I returned to Coal Burger on Thursday. After eating a superlative burger, I was eager to sample more from the menu. Unfortunately they were closed; problems with the ventilation system meant that the restaurant was too smoky when the coal-fired oven was operating.
Chef Bradford Thompson (Photo courtesy Culinary Vegetable Institute) |
Thompson also worked with the legendary Chef Daniel Boulud in Manhattan, helping plan and develop both Cafe Boulud and DB Bistro Moderne. Chef Thompson also was in charge of private dining at New York's famed Restaurant Daniel.
The Woodlands area is not lacking for choices when you're in the mood for Tex-Mex. From Chuy's to Los Cucos to the Rico's empire, there's a Tex-Mex spot on just about any corner.
So you can imagine my indifference when I learned that the large restaurant being built at the intersection of 2920 and Kuykendahl was going to be another Tex-Mex spot. I enjoy the cuisine, but feel that the area would be better served by just about any other type of restaurant.
Nevertheless, a recent weekend found us shopping at Lowe's (across the big parking lot) and hungry. Alicia's building was inviting, so we walked over and entered.
We were immediately impressed by the beautiful setting and attractive decor. The proprietor had clearly invested some money in his new establishment, and the result was impressive. Dining areas were in different rooms (we tire of the single, huge cavern that seems to be popular with many restaurant designers) and an inviting bar was off to the side.
One of the dining rooms at Alicias (Unused at the time) |
We were led to our table, and fresh housemade chips and salsa were quickly brought. Chips and salsa are one's first impression of a Tex-Mex spot's cuisine, and we think they're very important. Alicia's did not disappoint - the chips were thin and crisp, glowing with a thin sheen of oil that didn't result in a heavy taste. The salsa was light, fresh, and had the bite of citrus, an excellent choice for a hot Texas summer.
Perusing the menu, we saw all the traditional Tex-Mex favorites, plus an emphasis on grilled meats. My eye was drawn to one of their combinations. Called simply "Cowboy Steak", it featured a 6 oz. black Angus outside cut of skirt steak, grilled and topped with three chipotle shrimp. A pair of cheese enchiladas, and the de rigueur rice and beans completed the dish.
Cowboy Steak at Alicia's Mexican Grille |
What came out was impressive. An aggressively-charred, lime-marianated slab of honest-to-Robb skirt steak, topped with larger-than-expected, perfectly grilled shrimp. The chipotle sauce provided a nice, smoky counterpoint to both the skirt steak and the shrimp, forming a delightful Gulf Coast / Border version of central Texas BBQ. It was a fusion that worked.
Perhaps even more remarkable were the cheese enchiladas. I consider this dish to be another benchmark for measuring a Tex-Mex spot, and Alicia's did not disappoint. Fresh tortillas rolled around melted, oozing yellow cheese, topped with a very nice housemade chili gravy. None of the mystery red sauce that some places substitute... a revelation. These may be the best cheese enchiladas in the Houston area.
We're looking forward to returning to Alicia's in the very near future. But it's going to be tough to order anything else on the menu.
We were thrilled to hear that Five Guys was opening up close to the Woodlands, and visited this store on 1488 near 2978 the day after it opened. We drove out 1488, and saw the store on the left, just before 2978.
Our only beef? The orders of fries are just too big. Even a small is way too much for one person. So we just skip the fries, which is a shame because they're pretty darned good.
Bottom line: Go. If you like burgers, you won't be disappointed.
Five Guys Burgers and Fries | 6619 FM 1488 | Magnolia, Texas 77354 | 832-934-2660
AUSTIN — Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples and the Texas Department of Agriculture are asking chefs and restaurant owners who buy and serve local ingredients to bring Texas to the table during the fourth annual GO TEXAN Restaurant Round-Up, presented by Farm Credit.
During the statewide dine-out week, July 25-31, GO TEXAN member restaurants are offering special Texas menu items or a Texas food and wine pairing. Restaurants also are encouraged to donate part of their proceeds to local food banks and will receive a special menu feature on the Round-Up website for doing so.
“Our farmers, ranchers, winemakers and fishermen make it easy for chefs to serve fresh Texas fare,” Commissioner Staples said. “The GO TEXAN Restaurant Round-Up celebrates that connection while Texans enjoy local products and support local food banks. Chefs can sign up today to be part of one of the nation’s largest statewide dine-out weeks as we encourage patrons to ‘Go Out. Go Eat. GO TEXAN.’”
GO TEXAN is providing posters, save-the-date cards and other marketing materials to participating restaurants to help inform consumers of this opportunity to enjoy the best of Texas. Establishments serving at least three Texas wines may also receive GO TEXAN wine glasses while supplies last.
Hundreds of Texas restaurants across the state are participating in this year’s Round-Up, including Johnny Cace’s Seafood and Steak House in Longview, Southwest Bistro at the Hyatt Regency Austin, Haven in Houston, Calesa in Harlingen, Canary by Gorji in Dallas and Glazed Honey Ham Co. in Lubbock.
“I’m excited to show our local communities that we care about serving fresh local food and authentic Texas wines,” said Jim Baron, owner of Blue Mesa Grill and TNT / Tacos and Tequila in Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin. “Our customers, more and more, are interested in where their food comes from and appreciate fresh products from local farms and vendors. This is a great opportunity for Texas restaurants to partner with local food producers and give to local food banks.”
Source: Texas Dep't of Agriculture
You know that great book you've got on the shelf that you've been meaning to read? Or that film in your Netflix queue that you've meant to watch for months, but you keep putting off? If you write a food blog, the same thing happens with restaurants. I've got several that I've been meaning to try, but a variety of excuses keeps popping up. "I'm on the wrong side of town." "My bride won't like it." "James Beard Award nominee Katharine Shilcutt just reviewed it, and I'll never get a table."
Here's what I've been avoiding. Yes, I'm an idiot. |
Be still, my beating heart. |
But wait... there's more. |
Direct from the fryer's duck fat to you |
Superlative ingredients prepared by an expert chef |
In short, Mazzu is a grandmaster of the grill; here is a brief video of him seasoning and starting a phalanx of burgers.
He makes it look so easy. I would no doubt be on the receiving end of third-degree burns if I tried this at home.
Others in our group sampled a variety of burgers, and were patient enough to indulge me and let me photograph them as they came out:
Funnel Cake is the most popular food at the rodeo. |
Best Breakfast Food:
1st: Stubby’s Cinnamon Rolls’ Big Stone Breakfast Sandwich
2nd: Yoakum Packing Company’s Bacon Blast
3rd: Texas Sized Pizza by the Slice’s grilled breakfast burrito
Best Taco/Burrito:
1st Freebirds World Burrito’s carnitas burrito
2nd Tad’s Bodacious Burrito’s garlic chicken burrito
3rd Texas Pride Grill’s fajita taco
Best Seafood:
1st Berryhill Baja Grill’s crispy shrimp taco
2nd Sudie’s Catfish House’s duo of fried shrimp and oysters
Best Baked Potato:
1st: Harlon’s Bar-B-Que’s super baked potato
2nd: Ranch House Pork Barn’s pulled pork super potato
3rd: Crown Cinnamon Rolls’ Just-Do-It Baked Potato
Best Burger:
1st: Holmes Smokehouse’s angus, bacon, cheese mushroom burger
2nd: Paradise Burger’s ½ lb bacon cheeseburger
3rd: Texas Sized Pizza by the Slice’s cheesy burger bites
Best Food on a Stick:
1st: Granny’s Cheesecake & More’s chocolate covered bananas and strawberries
2nd: Ranch House Burger Barn’s jalapeno & cheese sausage on a stick
3rd: Burton Sausage’s Rodeo K-bob
Best BBQ:
1st: Big Bubba’s Bad BBQ’s pork spare ribs (RCS Carnival Midway)
2nd: Ranch House Pork Barn’s pulled pork bbq sandwich
3rd: Ranch House Burger Barn’s bar-b-que pork ribs
Best Fried Food:
1st: Sweet Cheeks’ deep fried moon pie (RCS Carnival Midway)
2nd: Bear Mountain Bison’s Buffalo chips with The Works
3rd: Texas Sized Pizza by the Slice’s Tornado Potato Fries smothered and covered
Favorite Food:
1st: Granny’s Cheesecake & More’s chocolate dipped cheesecake
2nd: Sill’s Funnel Cake Hause’s funnel cake
3rd: Saltgrass Steakhouse’s ribs and chicken platter
Most Creative:
1st: Sills Funnel Cake Hause’s fried Snickers
2nd: Texas Sized Pizza by the Slice’s Juicy Lucy Cheeseburger
3rd: Bum’s Blue Ribbon Grill’s pulled pork sundae
Best Dessert:
1st: Sills Funnel Cake Hause’s banana split funnel cake
2nd: Stubby’s Cinnamon Rolls’ cinnamon roll with “The Works”
3rd: Cobbler Café’s pecan cobbler with soft serve vanilla ice cream
Best New Flavor:
1st: Zac Brown’s Southern Ground Grub chicken, sausage and shrimp jambalaya
2nd: Crown Cinnamon Rolls’ Lava Flow Smoothie
3rd: Paradise Burger’s fried brownie bites
Best Gourmet:
1st: DGZ Chocolates & Fudge’s Toffarazzi (toffee)
2nd: The Caramel Candy Co.’s pecan caramel
3rd: Kettle Korn of Texas’s ribeye sandwich
My bride's birthday was last week, and I wanted to arrange a birthday dinner for her and the immediate family. One restaurant immediately came to mind: Ciao Bello, the upscale but casual family-oriented restaurant in Tanglewood owned by the Vallone family.
Ciao Bello - 5161 San Felipe - Houston 77056
713-960-0333 - CiaoBelloHouston.com
When chef Philippe Schmit left the Hotel Derek's hot bistro moderne, we joined Houston's foodie community in wondering where he would be cooking next. Buzz about a new restaurant on Post Oak was heard, but the rumored opening date came and went. But restaurant openings are frequently delayed, so we didn't give up hope.
Last week we were excited to hear that Philippe Restaurant + Lounge had opened next door to Robert del Grande's swank newish RDG, and couldn't wait to give it a shot. When a client meeting got pushed back, the opportunity arose for lunch on their first day of lunch service. We were there in a flash, and here are our impressions.
First, the location. BLVD place on Post Oak. Literally a stone's throw from RDG. Valet parking, or self-parking behind the building. Inside is a very cool lounge area downstairs; the restaurant proper is up a long, dramatic staircase. The dining room is sleek but warm; the fabrics chosen keep the space from feeling sterile, and floor-to-ceiling windows offer a view of Post Oak and the buildings across the street.
Upon being seated, we were faced with something a bit playful and a bit peculiar. Paper placemats with clever quotations... from Chef Philippe Schmit.
We perused the brand-new lunch menu, and our first reaction was that it wasn't terribly French. Salads, pizzas, sandwiches, seafood, pasta, and meats were all represented. We zeroed in on their bacon cheeseburger, served on a house-made brioche bun. Ordering it medium rare wasn't a problem. We also wanted to sample a salad, and the Texas caesar, with BBQ-brushed skirt steak was a tempting, if non-French, choice.
The burger was a thick hand-formed patty, served on the aforementioned brioche bun, which had been griddled perhaps a touch too enthusiastically. It was smothered in melted and re-congealed cheese, then crowned with some nicely peppered, thick-cut bacon. It was dressed with thinly-sliced housemade pickles and butter lettuce.
There is much to like here - good quality beef, a deft touch with the seasonings, and a nice, dense housemade bun. The patty was medium-rare, as requested.
But there were some missteps. The beef, while tasty, was perhaps too high of grade; it was only minimally oozy, which is rare (no pun intended) in a medium-rare burger. And the cheese was obviously melted at one point, but had congealed into a firm blanket by the time the burger reached our table. Regardless of the missteps, this was a solid burger; tasty and featuring top quality ingredients. We can't expect perfection out of a brand-new kitchen, and we expect it to become even better over time.
Next up was the salad, and it really grabbed our attention. It was served on one of the longest plates we've ever seen; it literally spanned beyond my shoulders, and the salad was artfully arranged upon it.
The bits of romaine lettuce were drizzled with the mild caesar dressing, as were the croutons, tomatos, and bits of what we found out to be grilled cactus. Our take on this dish was that it was lovely, but not particularly flavorful. The extremely tender skirt steak tasted as if it had been grilled, not barbecued, and the expected smokiness was nowhere to be found. The caesar dressing was also mild, and we admit to being perplexed by the inclusion of tomatoes on a caesar salad. To be clear, it was a very tasty salad, just not what we were expecting from the description on the menu.
We saw hints of greatness on the plate at Philippe, and we hope the kitchen hits its stride in the coming months. Considering the ample talent of the executive chef, we don't expect a long wait.
Philippe Restaurant + Bar, 1800 Post Oak Blvd, 713-439-1000.
philippehouston.com
We were excited to see that Mint.com, the popular financial site, has launched a new public site where spending habits can be researched. Called data.mint.com , the site is an amazing place to analyze spending habits. (The data is an aggregate of Mint.com's user base, and doesn't reveal any personal information.)
Hugo's - $98.51
Back Street Cafe - $83.06
El Tiempo - $79.26
Pappas Seafood House - $70.84
Churrascos - $70.53
Max's Wine Dive - $62.61
Maggiano's - $59.24
Gravitas - $58.59
Fung's Kitchen - $55.06
McCormick & Schmick's - $56.87
Carrabba's - $55.37
Saltgrass Steak House - $54.91
London Sizzler - $51.01
Pappadeaux - $46.46
Benjy's - $44.90
Miyako - $44.31
La Vista - $43.70
El Tiempo Cantina - $43.72
Macaroni Grill - $42.01
Red Lobster - $41.15
Cheesecake Factory - $40.68
Outback - $40.48
Benihana - $40.04
P.F. Chang's - $39.70
Texas Roadhouse - $39.64
Pappadeaux - $39.55
Grand Luxe Cafe - $38.62
The full list can be seen on Mint.
It's an exciting time to live in the Woodlands. Every month brings two or three interesting new places to eat. However, as a burger lover, 2010 has been more down than up - we still lament the closing of Tesar's, home of one of the best burgers that we've ever had the pleasure of enjoying. We've sampled some very good burgers out here, but none have yet climbed that lofty perch that is left vacant by the closing of Tesar's.
But we keep looking.
Ever since we inadvertently crashed the grand opening party, we've been big fans of Hubbell & Hudson. Their flagship Waterway location is a gourmet grocery store, and upscale bistro, and a highly-regarded cooking school - a combination that warms the heart of any food lover. We were excited to hear that they were planning a second location - where would it be? Downtown Houston? The Galleria?
Hubbell & Hudson Kitchen |
It turns out that H & H's second location was to be right here in the Woodlands, across on Research Blvd just east of Gosling. Called Hubbel & Hudson Kitchen, it's a tightly edited version of the original concept. The expansive gourmet market has been focused on the gourmet items you might want to pick up on your way home from work, and the bistro has been pared back into a counter-service fast-casual concept.
What you see as you walk in |
We were very impressed by the concept, and how well it should fit into the modern busy lifestyle. Stopping in on the way home is much more convenient than pulling into HEB's Woodlands Market (or Hubbell & Hudson on the Waterway), yet you still have a store full of high quality items from which to shop.
The market area has a carefully edited selection of high-quality meats, fresh vegetables, cheeses, beer and wine, dry goods, sauces, snacks, and even kitchen tools. If you're heading out for a picnic, this may be the perfect quick stop.
Grocery aisles at the back of the store |
So is it safe to conclude that Hubbell & Hudson has created an upscale convenience store for the gourmet shopper? Yes, but that's only part of the draw.
Dining is the second part of the H & H Kitchen equation. Along the right side of the store is the meat counter, and at the end of it is the order point for the fast casual restaurant. The menu should look familiar to those who have visited Hubbell & Hudson, although it's been slightly streamlined. The selection of sandwiches and design-your-own steaks are still there, as are the reason we're visiting - the variety of burgers.
Our first burger was the Bistro Burger. It's 10 ounces of house-ground sirloin, topped with white cheddar cheese, thick-cut peppered bacon, finely shredded lettuce, crunchy dill pickle slices and and grilled onions. It's served on a soft housemade bun, with a side of fries.
I enjoyed this burger. The over-half-pound patty was cooked slightly on the well side of medium, but there was still a bit of ooze going on. The smooth, mild cheese was complemented by the peppery bacon flavor, and the pickles added a nice crunch. This burger clearly reflects its quality ingredients, and I'd order it again. But I wasn't blown away.
There was one small problem - the side of fries were nowhere to be seen. When I picked up the burger, the counterman said that he'd bring them out when they were ready. But after five minutes, they hadn't appeared. I didn't want the burger to get cold, so I ate it anyway. On the way out I asked the guy at the counter if they'd forgotten about our fries, and he apologized and asked if I wanted them to go. The idea of re-warming fries at home isn't appealing to me, so I passed.
At this point I was a bit disappointed with my experience here; the burger was good, but not great, and the mix-up on the fries was a blemish on what seemed to be a very smooth operation.
Apparently my search for the next great burger would continue elsewhere. Oh, the sacrifices I make for you guys.
On the way out the door, their greeter, a charming woman named Miriam, asked me if I had enjoyed my visit. I told her about the missing fries, and she asked me to wait while she got the manager.
Ricardo, the manager on duty, apologized profusely for their mistake, and insisted on refunding the entire cost of my meal, asking that I give them another try. (I hadn't identified myself at this point, so I assume that any customer would get the same treatment.) I told him I was impressed by how he handled the situation, and that I looked forward to giving them another chance.
The opportunity came sooner rather than later.
My bride and I were in need of a quick bite the next day, so we decided to return. The place was hopping, and we ordered and were lucky to snare a table. In short order our food arrived. This time I tried a different burger, the bleu cheese burger. Eight ounces of chopped sirloin topped with melted bleu cheese, baby spinach in place of lettuce, and sauteed onions. I splurged an extra dollar to substitute their Parmesan truffle fries for the regular french fries. I also asked for it to be cooked medium rare.
What came out looked gorgeous - the thick, hand-formed patty had an aggressive char, and the bleu cheese had been melted and slightly carmelized. The sauteed onions were totally different than the grilled onions on my previous burger, and the baby spinach was an interesting idea that I was anxious to sample.
I assembled the burger, and bit into it. Wow. This was a whole 'nother level. The confident beefy swagger was front and center; not surprising, since the cooked patty was about an inch thick. The tang of the bleu cheese and the bite of the sauteed onions sang a sharp yet controlled acidic tone that paired perfectly with the earthiness of the beef. The housemade bun was slightly sweet, and was a solid foundation for this superlative burger. The gorgeous patty was indeed cooked medium rare, and the center was warm, pink, and oozing with enough juices that made me go through three napkins before I was done.
Bingo. My new favorite burger in the Woodlands. By a longshot. Even more amazing is the price: $8 with fries. That's a steal for this sort of high-quality burger; a steakhouse could sell this for double the price and still be offering a good value.
Ever since the demise of Tesar's, I lamented the fact that there wasn't a burger out here that I truly craved, and could rank among the very top in Houston. But Hubbell & Hudson has produced a superlative product that stands with Hubcap Grill, Beaver's, and Samba as the very best burgers to be had in Houston.
If you love burgers, you've gotta check them out.
Hubbell & Hudson Kitchen - 4526 Research Forest - The Woodlands - 281-203-5650