A few weeks ago we made our first visit to Grimaldi's (@GrimaldisPizza) and we were very disappointed. But we've heard so many good things about this Brooklyn-based chain that we had to give them a second try. (And the fact that there are very few good pizza joints in the Woodlands entered in to the equation as well.)
We're glad we gave them a second shot.
On this visit, all of our complaints with Grimaldi's legendary thin crust pizza were gone. The pepperoni had a nice savory tang, and the tremendous grease which ruined our last pizza was noticeably absent. The sauce (still sparingly applied) was sweet and very slightly spicy; we see how folks could be blown away by this sauce.
The result? A delicious pizza; perhaps the best thin crust pizza we've sampled. Grimaldi's is now in our regular rotation for casual dining in the Woodlands.
2009 saw an interesting new addition to the dining scene in the Woodlands - the opening of Tesar's Modern Steak House. John Tesar, the proprietor, was born in New York, learned his skill in Paris, and has been owner and/or chef at a variety of great restaurants across the nation, including 44, X Hell's Kitchen, rm seafood, and Dallas's famed Mansion on Turtle Creek. He relocated to the Woodlands, and his Modern Steak House is the embodiment of his philosophy and what he has learned in these fine restaurants.
Tesar's is without a doubt a fine dining establishment, but we came for another reason - the burgers. We'd heard a rumor of some great things going on, and when a friend suggested a trip to investigate, we jumped right in.
The restaurant is situated right in the middle of the Woodland's bustling downtown area, across the street from the Mitchell Pavilion and Market Street. There are two rooms; the main dining room and a slightly less formal bar, which was the venue for today's meal.
Our helpful and chipper waiter presented the menus, and we were faced with a dilemma: Tesar's has some very diverse burgers, and they all sounded interesting. To make matters more perplexing, your choice of grain-fed and grass-fed beef can be selected. But decisions had to be made.
We began with the purist's choice: The Magic. A half-pound of thickly hand-formed freshly ground sirloin, topped with a thick slice of cheddar cheese, applewood-smoked bacon, some nice sweet lettuce, and a slice of tomato. The bun was unusual; an artisanal English muffin.
The burger is well named -- the result is magic. The beef came out perfectly cooked, with a beautiful pink interior and a nicely charred surface. The moderately sharp chedder made its presence known but didn't overpower; this burger is all about the high-quality beef. The bacon added a soulful, smokey overtone, and a satisfying bit of chewiness. The English muffin, which seemed like a curious choice, turned out to be an ideal foundation for this creation, and the veggies provided just enough crispness to complete the package.
What was interesting was what was left out: Pickles, onions, and any sort of sauce. John Tesar is a modern culinary Picasso -- he expertly eliminated what was not necessary, and what remained is a masterpiece.
There were many thoughtful touches that surrounded this creation: A very tasty caesar salad that begun the meal, beautiful cherry tomatoes on the side, and some decadent desserts. But for us, everything paled next to this magnificent burger, which we feel justified as declaring one of the very Best Burgers in Houston... even though it's in the Woodlands.
For a burger this good, the half-hour drive is well worth it.
Tesar's Modern Steak and Seafood | 1701 Lake Robbins Drive | The Woodlands 77380 | 281-465-0700 | www.tesars.com
We've searched for years for superlative pizza in Houston. Sure, we have some decent places, but we've always hoped Houston would get a world-class pizza joint.
We'd been hearing great buzz about the Brooklyn import, Grimaldi's, which opened recently in Sugar Land. We'd not been down to try it, but we had been tracking the news about a second location in the Woodlands, which is our neighborhood. When we heard that they'd finally opened, we were anxious to find out what the noise was all about.
Grimaldi's is located in the scenic Woodlands Waterway area, right across the street from the popular Goose's Acre pub. It's a charming, two level restaurant, with a bar, small dining room, and charming sidewalk seating area upstairs. Downstairs is the oft-mentioned coal-fired oven, a bigger dining area, and more outdoor seating. The feel is classic NYC pizza joint, with lots of black-and-white photos of the Big Apple adorning the walls.
We grabbed a table on an early Saturday afternoon, and perused the menu. Pizza is clearly in the forefront here; the only entrees were pizza and calzone. Three versions are offered; classic marinara, white pizza with garlic, and a pesto option. We opted to try our benchmark: An extra-large marinara with pepperoni. Nothing fancy, just Grimaldi's take on the most popular pizza in America.
We also started with a small Caesar salad, which was plenty for the table. The caesar was mild but tasty; the romaine lettuce had a nice snap to it, and was very fresh. We'd have preferred more bite to the dressing, but we remembered that we weren't here for the salad.
After about 15 minutes, the pizza appeared. Beautifully cooked and resplendent with the bubbles that are a hallmark of a pizza cooked at high temperature, we savored the moment and dug into our first slice.
Wow. Disappointment.
What we tasted was one of the blandest pizzas we'd had in a long time. The marinara was barely to be found, and the cheese was extremely mild. The pepperoni was very greasy (it was running down our wrists as we ate) and almost flavorless. The high point was clearly the crust, a thin, crunchy/chewy creation, hand tossed, cooked perfectly and begging for some better toppings.
Perhaps we caught them on a bad day; perhaps our expectations were too high. But our pizza was nothing special; there are three places in the Woodlands that we enjoy more. We'll give them another visit, because we find it hard to believe that our fellow foodies would have raved as they have over pizza like this.
Bottom line: Our search continues for world-class pizza in Houston. Maybe Grimaldi's will deliver next time.
Grimaldi's. 20 Waterway Ave. The Woodlands, TX 77380. 281-465-3500
Truffles Chocolate, the candy/dessert spot on Market Street in the Woodlands, has closed. Hopefully this prime location, facing Central Park will be redeveloped soon.
Ambience International Grill in the Woodlands appears to have closed. We're sorry to see them go.
Rise and Dine, the breakfast and lunch chain that recently opened in the Woodlands, is reported to be changing its name to Sunny Street Cafe.There was no indication that this review of our mediocre experience was a contributing factor.
We've noticed the Kebab House on the I-45 feeder in the Woodlands, and it was time to give it a try.
It was a great decision. Nice, clean place, friendly and helpful staff, and very good food. The staff is from Turkey, and the cuisine focused on that region.
We started with the Sicily potatoes appetizer; what came out was a heaping portion of sliced roast potatoes, very buttery and cooked with mozzarella and a light cream sauce. We finished it in record time.
Also worth a mention is the unique flatbread. It's sliced into wedges, but the bread is thick around the edges and thin (like most flatbread) near the center; it's baked fresh and very good. It's served with a dipping sauce of olive oil, spices, and sesame seeds.
Being unable to agree on our entrees, we decided to sample the Mixed Feast. Out came a large platter with a variety of grilled meats: beef/lamb schwarma, ground chicken, ground beef, lamb, chicken, and beef. All were chargrilled and nicely seasoned. Some were moderately spicy, all were delicious and savory. There were some onions and grilled vegetables included as well, and a heap of fluffy sweet rice. The portion for two was huge; we had plenty for lunch the next day.
Kebab House is a great addition to dining in the Woodlands. If you enjoy grilled meats (and what Texan doesn't?) it is highly recommended.
Kebab House. 18450 I-45 South. Sheanandoah, TX 77384. 936-321-2646. myKebabHouse.com
Texas may not have been the most likely place for an east coast kid who grew up in the Hamptons to settle but that’s exactly what he’s doing. Chef John Tesar announced today he would open Tesar’s Modern Steak & Sustainable Seafood this August in the Woodlands.
The chef says his roots are submerged deeply in the ocean he grew up near and always will be: "I identify with the sea there so completely and it’s companionship with our modern steak concept though I look forward to opening my first eponymous restaurant in Texas. Texas and Texans have been kind to me. I lived in Dallas for three years and loved it. Came back to New York for less than three months and found I missed it," said Tesar.
Tesar, a 2009 James Beard semi-finalist for Best Chef: Southwest has seen crowds gather for his fare and his commitment to sustainable food sources when he revamped the menu and restaurant into three distinct dining areas at the Mansion on Turtle Creek.
Nationally lauded restaurant critic, John Mariani wrote Chef Tesar brought "New York edge to Texas swagger," when he named the Mansion Restaurant one of Esquire’s Ten Best New Restaurants of 2008.
Since his early 20's Chef Tesar has created his own restaurants and reinvented others for some of the best chefs, hotels and resorts from New York, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas and Dallas. "I’ve been asked many times to brand my name, but timing is everything, and this is the time. Tesar's will be a special place," Tesar commented.
Fresh from his success in Dallas, Tesar looked to investors who believed in modern gastronomy for his next adventure. "Planning this concept has been intense," Tesar says. "Plenty of investors showed interest, but I needed to find the dedicated 'sustainable' backers. We take from flora and fauna without regard to maintenance; even poisoning it with the chemicals we use to make 'earth-foods' grow. But, people care more about what they eat now and my customers are desirous of the locavore and sustainable movement," states Chef Tesar.
Tesar’s Modern Steak & Sustainable Seafood will parlay the chef’s talents with a varied menu loaded with organically grown, "green" selections using side-by-side comparisons of grass and grain-fed beef and earth-easy seafood.
"Modern Steak is not only tastier it’s healthier." opines Tesar. "I’m currently engaging ranchers who practice these newer, cleaner modern ways of raising and aging cattle. My entire menu will be 100 percent sustainable created with a zero-waste food ethics in mind. This will also include our hamburgers served at our outside burger bar."
Tesar’s will have multiple options and price points for diners including a bar lounge menu, raw bar, chef’s room and main dining room with whole fish choices. "Whole fish will be a principal part of our menu. It’s an amazing way to taste the true flavor of the sea and the quality of finfish," informs Tesar.
McCarble and Tesar say they hope this to be the first of many restaurants. "Diners are searching for modern thoughtful cuisine everywhere, and the demand is high," states Tesar.
Pizza by Marco, based out of Dallas, will open its first Houston location at Market Street this July. Market Street is the outdoor shopping and entertainment district in the Woodlands.
Pizza by Marco is one of the oldest pizzerias in Dallas, and was honored by D Magazine as the best pizzaria in Dallas.
Founded by the Nuccio family of Dallas in 1955, Pizza by Marco is known for to its secret family sauce and flatbread crust. The new restaurant will serve lunch and dinner with delivery available. The menu will feature pizza, pasta and a wide selection of vegan toppings and preservative-free cheese.
Pizza by Marco at Market Street will be led by owner Frank Barnard, a longtime resident of the Dallas area and successful restaurateur.
We'd observed a new place going in along I-45 across from the the Woodlands Mall. It was named Ambience... and we had no idea what it was. One Saturday we ventured in, and discovered a new, family-run restaurant and lounge.
Upon entering, we found a lovely setting. Dark yet inviting, the interior was totally redone from the location's previous incarnation. As you enter, on the right is a large lounge area, with lots of leather seating and a full-service bar.
Further back is the dining room. We were seated promptly, and soaked up the vibe of the place. It feels more like a nightclub than a restaurant; there's a second bar on one side of the room, and the blacked out roof, sound system, and mood lighting add to that, um, ambience.
Our server appeared with the menu, and we were surprised... in a good way. A nice selection of international sandwiches and wraps, as well as an eclectic set of entrees - Asian, South American, Mexican, Italian, and American. Prices were good: Entrees are in the $9-11 range, and lighter dishes like sandwiches ranged from $6 to $8.
We tried the Argentinean Chimmichurri Mini Burgers. Instead of the traditional ground beef slider, ours featured marinated and grilled fajita meat, swiss cheese, grilled onions, a bit of lettuce, and housemade chimmichurri sauce. The result was delicious; a multicultural kaleidoscope of flavor. We opted for the yucca fries, a light and healthy alternative to the traditional french fries, and used them to sop up every drop of the chimmichurri sauce.
Our companion tried the empanadas. Ground beef, delicately seasoned and wrapped in a pastry shell, these were among the best we've tried. The side of housemade onion rings were a good accompanyment; the batter was light, crisp, and slightly sweet.
Service was prompt, professional and friendly.
We didn't partake (since it was lunchtime) but Ambience offers live music or a DJ on weekends, and they rearrange the tables to allow for dancing. Dinner and dancing is a tradition that we miss, and we think they've got a great concept for the Woodlands area.
Combine the excellent and varied cuisine, great service, a nice room, and very reasonable prices, and Ambience is a winner. We're looking forward to returning soon.