest raise of the eyebrow with the chapulines order, but I wanted to compare what I would be served at a restaurant with tablecloths and an award-winning wine program with what I bought in a paper bag in the market in Oaxaca years ago. The crispy critters are served with a standard guacamole, and smoky, mildly spiced chipotle salsa, meant to be wrapped in deliciously thick blue corn tortillas. The bugs themselves are nicely crispy, with no untoward chewiness, and nicely salted. The winner of this round (and the whole night, really), though, were the fish tamales. Served three to an order, wrapped in banana leaves, these were impossibly light, moist, and filled with nicely cooked bits of white fish (I should've asked what type, but it's mildly flavored and on the lighter side). A pleasantly bright and fresh salsa Veracruzana comes alongside and completes the dish. These are a must-order item. I moved on to the cabrito, tender roasted goat served with sautéed cactus, guacamole, rustic corn tortillas, and a fiery habanero salsa. I love the gaminess of goat, but even timid souls would get along with this preparation. My only caveat is that the salsa is no joke, and clashed mightily with the glass of Rioja I paired with the dish. My wife's callo de hacha (scallops) were perfectly seared, and placed atop a half-inch thick slab of sweet cornbread. The menu mentions rajas con crema, though here the poblanos are blended with the cream, creating a pale green sauce topping the bread. Very nice dish, though it seemed tame after a few bites of my habanero salsa. Service was solid throughout, and if you want, the valet service will even wash your car while you eat (which I had no idea was a thing). Chef Ortega has been a Houston fixture, and on the shortlist for a James Beard several times, and not without reason. We'll be back, especially to check out the Sunday brunch buffet, and of course, for more of those tamales de pescado.

Damn. I was just over that way for lunch at Nam Giao this weekend, and my wife mentioned we might stop at Star Snow. Passed on it, but clearly I need to head back.

I didn't explain myself as well I should have. I actually prefer the basic, authentic burger of a place like Smashburger, and am constantly confused as to why folks will shell out $$$ for fancified burgers with all manner of pricey accoutrements. That said, I have no problem paying more for better ingredients, or as you said, a more lush setting. As for Chinese food specifically, I get the annoyance. One of the refreshing differences I've seen since being in Houston, is that people are much more open to non-European cuisines existing on a continuum of strip mall to fine dining. I celebrated my birthday this week at Hugo's, an upscale Mexican restaurant that is consistently rated among the top 10 in the city. Likewise, in a town with TONS of Vietnamese joints, Le Colonial, a very luxe new joint has been well-received. We don't have a branch of Hakkasan here, though it is somewhat telling that that group is about to open Yauatcha in the Galleria here this year.

I guess that's about as shocking as the difference in the price of a hamburger from Smashburger versus somewhere like Bourbon Steak or something.

We cut out a while back, as the only things we watch consistently are baseball and HBO. We use either an Apple TV or Roku box depending on the room. For the specific services, we use MLB, Sling TV, HBO Now, Amazon, and Netflix. Unlocator is useful for MLB blackout issues, though I have found it is MUCH easier to set that up with Apple TV than with Roku. The lack of DVR capability on Roku is annoying, though it sounds like they will soon allow recording: link

Best of luck to you Luke. H St. will surely miss your cooking.

This is fantastic. Welcome! And thanks.

Great news for travelers heading through IAH. Hubcap Grill opens 11/17 in Terminal A. Here are the details from Ricky Craig (via Twitter).

And another one bites the dust, as (formerly) locally-owned Houston craft brewery Karbach is acquired by AB-InBev. Locals are taking the news hard (myself included). Kevin Floyd from The Hay Merchant and Underbelly was out fast, announcing they would no longer carry Karbach products, and would be selling their remaining stock at a steep discount. Of the Houston brewers, Karbach has become my go-to (especially Love Street during our long, hot summer), but I imagine I'll branch out a bit more now. Bummer.

Bummer. That place was good to me when I was up that way.

Tim Carman from the Washington Post spent a bit of time in Texas over the past few days. He posted an Instagram photo of his lunch at Franklin's BBQ in Austin, mentioning only the amount of time it took him in line before eating (over 6 hours). Compare that with his reaction to his meal at Killen's (which I would put at the top of my TX list for its brisket and rib, but lower down for the sausage):

That is quite reasonable...and I would be more than happy to give you 3 more Houston restaurants to review. ? Also: Bourdain's "Parts Unknown" for this coming Sunday is Houston, so everyone make sure to watch!

Carciofi alla giudia aren't breaded either.

After reading tale after tale of the delicious weekend-only barbacoa on offer at Gerardo's, I stopped in on Sunday to find out for myself. Gerardo's is a hybrid grocery-store / meat-market / restaurant, with a couple aisles of grocery / bakery / produce, a cooler of drinks (beer is only to take home, not drink on site), and a small wall of produce, along with a few plastic tables. While they offer some plates (and a delicious looking menudo), I stuck with the plan, and picked up a half pound each of barbacoa, carnitas, and mollejas (sweetbreads), a couple pork tamales, a bag of corn tortillas, a plastic container of salsa, and a couple limes. The barbacoa is made the old way, with whole cow heads, and damn is it good. Tender, braised chunks of cabeza, slicked with fat, with a some good crusty bits in for texture. This is meat to make a special trip for (though I am blessed to live a short 10 minute drive away). The carnitas were also legit, chunks of pork, fried to a crisp exterior in lard, but still tender inside. Delicious with the salsa verde, but clearly second fiddle to the barbacoa. I loved the mollejas, though I have a thing for sweetbreads in general, so YMMV. These were whole lobes of thymus, roasted to a deep mahogany exterior. The play here is to cut it up into smaller chunks, and mixing some of the softer bits with the caramelized exterior pieces. The pork tamales were ok, but not among Houston's finest. There are several other meats on offer, so I'll report back after trying the chorizo, lengua, and whatever else I can find.

Hugo's

Hugo's

Yeah, so that was me that posted the initial tweet, which I subsequently answered for myself by finding the same article that dcs posted. I still find the story very odd. I have not made it to the TX version of "Peter Chang," but it's somewhat near one branch of the hospital I work in, so it's conceivable that I could go for lunch. I'm still curious about the statement that "all the chefs are from Peter Chang. Our menu is from Peter Chang, but Peter Chang is not involved in this restaurant." Does that mean that the chefs at the TX restaurant go to the DMV to train with Chang? Or is it just bullshit? (I'm betting on the 2nd.)

Interesting list, and congrats to all who received stars. Amazing that Asador Etxebarri and Elkano in Spain have only 1 star each. Very different grading scale for US restaurants, obviously.