In an unrelated article, the Houston Business journal mentioned that Smashburger, the Denver-based chain, is scouting sites in the Woodlands, Memorial, and Sugar Land areas.
Smashburger opened its first Houston location near S. Main and Kirby to rave reviews.
Citing the weak economy, Houston restaurant icon Tony Vallone announced that he's put on hold his plan to open an Italian bistro and wine bar on West Gray.
"I'm going to wait until the economy gets better," said Vallone.
Tony Vallone is the restaurateur behind Tony's, the landmark Houston restaurant known both for its European cuisine and its famous patrons.
Vallone and his son Jeff were going to operate the restaurant together. Jeff currently operates Amici, the popular Italian spot located in Sugar Land's Town Center.
I love this new trend of serious restaurants opening up in the suburbs, and Sugarland benefits from this with Amici, the brainchild of Jeff Vallone and Bruce McMillian.
(For those who don't know the names, Jeff is the son of Tony Vallone, and Bruce was the Executive Chef at Tony's for many years. Both were instrumental in creating the Grotto.)
Amici is an example of how to do a restaurant right. First, the decor: It's a gorgeous space, with doors that open out on to the town square when the weather's nice. It's modern and elegant, but still manages to be inviting; it's not stuffy at all.
But the reason you come is the food. Jeff and Bruce know as much about Italian food as anyone in Texas, and it shows. The menu has wonderful balance -- traditional dishes like chicken parmigiana are there (and among the best in town) but the real magic lies with the more creative offerings, many of which you won't see anywhere else. The menu changes often, and the focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients is refreshing.
Little touches demonstrate the attention to detail: The bread basket has a variety of housemade breads, and they're delicious. A custom blended flavored iced tea is offered, and it's excellent.
Service is casual, friendly, and professional. And their recommendations are spot on.
We live in the Woodlands, but we make the trek down to Sugarland on a regular basis. It's worth it... at least until they open a Woodlands location.
Amici: 16089 City Walk, Town Square, Sugar Land, 77479, 281-242-2800
AmiciTownSquare.com
Many of our friends who live ITL (Inside The Loop, a Houston term for the part of town inside I-610) maintain that there's nothing OTL (Outside the Loop) worth the drive. In our experience, they couldn't be more wrong.
We'd been hearing good buzz about a small cafe that had opened in a strip center at the far northwest corner of the Woodlands, and finally got a chance to check 'em out last night.
Eden Cafe is a small family owned establishment that serves a wide variety of cuisine. They're serious about variety: They have daily specials that are based on a specific cuisine. Tex-Mex Tuesdays, Italian Wednesdays, Comfort Food Thursdays, and Seafood Fridays (the day we visited.)
I ordered one of the specials - blackened tilapia. It was a beautiful tilapia filet expertly prepared, tender, moist, and nicely spicy. The sides were ver good as well: A mild Greek salad with plenty of feta, and a scoop of sweet potato casserole, rich, earthy, and loaded with nuts.
We also sampled their chicken-fried chicken, which was superb. Very moist, hand-breaded with a light, crispy breading, it was accompanied by a grilled squash/zucchini side that was delicious.
Another winner was the Pasta Marsala. A large serving of penne pasta with plenty of grilled chicken, mushrooms, squash, and a rich marsala wine sauce.
Prices are surprisingly modest. There's nothing on the menu over $13.
The restaurant was packed on Friday night, but the service was still friendly and professional. The owner, Ulises Larramendi, was greeting guests (many of whom were obviously regulars) and making sure things were flowing smoothly.
Browsing the menu, we discovered that Eden Cafe also has a full breakfast menu on Friday and Saturday ('till 3pm on Saturday.) They're closed Sunday and Monday.
Eden Cafe is a winner. It's a comfortable, casual cafe that serves very well-executed food. It's a worn phrase, but there's really something for everyone.
For those coming from ITL, it's a bit of a hike, but we think it's worth it. There are hundreds of small, family run cafes in Houston, but we've yet to find one that offers such a wide variety of food that is so expertly prepared.
We'll be back.
Eden Cafe: 33418 Egypt Lane, Suite 16, Magnolia, 77354, 832-934-2800, edencafe.net
Grimaldi's Pizza, the landmark Brooklyn pizza joint, has been franchising for a while. And now they have their sights set on the Woodlands. Sources report that a deal has been struck to put a Grimaldi's location on the Woodlands Waterway some time in 2009.
Reviews of the chain's locations have been generally positive; here's one from the Dallas Morning News on the McKinney Ave store.
Mel's is a little country cafe with a big dose of charm. It's a place where you can take the family (or the softball team) to get a down-home meal. It's located in Tomball, on the outskirts of Houston, a reasonable trek from the Loop (and a short hop from the Woodlands).
Mel's is know for their outstanding hamburgers, and they are superb. Hand-formed patties are juicy and delicious, and the toppings are plentiful and fresh. This is one of the best traditional Texas burgers you'll find anywhere.
NBA linemen, sumo wrestlers, and masochists can try their luck with the Mega Mel: Six hamburger patties (totaling a pound and a half of beef), a quarter pound of cheese, a pound of bacon, and a veritable mountain of fixin's. If you can finish this monument to burger excess in under two hours, you earn a place on Mel's Wall of Fame -- and probably a trip to the ER via LifeFlight.
Those with more modest appetites are well served by the regular Mel's burger. The chicken fried steak is also worth sampling; it's offered in "small" (a half pound) and large (a pound). Nicely hand-breaded, and served with a cream gravy that's moderately peppery and quite good.
Service is prompt and friendly, the dining room is clean. If you've not tried Mel's, round up your appetite and hit the road. You'll be back.
Mel's Country Cafe: 24814 Stanolind Rd, Tomball, 77375, 281-255-6357
Here is our list of Houston's Best Burgers (January 2009 edition)
10. Barnaby's (Montrose)
9. The Tavern (W Gray)
8. Mel's Cafe (Tomball)
7. 2-M's (Rosenberg)
6. Beck's Prime (multiple locations)
5. Jasper's (Woodlands)
4. Farrago (Midtown)
3. Smashburger (Reliant)
2. CJ's Cafe (Woodlands)
1. Christian's Totem (I-10 W, ITL)
A newcomer to town jumps on the list - Smashburger, the Denver-based chain, bumping Jax Grill out of the top 10.
Someburger is the classic walk-up hamburger stand that's miraculously survived into the 21st century.
It's another blast from the past: Old-school thin-patty hamburgers, lovingly prepared on a classic flat griddle. All the usual toppings are available, and they're fresh and tasty.
The staff at Someburger are great; many have been there for years. These folks know burgers, and take pride in what they do. And it shows.
Sides are quite good: Best are the onion rings, which are fried properly, only slightly greasy, and have a nice snap to them.
There's no dining room, but there are a handful of picnic tables outside the hamburger stand. Many folks choose to eat in their vehicles, especially during a hot Houston summer.
By today's standards, the burgers are downright cheap. $6 buys a burger, fries, and a Coke, and a slice of Texas history to boot.
Someburger is another place that every Houston burger lover needs to try for himself. I'll bet you go back again and again.
Someburger: 745 E 11th St, Houston, 77008, 713-862-0019
The Bibas empire as moved the idiosyncratic West Gray store to some upscale new digs on inner Westheimer. Located in the slot occupied by the late-but-not-terribly-lamented Rouge, Bibas has moved uptown in more ways that one.
The new location is lovely; much more upscale than the funky old spot. And the staff seems to have brought their attitude upscale to match the new digs - on our recent visit the service was prompt and professional.
Fortunately, the better-than-average Greek food as made the trip. Gyros are very good; the high volume assures that the meat is very fresh, the veggies are crisp, and the pitas are right off the pita-making-thing. Other Greek specialties are good as well: I often order the kotopita, the savory chicken dish served in flaky, layered pastry.
But my favorite thing at One's A Meal remains the pizza. The crust is hand tossed and chewy with a crunchy exterior, and the toppings are fresh and flavorful. My fave is the standard pepperoni, Greek-ified with the addition of feta cheese. It comes out chewy and gooey, and is one of the best pizzas in town.
Prices seem to have climbed slightly with the new fancier digs, but it remains a real bargain, especially for the neighborhood.
If you'd rather not wait in Niko-Niko's line, drive a block and enjoy both better service and better food.
One's A Meal: 812 Westheimer, Houston, 77006, 713-523-0425
Rise & Dine Restaurant has opened its first restaurant in the Houston area, choosing the Woodlands as its location. The company is based out of Columbus, Ohio.
Rise & Dine is open from 6:30am to 2:30pm for breakfast and lunch, and specializes in fresh, wholesome food and friendly service.
The restaurant also offers catering for large or small events.