Houston is chock-full of some of the greatest food experiences in the world! There are so many opportunities for an amazing culinary experience every night so the FOOD DISH was created to help spark inspiration for your evening!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Entries in houston (40)

La Strada Takes it's Salida 

After years of speculation, rumor and termoil the lower Westheimer institution, La Strada finally shut it's doors. There have been problems but the worst of them have been since the 2002 fire which closed the location for over a year.

Some people feel the feeling and spirit of the place burned out with the fire. Instead of a happy place for folks to gather, patrons feel that it became too 'up-scale".  Everyone one knows you can't be what you aren't and the original La Strada was an accepting melting pot for all types. La Strada basically started Sunday Funday.


Online a former parton lamented:

 "Used to love Sunday brunches there! Tossing Jell-o shots and flying paper airplanes made from gay porn magazines along with spontaneous line dancing and roundhouse showtune chorales. Now it is a morgue."


In 2004, a B4-U-Eat reviewer had this to say about the post-fire Sunday brunch scene at La Strada:

"Remember when Sunday was La Strada? Remember when the bellinis flowed, the beads flew and the crowd was as colorful as the confetti? The bellinis are now in plastic, the beads are outlawed and the channel was changed from Queer as Folk to Sex in the City. What fool decided to "straighten" out Sunday?"

Of course it's no secret they didn't seem to be trying to bring themselves back. Houston have been opening new restaurant after new restaurant almost every week for the past half year at least and they didn't come out with even one new dish. They just didn't keep up.


La Strada opened in 1986. Ten years later, owner Aldo Catania opened a Galleria-area location, which closed in 2007. In 2002, a fire closed the Montrose location, and it didn't reopen until 2004. Last March, the Montrose location declared for bankruptcy over taxes owed to the state, citing assets of less than $50,000 and debts of one to ten million dollars.

The owner could not be reached for comment.

Thanksgiving Day Deals

Who are we kidding??? It takes for EVER to cook a full Thanksgiving Day meal, 20 minutes to eat it, including giving thanks and conversation and then you get to clean it up while everyone goes to watch football. Who needs it?? That's why DISH has compiled a list of restaurants where you can either take it to go or go and sit while someone else does the cooking and the clean up! ENJOY DISHIES and Happy Thanksgiving!

 

CLICK HERE for the entire list =)

Thank you CLEVERLEY!!!!

Posted on Wednesday, November 25, 2009 at 11:05AM by Registered CommenterDISHhouston in , , , , , , , | CommentsPost a Comment | EmailEmail

The High Tech Texan Takes on Food...

Yes, Michael Garfield has his little hands into everything...how he has the energy to do it is beyond DISH...we need what he's having! =) Friday is a special food event at the Houston Nation Golf Club that benefits MDA. There was a deadline for ticket purchace of Sept 17...HOWEVER they've extended it and you can even buy tickets at the door Friday night! Thank you Cleverley for the inside info! =)

Speaking of Cleverley, she will be a celebrity judge at the event as well! Everything kicks off at 6:30 pm for wine and 7:00 pm is food time.

Since 2004, Garf has lent his name, time and energy to raising funds for the the Gulf Coast Muscular Dystrophy Association.  Over $500,000 has been raised through the annual golf tournaments and events. 

You can join him and some local celebrities September 25 to enjoy phenomenal food, wine, beer and cocktails at the Land Tejas-Michael Garfield "Taste of Tejas."  Houston's top chefs will be preparing their signature dishes and you will vote on the "Best of Tejas" award for the best dish in Houston!

The event takes place place at Houston National Golf Club (Hwy 290 near Barker Cypress) beginning at 6:30pm.  Tickets are $100 (tax deductible of course) and each ticket comes with a complimentary round of golf for two at Houston National!


Hang, eat and drink with Sherron Melton and Casey Curry (ABC13), Anthony Yanez (KPRC Local 2), Randy Lemmon (KTRH "Garden Line"), Don Armstrong (Fox26), Ted Deluca (790 The Sports Animal), Cleverley Stone and even DISH FAVORITE Outlaw Dave himself.

Chefs representing these great restaurants are ready to cook for you:  Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House, Polo's Signature, Post Oak Grill, *17 (The Alden Hotel), Maggiano's Little Italy, Massa's, Kona Grill Sugar Land, Ray's Gourmet Grill, Two Rows, Cafe Zol and Rio Ranch.  Thanks also to Saint Arnold's Brewery, Tito's Handmade Vodka and Fleischer Wines.

To reserve your spot now please call Vienda Ward at MDA: (713)522-1426

BLAST!!

Day Trippin'

Houston Day Trip: Yepez Vineyard, Baytown, Texas

It doesn’t look like most people’s idea of Baytown, but there it is…off a quiet dirt road, set back off the gulf: Yepez Vineyard. Cows lazily graze alongside several rows of grape vines while a gulf breeze steadily blows. An adobe-style tasting room is where you will find Lena Yepez, awaiting visitors and happily offering samples of available vintages. Yepez Vineyard offers between six and eight wines at any one time. Their most popular with the locals is the White Zinfandel, but I liked their Merlot the best. Both Lena and her husband, David, joyously answer questions about their grapes and wine-making process.  

It’s a relaxed environment and guests are invited to take a seat at one of several tables inside or out on the patio to enjoy their wine. Every Sunday, the winery offers live music and several times a year special concerts are held on the property. You are encouraged to linger, bring your family and friends, and even pack your own picnic!

It’s a family operation so expect to see the Yepez’s two daughters playing around in between the vines with their new yellow lab puppy, Elvis. Their names grace some of the winery’s most popular selections! Several events are planned for the fall including a ‘Fall Fest’ and Christmas Market. Check the winery’s website for event details.  www.yepezvineyard.com

 

- Submitted by DISHIE Rhia Robinson - Wine lover and Yogi extraordinaire.

Posted on Thursday, September 24, 2009 at 02:35PM by Registered CommenterDISHhouston in , , , , , , , , | CommentsPost a Comment | EmailEmail

To Drink is Devine

Today is the day DISHIES! Beer geeks united today over the release of Saint Arnold Divine Reserve No. 8.

Serious brew fans were tweeting up a storm today along with Saint Arnold's about how excited they were to get their hands on the limited edition drink! It's all commenced at the Flying Saucer after the general manager Jake Rainey sends out the alert that he's about to tap the keg. ONE PING ONLY!!!

The procudt will be served in Belgian-style snifters, the keg should yield 135 to 140 glasses.

“I can expect that to be gone in about an hour,” Rainey predicted.

To let you know how good this is and why it's such a big deal to beer drinkers, Divine Reserve No. 4 took gold in the World Beer Cup's Scotch Ale category! 

It's like waiting for the birth of a child! The arrival of these single-batch brews has become such much-anticipated event that people actually took off work this morning to make sure they got theirs!. Just 1,504 cases were bottled this year, and the beers can be tough to find, even at $15 to $16 a six-pack.

SAVE SOME FOR DISH!!

Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 at 11:14PM by Registered CommenterDISHhouston in , , , , , , | CommentsPost a Comment | EmailEmail

Best Beer??

According to a website called the Ferm, we are guessing short for ferment?? Here is the list of the 15 best places in Houston to get a beer...they left off Keneally's ...DISH'S personal favorite =)

#15 West Alabama Ice House
Address: 1919 W Alabama St, Houston, TX 77098
Neighborhood: Montrose
How it made the list: While it shows up at the end of our list, it would be wrong to let the horrid Houston climate force West Alabama Ice House off a list of great places to get a beer in Houston. So what if it's an outdoor bar in a city that is 90+F and humid for nine months of the year, this just might be the best dive "bar" in all of H-town. WAIH is so old school… they still maintain a MySpace page! They are family and dog friendly, host live music, and serve free hot dogs on Friday. The hungry customer can also catch something from the food vendors that drop by frequently. The beer selection is a little average, but the unique charm lands West Alabama Ice House the #15 slot.

#14 The Hobbit Café
Address
: 2243 Richmond Ave, Houston, TX 77098
Neighborhood: Upper Kirby
How it made the list: While not necessarily a foodie nor a beer lover's paradise, this quirky eatery became the only traditional restaurant on our list by being good in all the categories that count. The Hobbit is a perfect place to stop for dinner during an Upper Kirby pub crawl. I wasn't aware Tex-Mex and Caribbean inspired foods were the preferred cuisine of Middle Earth, but I do know that Hobbits enjoy their drinking… and the Hobbit has a limited, but great beer menu, including several Texas craft beers on draft.

#13 The Red Lion
Address
: 2316 S Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77019
Neighborhood: River Oaks
How it made the list: It is a British Pub, so expect the typical Bass-Harp-Guinness-Stella draft selections. Some craft beers such as Anchor Steam and Fireman's #4 also adorn the draft menu, all of which are served in 20oz imperial pints… nice touch. The pub grub here is exceptional. Baked Chicken Tandoori Quesadillas, uhh yum!

#12 Molly's Pub
Address
: 24905 I-45, Spring, TX 77380
Neighborhood: The Woodlands
How it made the list: Mr. Smokeypants, who reps The Ferm in The Woodlands, vouches for this north-of-town bar. With around 30 taps, including many local craft beers, Molly's earns our title of best dive bar in the W, and the only non-Houston bar to make the Top 15.

#11 Flying Saucer
Address
: 705 Main St, Houston, TX 77002
Neighborhood: Downtown
How it made the list: To be honest, I considered leaving Flying Saucer off the list. The changes to the inside and the location downtown are a turn off to me. So what saves the Sauce despite its lack of much personality or atmosphere and less than ideal downtown location? The ginormous draft wall. Respect the wall, my friends.

#10 Front Porch Pub
Address
: 217 Gray St, Houston, TX 77002
Neighborhood: Midtown
How it made the list: You might be getting some sushi at Fish or a crepe at Coco's, but when hanging out in the increasingly swanky Midtown, this small old house-like pub across from low rise mixed development condos just feels right. The forty something taps are nothing to sneeze at either.

#9 McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Address
: 2425 Norfolk St, Houston, TX 77098
Neighborhood: Upper Kirby
How it made the list: It would be quite an exaggeration to say the Mucky Duck is a hidden gem, but this stellar live music venue is probably underrated as a great beer bar. The tap list is impressive, and when it is not packed during a concert, the Mucky Duck feels like a comfortable neighborhood joint.

#8 Onion Creek Coffee House
Address
: 3106 White Oak Dr, Houston, TX 77007
Neighborhood: The Heights
How it made the list: This Heights hangout combines a coffeehouse, lounge, and bar with a neighborhood atmosphere. A previous "Best Coffee House" winner from the Houston Press, O.C. also has loads of beer options (both bottles and drafts). The menu also contains several good breakfast and pub food options. For those not sporting a hangie from the night before, this location also hosts the Houston Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings.

#7 Little Woodrows
Address
: 2306 Brazos St, Houston, TX 77006
Neighborhood: Midtown (also others)
How it made the list: Little Woodrows has a lot of beers… like 20-30 taps and 100 beers in stock. I find them good for meet up places or large gatherings. The place gets packed, so don't expect to have a nice comfortable beer and a chat with your BFF here. Plus, the atmosphere is kind of reminiscent of a converted warehouse/garage. The Rice Village location, next Ginger Man, is a convenient place to play darts if the boards at Ginger Man are full but you still want a decent beer.

#6 Rudyard's British Pub
Address
: 2010 Waugh Dr, Houston, TX 77006
Neighborhood: Montrose
How it made the list: While dubbed a British Pub, this is more of a dive bar and live music venue than a pub. The tap selection is great, including many Texas beers and other crafts. In the back, you'll find a handful of dart boards. Rudyard's has that local feel and is relatively pretentious free… a very good recipe for a great beer bar.

#5 The State Bar & Lounge
Address
: 909 Texas St, Houston, TX 77002
Neighborhood: Downtown
How it made the list: Given the hassle of getting to and from downtown and the lack of a concentrated area of rock solid hangout options, I have a bias against most downtown establishments. State Bar is the exception for me. Its classy feel and location inside the Rice Loft mixed development (old Rice Hotel) makes it one of my favorite downtown hangouts. The beer selection is limited, but they usually have a Saint Arnold on draft and both the bar and couch areas *are* the kind of place you would want to bring your BFF (sorry Woodrows).

#4 Stag's Head
Address
: 2128 Portsmouth St, Houston, TX 77098
Neighborhood: Upper Kirby
How it made the list: You will be glad you made the effort to locate Stag's Head, which is tucked away in a shopping center and located within the triangular convergence of Shepherd/Greenbriar/Richmond just north of Hwy 59. The British pub succeeds in satisfying the patrons seeking the pub experience, craft beer advocates, and sports fans alike. Although it's been years since I've seen this deal officially offered, they still honor their old post-Astros game free pint deal if you give them your ticket stub. Stag's Head devotes many of their 30-ish taps to craft beers, and they almost always have a cask tapped. The food is quite good too, making this as close to a gastropub as Houston may have.

#3 Petrol Station Coffeehouse
Address
: 985 Wakefield Dr, Houston, TX 77018
Neighborhood: Oak Forest
How it made the list: Petrol Station is hands down one of the coolest drinking establishments I've ever been to… anywhere. The bar is located in the middle of a residential area in a converted gas station. A peek at the 14 taps and two cask engines reveals an obvious dedication to providing all high quality American craft beers. Get ready for this folks; there are no Bud/Miller/Coors to be found here. As far as I can tell, the owner runs the place most of the time. Not in the mood for a fermented malty beverage? Petrol Station also has various coffee drinks available, all from coffee beans roasted in house. If I lived or worked nearby it would be easily move up a spot on this list.

#2 Hans' Bier Haus
Address
: 2523 Quenby St, Houston, TX 77005
Neighborhood: Rice Village
How it made the list: It is safe to say that the establishments listed inside the top 5 possess all the characteristics of a great place to have a beer. For Hans, atmosphere could be used with either a negative or positive connotation. The structure itself is an unassuming hole in the wall. The bar area is quite small… the air conditioner struggles to provide anything much cooler than the outside air temperature... they have a stack of old board games on a table near the tiny restrooms… and I LOVE IT. The beer selection is outstanding and their impressive draft wall (20-30 taps) lean toward the craft end of the beer spectrum. As much of an inside drinker as I am, I have to admit that Hans' biggest asset is the huge outdoor beer garden. Out back you will find a dog friendly patio bar, a gondola lift car (?), and boccie ball courts. Hans' also frequently hosts live music acts. The quintessential hole in the wall beer bar? Quite possibly.

#1 The Ginger Man
Address
: 5607 Morningside, Houston, TX 77005
Neighborhood: Rice Village
How it made the list: Houston is home to the oldest of the Ginger Man family of pubs, and it has a charm that is unmatched by any of their others… or any of their peers. Serving beer since 1985, this Rice Village pub was a favorite of Michael Jackson, and not the "hee hee" Michael, the world-renowned beer expert Michael. Inside you will find a dark wood filled setting with low ceilings and old bottles, cans, and beer paraphernalia decorated about. Outside you will find a great beer garden in the back and patio with picnic tables in the front. I've never counted tap handles, but there must be somewhere between 50-75 draft beers available, with many more options available by bottle. It is hard to say whether The Ginger Man has defined what a beer pub should be or just provides the finest example.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Not every good beer hangout could make the list, so we have added a few honorable mentions that were under consideration, but missed the cut.

Boondoggles - Clear Lake area. Taps galore.

Brewery Tap - Downtown location. "Cool" location (used to be a tap room for the old Magnolia brewery)

Catbird's - Interesting, low key, Montrose area bar

McElroy's Pub - A good bar, but missed the list because there was only so much room for Irish/British/Scottish pubs, and it is not as distinguishing as the others. Sister pub State Bar is on the list, so no harm no foul.

Kelvin Arms - You can lounge in an actual bank vault here, but being a Scottish bar and having been served stale beer on a few occasions kept this off the list.

DISH has frequently haunted Kelvin Arms and has to agree they aren't overly fab but can say the bank vault is kind of neat...once.

Remeber DISHIES! Drink responsibly and if you've over done it...get a cab or call a friend! =)

 

Posted on Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 12:34AM by Registered CommenterDISHhouston in , , , , , , , | CommentsPost a Comment | EmailEmail

Food Art

So what's in your bowl?? It's entirely up to you! DISH had the neatest experience the other day at this charming little lower Richmond eatery BOWL.

You walk in, pick up a paper menu, check off what you would like and they make it in the most beautiful and presentable way! It's not just the freshest salad possible but sandwiches and pizzas!

The owners of Absinthe who are known for some of the best pizza and paninis in town have opened this Montrose lunch spot right next door to offer gourmet grub before dusk. The people who work there are super friendly! Make sure to ask for Ralph and tell him DISH sent you!

 

Posted on Thursday, August 6, 2009 at 10:01AM by Registered CommenterDISHhouston in , , , , , , , , | CommentsPost a Comment | EmailEmail

Max's Wine Dive

OMG! DISH had the best Mac & Cheese we have ever tasted is at Max's Wine Dive! We were invited by one of the managers and Exec Chef Michael Pellegrino to dine. It was a wonderful evening with the most yummy beer called True Blonde Ale =)

Chef told DISH his Mac & Cheese was to die for but we were weary because we had tasted the dish there a few months ago and it was not so hot...we are not afraid to tell you.

Well he re-did it and it was BRILLIANT! So much so that we went back today and got some more =)

Different cheeses than before and an extra special secret ingredient that he shared with only us. IT'S AMAZING!!!  We can't wait for you to go try it yourself. We also tried the Fried Chicken sandwich with Champagne mayo and our friend had the shrimp/oyster poboy. WOW! The pic is Chef and Seth with the poboy!

By the way, the General Manager Jeremy is the kindest, most patient person DISH has met in a long time! When you go in, ask for Kate to wait on you, she's amazing, cute and fun! Make sure to say hi to Seth, a manager there and of course, give your regards to Chef Pellegrino!

We will be back soon!

Thanks Max's Wine Dive for an amazing experience!

Flemming's Prime Steakhouse Recipe!

DISH got the best email today from one of the owners of Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar on Alabama, across from Whole Foods. They are proud to announce that they've recently added a Prime Beef Burger to its already famous "5 for 6 'til 7" Happy Hour menu. Every day - yes, that's right...7 days a week - all three Fleming's locations in the Houston area (River Oaks, Town & Country, The Woodlands) feature a $6 Prime Beef Burger, complete with two large, mouthwatering onion rings. If the price doesn't convince you to come in, try our recipe:

Fleming’s Prime Burger


Serves 4

BURGER COMPONENTS

Ingredients
32 oz Ground chuck 80/20 thawed
4 tsp salt and pepper blend
4 Knot egg rolls
8 Tbsp Butter, lightly salted room temperature
6 oz Cheese for burger
8 slices Bacon seasoned
8 leaves Iceberg lettuce
1 tomato sliced
Onion rings
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black pepper, café grind
Smoked jalapeno aioli (recipe below)

Method:
1. With gloves on your hands squeeze the burger patty together so that
it's 1" tall x 4 1/2" wide. Season both sides of the burger with salt
and pepper blend. Sear for 2 1/2 minutes on each side.
Place the burger on a metal pan and place under the broiler to cook
to the desired temperature. Allow the burger to rest for 1 minute.
2. Split the roll horizontally then spread room temperature butter on
the top & bottom of the bun and place on the flat top to toast.
3. Set the cheese on the burger and place under the broiler for 14 - 16
seconds to just melt the cheese. Place cooked bacon strips in criss
cross pattern on top of the cheese.
4. Cut the tomato 1/4" thick and add with lettuce.
5. Cook the onion rings in a 375° fryer to golden brown 2-3 minutes.
Place on a paper towel then lightly season with salt and pepper.
Serve with the smoked jalapeno aioli,

Temperature cook times
Rare : sear 2 1/2 minutes on each side
Medium Rare: sear 2 1/2 minutes each side and 1 minute under broiler
Medium: sear 2 1/2 minutes on each side and 2 1/2 minutes under broiler
Medium Well: sear 2 1/2 minutes on each side and 3 minutes under the broiler
Well Done: sear 3 minutes on each side and 3 1/2 minutes under the broiler

Bacon Seasoning
1. Combine the ahi spice and sugar in a mixing bowl and mix well.
Lay the bacon on a paper lined sheet pan and sprinkle 1/4 tsp. on
top of each piece. Bake in a 350° double convection oven set on
high fan for 8-10 minutes until crisp.
2. Place on paper towels to absorb any excess fat.

AIOLI
Ingredients
• 2 oz. chipotle puree
• 1 Tbl. fresh lime juice
• 1.5 cups mayonnaise
• Kosher salt to taste
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with a whisk.

DELISH DISH!!!

Thanks Maeve!

A DISHIES Writes in about a Frenchie!

Wow - my new favorite restaurant "Au Petit Paris" on Colquitt at Shepherd. What a superb gem of a place 2 handsome French men chef-owners (single) a jewel box French restaurant with food to die for, you will think you are right in the heart of the 6th district. Don't forget to order the most dreamy of desserts - so romantic, charming full of character and awesome wine list!

Thanks for the write DISHIE! We can't wait to try it!