Dinner Club - July 2012

I've decided to do things a little differently by making Dinner Club a little more interactive and a little less of my husband and I making decisions.  Each month, a new person will receive the following Houston foodie books:

Fearless Critic: Houston                                      

Food Lovers' Guide to Houston

They will also get the following guide to Houston's Best Dive Bars:

They have two weeks from the last Dinner Club outing to make a choice as to where our Dinner Club will go next.  July was the first month that we implemented this new idea.  

Our friend, Alonso, was given the task of organizing our first outing.  He has been a faithful reader of Houston Culture Maps, an internet source for finding local restaurants, entertainment, and news.  It is where he found out about the Houston Food Trucks Festival back in May (which was AWESOME)!  In his endeavor to be an informed Houstonian, he learned of a musical named Avenue Q which was being presented at the Country Playhouse.  

Houston Culture Map: Avenue Q 

He flipped Dinner Club on its head (which was not a bad thing, I might add) by making this month's focus the musical instead of the food (and the food was great, by the way).  He decided to find a restaurant near the playhouse.  The restaurant he chose was Brio Tuscan Grille, which was literally across the street.

Brio Tuscan Grille

We bought a bottle of wine and ordered an appetizer to share.  The appetizer was bruschetta.  It might be the best bruschetta I've ever had in my life.  If I've had better, I just don't remember.

Bruschetta

I ordered the grilled salmon.  It was topped with stalks of asparagus and a heaping mound of crispy shoestring potatoes.  The salmon was extremely tender and cooked perfectly.  I hate when you get a fish that was overcooked or cooked too fast on high heat.  It was really very good.

Grilled Salmon

We quickly finished our first bottle of wine and ordered a second.  Yes, we're that kind of Dinner Club.  And we also ordered our dessert.  My husband and I had the Tiramisu.  It wasn't the best tiramisu I've ever had but it was still very good.

Tiramisu

After we finished our bottle of wine and desserts, we quickly hurried over to the playhouse.  By the time we got there, the ushers were already seating guests.  Perfect timing!

Before our outing, I had never even heard of Avenue Q.  So I looked it up on YouTube.  The first video I viewed was a puppet singing and dancing to the lyrics, "The Internet Was Made for Porn."  The video quality was not great and, although it was pretty funny to see puppets singing and dancing about porn, I was not overly impressed.  I'm not sure what I was expecting from the musical at the playhouse but I definitely wasn't expecting it to be as laugh-out-loud, hysterically funny as it was!

Sometimes you feel like a more cultured person for having seen or done something.  This was one of those things.  It's an enlightening play that pokes fun at racism and homophobia, but not in an uncomfortable or awkward way.  It's the kind of play that encourages open-mindedness and worldly views but, at the same time, isn't preachy or overtly one-sided.  It was clever and thoroughly entertaining.

Afterwards, we still had some time on our hands so we walked over to The Tasting Room.  It's a trendy wine bar that is getting some rave reviews on various Houston critic websites for having some of the world's finest wines.  It's also owned by the same guy who owns Max's Wine Dive.  We bought two bottles.  My husband and I bought a German red wine.  No idea what the name of it was (it was in German).  It was unlike any other red wine I've ever had with a distinctly fruity flavor.  And I can't remember the type of red wine in the other bottle (Chilean, perhaps?)  My mind was a little fuzzy at this point.  We had 4 bottles of wine, afterall.

The Tasting Room also serves beer for the non-wine drinkers in your party or for folks who just want a change of pace.  Our friend, Ryan, ordered a Warsteiner and they served it in a Stella Artois glass.  He said it was one of his favorites and described it as a smooth, German beer.

It is now August and Ryan will be choosing this month's restaurant.  The great thing about August is that it's Houston Restaurant Weeks.  Lunches are $20 per person and Dinners are $35 per person.  The restaurants will donate $3 for every lunch and $5 for every dinner.  I can't wait!

FaceBook Politics

Apparently, the old adage, "Don't discuss politics or religion," doesn't seem to apply to FaceBook.  The political rantings on the social networking site have gotten out of control. And I have a feeling it's only going to get worse throughout November.

Essentially, posting your religious or political beliefs on FaceBook is like standing on top of a chair with a bullhorn in hand in the middle of a Christmas party filled with all 150 of your friends. You interrupt their good cheer and sampling of fruitcake by announcing that abortion is wrong or that Chick-Fil-A should be boycotted.

A few of your friends give you the thumbs up sign but nobody pays attention to them except you (and you are feeling quite proud at the moment).

A couple of your friends give you a pat on the back and start telling you why they agree, which makes you feel even better about yourself. Then your other "friend" (who asked to be invited into your circle of friends a while back and you didn't really want to invite him to your Christmas party but you didn't want to ignore him either, which would be awkward for both of you) starts arguing with everyone while stating point after point for why he is right and you are wrong.  And then a scuffle breaks out, someone gets punched in the face, and you ask yourself, "Why is everyone so sensitive?"

Although it seems like it in the privacy of your own home behind a computer screen, or more likely, on your smart phone, that you are just talking privately to a couple of your like-minded friends, you most certainly are not.  No.  You are stating your beliefs to everyone who made it onto your friends list (your like-minded friends, your right-wing or left-wing extremist friends, your long-lost elementary friends, your coworkers, your family members, your acquaintances, your ex-girlfriends or -boyfriends... ).  And now FaceBook has made it so that when you like or comment on a post, it shows up on everyone else's newsfeed (and, usually, you don't even know it).  So what feels private, is really and truly, VERY PUBLIC.

You wouldn't say these things to their face, so why would you say it on FaceBook?

Shit Foodies Say

Haha.  I'm guilty of half of these.  Am I that obnoxious?

YouTube: Shit Foodies Say

Houston: One of the Best Restaurant Cities in America

Houston is rising quickly as one of America's most notable cities in the restaurant industry.  It is a great place to live if you are a foodie.  And most suburbanite Houstonians seem unaware of the gem that is our city.

1.  I found an article by Esquire that named Houston as the seventh best restaurant city in America.  

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/best-restaurant-cities-122210

2.  Here's another article by Yahoo! Travel that also mentions Houston as a top restaurant city in America.

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-21967783

3.  Here's a list of America's Top 100 Wine Restaurants of 2012 composed by Wine Enthusiast.  Houston's own Philippe Restaurant + Lounge made the cut!

http://www.winemag.com/Wine-Enthusiast-Magazine/2012-100-Best-Restaurants-in-America/

4.  Another list of the 101 Best Restaurants in America for 2012 by The Daily Meal.  Luling City Market of Houston, TX (a Texas Barbecue Restaurant) made #61.

http://www.thedailymeal.com/101-best-restaurants-america/

5.  And, finally, here's Houston's Top 38 Restaurants according to Eater Houston, published in January of 2012.

http://houston.eater.com/archives/2012/01/04/the-essential-38-houston-restaurants-january-2012.php 

Dinner Club - a Review of the Restaurants

The following places are our Dinner Club picks since it's inception.  

October 2011 - Da Marco's - This is the best Italian food I've ever had.  Extremely expensive and I would recommend this restaurant only for special occasions, but you are in for a treat if you go there.  The italian food is as authentic to Italy as you will ever get without actually going there.  And the wine menu is superb and extensive, albeit marked up quite a bit.  Also, the Chef's Specials, written on a portable rolling chalk board so your waiter can bring it to you, is extremely expensive but also the best the restaurant has to offer.

The portable rolling chalk board

The best artichoke you'll ever eat

November 2011 -  Feast With the Beasts at the Houston Zoo - This is a great way to sample the best of Houston's finest restaurants.  There are hundreds of tents located throughout the zoo where you have the opportunity to try a small portion of a signature dish from each restaurant.  You will only be able to try a small fraction of the restaurant tents because you can only eat so much but there are plenty of choices and you have the luxury of being picky.  You also get two drink tickets with admission and the option to buy more drink tickets while you are there.

December 2011 - Feast - This restaurant is authentically European and, more specifically, English.  The animals, from which the meat is butchered, are raised locally and humanely, given room to roam and live a happy little life.  It serves staple dishes such as Bubble & Squeak and Bangers & Mash.  For the more adventurous American, it also serves black pudding, fried pork belly, and head cheese, none of which would even raise an eyebrow in Europe.  The wine and liquor menu is very European and excellent.  For dessert, there was cheese cake (unlike any American cheese cake you've ever tasted because it was not as sweet and the cream cheese flavor is MUCH more apparent) and spotted dick.  Yes, you heard me right and, yes, it's also pronounced exactly the way you think it is.  I asked.  The restaurant itself has the ambience of an old English restaurant with wooden tables, wooden chairs, & wooden flooring, as well as small, intimate dining rooms.  They don't do separate checks so be prepared to figure out how to separate your own bill if you come with a group of friends.  Be brave, be open-minded, and give this restaurant a try.  It is unique, pleasantly surprising, and eye-opening.

Bubble and Squeak

Bangers and Mash

Black Pudding

Fried Pork Belly

Head Cheese

Spotted Dick

January 2012 - Haven - The idea behind this kitchen is that all of the food choices are seasonal and organic.  A seasonal kitchen is one in which the food, both the meat and garden items, are sought out from local farms and only served when they are in season.  Thus, the menu is always changing.  It is also the first restaurant in Houston whose building theme was designed and constructed in a completely "green" manner, meaning it is ecologically and environmentally friendly (a liberal's dream come true).  The drawback is that we weren't thoroughly impressed with the food.  Maybe it was just the night we happened to be there, but the chicken was dry and my dish seemed to lack flavor.  Most of the rest of our dinner party seemed to agree; great ambience & great food presentation and plating, but the quality of food did not impress for the price.  We are willing to spend big bucks if the outcome is worth it.

February 2012 - Sammy's Wild Game & Poison Girl - This is a tiny little restaurant with a big punch.  You will see menu items such as python chili cheese fries and sausages on a pretzel bun with choices of meat such as buffalo, venison, antelope, pheasant, kangaroo, elk, llama, lamb, & ostrich.  Some of the meats are only available at certain times of the year.  And some of the meats are also hard to differentiate from other meats that we are already familiar with such as poultry, beef, or pork.  But it's interesting to attempt to note the subtle differences and try to place the flavors.  For example, the python chili cheese fries tasted much like beef chili cheese fries except the meat was more tender.  There is a beer and wine menu with mostly local microbrews of high quality.  

This is also the first restaurant outing in which we decided to try to hit up a bar, which is our usual M.O. now.  We tried two or three other bars before we ended up at Poison Girl.  This bar has a funky/eclectic feel to it.  The walls outside are painted hot pink, there are old-school pin ball machines inside the bar, and a giant statue of the Kool-Aid Man in the backyard garden.  It was pretty packed when we got there so we had to scout out and wait for seating, which didn't take too incredibly long.  It was a cool bar and I'm glad we tried it.

March 2012 - Backstreet Cafe & Anvil - I feel that the ambience of this restaurant wins (so far, anyway).  It has the feel of a French cafe.  We requested to sit outside under the shady oaks and the weather was perfect for it.  I was very impressed with the sommelier, Sean Beck. He was very helpful and informative. He helped me to find the perfect red wine. He asked a few probing questions about my wine preferences and tastes and then he recommended two wines that he thought I would enjoy. My husband and I bought a bottle and were not disappointed in the least. All of our friends thoroughly enjoyed their wine selections as well. Sean was also quite the personality! He took well to being teased and made us feel like old friends even though it was the first time we had met him. 

The appetizers, the entrees, and the desserts were all to die for! I highly recommend the fried green tomato salad for starters. I had the duck, which was outstanding. My husband and I shared two desserts, the trio sampling of creme brulee, pear crisp, and warm brownie with chocolate icing and the 40-year-old milkshake. What made it 40 years old was the 1971 sherry. It was unlike any milkshake I had ever tasted. It was strange and not for the closed-minded individual, but personally, I loved it. If you choose to get it, just remember it's not your regular old milkshake. You'll be scratching your head trying figure out the ingredients that you are tasting, because the flavor is unlike anything you can compare it to.

Anvil was the bar of choice this month.  Another really packed bar where we had to wait to find seating.  Fortunately, a table opened up quickly and we claimed it immediately.  The bar tenders at this venue are serious.  They are not there to socialize; they are there to make you an awesome drink.  They have a menu of complicated mixed drinks but if none of those selections suit your fancy, you can tell the bar tender what you are in the mood for (how strong, what kind(s) of liquor, the general taste) and he or she will make something that will surely blow your mind.  You are likely to see a bar tender making two separate drinks at any time (using the shaker in one hand and the stirrer in the other).    A MUST TRY!  

April 2012 - Glass Wall & Anvil again - The Glass Wall had a simple menu of a short list of traditional American dishes, like meat loaf and mac & cheese.  But these are not just your regular traditional dishes.  They've got their own style and presentation that makes this restaurant special.  

We chose to go to Anvil again to let more of our friends get a feel for it.  

May 2012 - Nabi & Hay Merchant - Nabi is a new and small Japanese restaurant that is almost directly across from Da Marco's.  Their sushi choices are great but not a whole lot different from any of the other nice sushi restaurants near Clear Lake.  The cooked Japanese dishes, however, were something to rave about.  These were authentically Japanese and extremely flavorful.  The dishes were priced right too.  

Hay Merchant is a microbrewer's dream.  It has a wide selection of beers on tap for every type of beer connoisseur.  This was another packed bar and we did not happen to find seating but we stood outside on the deck.  The evening weather in Houston is actually pleasant and this was a fine option.  

June 2012 - Hugo's & Melody Club & La Carafe - Hugo's is an excellent Tex-Mex restaurant whose executive chef and owner, Hugo Ortego, used to be the head chef at Backstreet Cafe.  Hugo's boasts a margarita called The World's Greatest Margarita Ever Sold for $28.  The waiter will come out and shake it in front of your table and pour it into your glass.  It's quite the wow factor.  The margarita itself is very mild tasting with a very orange (rather than lime) base.  Even though it tastes mild, however, it packs quite the tequila punch and one is more than enough.  They also offer a tasty sangria.  We shared many starters including squash flower and chapulin (grasshopper) tacos.  The flower was delicious and the chapulin tacos were also surprisingly good.  They tasted like barbecued popcorn and straw.  The flavor was delicious but they were a bit too crunchy for my taste.  Regardless, I feel liberated for trying something that is considered so taboo in North America.  The chef's special of fried soft shell crab legs did not disappoint.  They were fantastic.  We tried three desserts.  The winning dessert, by far, were the crepes which were drizzled in caramel.  The adult chocolate milkshake was also pretty good but it tasted like a shaken yoohoo and rum concoction.

The World's Greatest Margarita Ever Sold!

Chapulin 

A closer look at the chapulin

 Fried Softshell Crab

 Roasted Chicken

Next, we went on a hunt for salsa dancing lessons.  We arrived at the Melody Club, which has a secret backdoor entrance.  Walking inside, I quickly realized we were not going to be getting the kind of lessons I was expecting which would have been a place to learn the basic steps of salsa dancing with your partner.  Instead, we were to be learning a choreographed salsa routine to a latin song.  My gut reaction was to repeatedly say, "I'm not doing that."  However, we were already in and might as well just suck it up and get ready to embarrass ourselves like total gringos, which was exactly what happened, and IT ROCKED!!!  I would totally do it again.  In fact, it's now on my bucket list to learn how to salsa dance well.

Me and My Husband

Next, we went to La Carafe (pronounced like la giraffe).  I learned a new word and it turns out that the definition of a carafe is a type of jug used for serving wine and other drinks.  Anywho, the building in which La Carafe resides is about 150 years old and started out as an Indian Trading Post.  This bar is considered a dive bar (small, dark, old, and lots of regulars).  But what makes this bar interesting is the history.  Not only does it actually HAVE a history, it feels like you've stepped back in time to the 1800's.  There are paintings on the wall of historical figures, including Sam Houston, two giant dripping candles, an old-timey cash register, and, the kicker, THEY ONLY TAKE CASH.  This is the kind of bar you come back to over and over again.  Pretty soon, you'll be a regular too.

100 Things to Eat Before You Die

I've had 61 of the recommended 100 things to eat before you die.  The ones I've eaten are in bold.  I want to try everything on this list at some point in my life.

1. Abalone

2. Absinthe - no, it didn't make me trip.  It was pretty nasty and tasted like grain alcohol.


3. Alligator - tasted like soft chicken


4. Baba Ghanoush

5.  Bagel and Lox - if I didn't have to worry about the calories, I'd eat this every day for breakfast.


6. Baklava - what's not to love about honey and nuts.


7. Barbecue Ribs - I don't think I'd be able to call myself an American if I haven't had ribs.


8. Bellini - the perfect summer drink at the beach.


9. Bird's Nest Soup

10.  Biscuits and Gravy - everyone's had this.  You probably live under a rock if you haven't.


11.  Black Pudding - Just tried this a month ago at a restaurant called Feast.  It was delicious!  But I won't tell you what it is or you won't eat it....  Ok, I'll tell you what it is.  Cooked & congealed blood.


12.  Black Truffle - does truffle oil count?  What about truffle shavings in risotto?  Because I've had both of those.  Just not a black truffle by itself.  That would be like eating a nugget of gold.


13. Borscht

14. Calamari - pretty standard


15. Carp - just another fish


16. Caviar - delicious when they burst in your mouth with all kinds of salty flavor.


17. Cheese Fondue - it's what you do when you're newly married.


18. Chicken and Waffles - the first time I saw this was a few weeks ago at The Breakfast Klub and then again a few days later at Max's Wine Dive.  I laughed the first time and then I thought, "What is America coming to? We are FAT enough already!"

19. Chicken Tikka Masala

20. Chile Relleno - if you live in Texas, you've tried this.


21. Chitlins - fried pork belly (gross... but I'm going to try it someday!)

22. Churros - I'm from Miami


23. Clam Chowder - I've visited New England


24. Cognac - yum


25. Crab Cakes - standard


26. Crickets - I tried this at Hugo's.  It tasted like barbequed popcorn & straw.  It was tasty, actually!

27. Currywurst - no idea

28. Dandelion Wine - sounds fancy

29. Dulce De Leche - my favorite ice cream flavor


30. Durian

31. Eel - delicious in sushi


32. Eggs Benedict


33. Fish Tacos 


34. Foie Gras


35. Fresh Spring Rolls


36. Fried Catfish


37. Fried Green Tomatoes - I've even made them myself!


38. Fried Plantain - again, I'm from Miami.  So good!


39. Frito Pie - classic 50's junk food


40. Frog's Legs - I'm from Florida


41. Fugu

42. Funnel Cake - anybody who's been to a carnival has tried this.


43. Gazpacho


44. Goat

45. Goat's Milk - not straight out of the bottle, but recipes sometimes call for it.


46. Goulash

47. Gumbo - I think I may have tried the world's spiciest gumbo on the planet once.


48. Haggis

49. Head Cheese

50. Heirloom Tomatoes


51. Honeycomb


52. Hostess Fruit Pie

53. Huevos Rancheros - eggs and salsa, yum


54. Jerk Chicken - not a big fan


55. Kangaroo

56. Key Lime Pie - grew up in Florida and LOVE it


57. Kobe Beef (not sure, I might have tried it before I stopped eating beef but I can't remember....)

58. Lassi

59. Lobster - who hasn't?


60. Mimosa - First time I tried it, I was 19 and flying first class to South America!


61. Moon Pie - it's okay... I thought it was to die for when I was 17...


62. Morel Mushrooms

63. Nettle Tea

64. Octopus - not a fan.  Chewy and not very flavorful.  And plus, I like octopuses as an animal so I don't think I can bring myself to eat it ever again.


65. Oxtail Soup

66. Paella - again, grew up in Miami


67. Paneer

68. Pastrami on Rye


69. Pavlova - Erik says we tried it at some Australian party in Florida.  I don't remember but he says I enjoyed it.


70. Phaal

71. Philly Cheese Steak


72. Pho


73. Pineapple and Cottage Cheese - sounds delicious!  Can't wait to try it!

74.  Pistachio Ice Cream


75. Po'Boy


76. Pocky - it just tastes like a cookie or sweet cracker that has been dipped in chocolate.

77. Polenta


78. Prickly Pear

79. Rabbit Stew - I've eaten rabbit in Spain but not rabbit stew.

80. Raw Oysters - pretty standard for Floridians


81. Root Beer Float - classic


82. S'mores - every year


83. Sauerkraut - I'm German


84. Sea Urchin

85. Shark - Erik and I caught a baby shark off the coast of Tampa, Florida and ate it that night.  DELICIOUS!!!


86. Snail - kinda chewy.  Tried it in Spain.


87. Snake - I had python chili cheese fries at Sammy's Wild Game.  It's very soft & tender.

88. Soft Shell Crab - one of my favorite splurges at a sushi restaurant


89. Som Tam

90. Spaetzle

91. Spam


92. Squirrel - ok, maybe this might be the one thing I DON'T try...

93. Steak Tartare - tried this at Feast a few weeks ago.  Delicious


94. Sweet Potato Fries


95. Sweetbreads


96. Tom Yum

97. Umeboshi

98. Venison - I may have tried this.... Can't remember...

99. Wasabi Peas


100.  Zucchini Flowers - I had squash flower at Hugo's.  It was amazing!

Things to Do in Hawaii

Our flight, rental car, and VRBO are booked and paid for.  We are flying via Coninental.  And we are staying at Lahaina Roads Condo #409 from June 6th - June 18th, 2012.

1.  Go golfing. (afternoon, June 7th)

2. Watch the sunrise at the top of Haleakala.  This should be done on the first day in Hawaii before we get used to the time zone change. And ride a bike down the mountain.(Friday, June 8th)

3.  Possibly take a sailing excursion with dolphins. (BOOKED & PAID FOR) (Saturday, June 9th)

4.  Visit Little Beach. (Sunday, June 10th)

5.  Get a massage at a Day Spa. (BOOKED & PAID FOR) (Monday, June 11th)

6.  Take a helicopter tour. (BOOKED & PAID FOR) (Tuesday, June 12th)

7.  Go Ziplining in Hawaii's largest zipline course via Kapalua Adventures. (BOOKED & PAID FOR) (Wednesday, June 13th)

8.  Drive the Road to Hana.  (June 14th)

9.  Cliff dive off of a rock into a lake or the ocean. (on way to Hana, June 14th)

10.  Shower in a waterfall. (on way to Hana, June 14th)

11. Visit the Seven Sacred Pools of Hana & the Hale O Pi'ilani Heiau while in Hana (June 14th).

12.  Sunbathe at Ka'anapali Beach. (daytime Friday, June 15th)

13. Go surfing (Sunday, June 17th) (BOOKED & PAID FOR)

14.  Go to a Lu'au at Old Lahaina Lu'au. (BOOKED & PAID FOR) (daytime Friday, June 15th)

15.  Go Snorkeling in South Maui (Saturday, June 16th)

16. Go Parasailing. (Sunday, June 17th)  (BOOKED & PAID FOR)