(From the press release)
Austin, Texas-July 17, 2009 - Texas Monthly, the expert on all things Texan, has published in the August issue their definitive story celebrating the iconic Texas food: the hamburger. A team of 31 eaters scoured the state, covering 12,343 miles, visiting 253 restaurants, and gaining a cumulative 45 pounds in their quest for the best 50 hamburgers in the state. In the introduction to the story, executive editor Patricia Sharpe and editor Jake Silverstein said: "In seeking burgers that stopped us in our tracks, we left some hallowed names in the dust. Undoubtedly, burger-loving readers will be outraged at a few of our picks and misses, but so be it."In a story accompanying the hamburger list, senior editor Gary Cartwright, through his extensive research, set out to prove that the world's first hamburger was served in Athens, Texas, despite the fact that three other towns take credit for inventing the hamburger: New Haven, Connecticut; the Village of Hamburg, New York; and Seymour, Wisconsin. "The documentary evidence supporting this claim is strong," Cartwright says.Founded in 1973, Texas Monthly has a circulation of 300,000 and is read by more than 2.5 million people each month-one out of every eight Texas adults. Texas Monthly is published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. Emmis owns and operates radio stations and other regional magazines.Texas Monthly's 50 BEST HAMBURGERS IN TEXAS:The Grape, Dallas, Classic CheeseburgerCounter Café, Austin, Counter BurgerAlamo Springs Café, Fredericksburg, Cheeseburger (With Green Chiles on a Jalapeno-Cheese Bun)Toro Burger Bar, El Paso, Toro BurgerThe Cove, San Antonio, Texas BurgerThe Porch, Dallas, The StodgPerini Ranch Steakhouse, Buffalo Gap, Hamburger Steak on a BunDutch's, Fort Worth, Bacon and Bleu Cheese BurgerBeck's Prime, Houston, Bacon CheeseburgerOrlando's, Lubbock, Cheeseburger in ParadiseWhite Buffalo Bar, Gage Hotel, Marathon, Buffalo BurgerCover 3, Austin, Chop-House Burger (With Cheese and Bacon)Burger Fresh, Conroe, 1/2 Pound HamburgerBurger Tex II, Austin, Bulgogi BurgerTwisted Root Burger Co., Dallas, HamburgerMax's Wine Dive, Austin, Houston, Kobe Beef BurgerLove Shack, Fort Worth, Dirty Love BurgerFatty's Burgers & More, San Antonio, Ref BurgerMoMak's Backyard Malts & Burgers, San Antonio, MoMak Classic BurgerKelly's Eastside, Plano, Southwestern BurgerBig'z Burger Joint, San Antonio, Big'z Famous No. 1Chicken Oil Co., Bryan, Snuffy BurgerCafé Michael Burger, Galveston, Tiki BurgerBurgers, Fries and Cherry Pies, Midland, The French Connection BurgerMockingbird Bistro, Houston, American Kobe Beef BurgerParkside, Austin, CheeseburgerBlack Sheep Lodge, Austin, Black Buffalo BurgerMiss Hattie's Café and Saloon, San Angelo, Miss Hattie BurgerMel's Country Café, Tomball, Double HamburgerRoaring Fork, Austin, Half Ass BurgerGene's Tasty Burger, Wichita Falls, Frisco BurgerCliff Café, Dallas, Brie and Granny Smith BurgerBracken Store Café, San Antonio, Bean and Frito BurgerSam's Deli Diner, Houston, HamburgerDry Creek Café, Houston, The Regular (With Asadero Cheese)Hamburger Store, Jefferson, Build-Your-Own BurgerMighty Fine, Austin, HamburgerRoadhouse, Bastrop, Jalapeno Cream Cheese BurgerLankford Grocery and Market, Houston, Old-Fashioned HamburgerClassics Burgers and "Moore," Kerrville, CheeseburgerKoffee Kup Family Restaurant, Hico, Jalapeno Cream Cheese BurgerHruska's Store and Bakery, Ellinger, CheeseburgerRosco's Burger Inn, El Paso, Rosco BurgerPort Aransas Brewing Company, Port Aransas, Stopher BurgerGoode Company Hamburgers and Taqueria, Houston, Mesquite BurgerSnuffer's Restaurant and Bar, Dallas, Green Chile SwissburgerFred's Texas Café, Fort Worth, Diablo BurgerSpeedy's Burger, Houston, Hamburguesa MexicanaGourmet Burger Grill, San Antonio, HamburgerJakes, Dallas, #1 Jakes Special
Exciting news about the new concept coming to the Hotel Derek.
Hotel Interactive Reports:
"An Italian legend is headed to Houston. For more than 37 years, Piero Selvaggio has been celebrated for providing a true taste of Italy at his award-winning restaurants in Santa Monica and Las Vegas. His passion as a wine collector, over 130,000 bottles and growing, just earned Selvaggio induction into the Italian Wine Hall of Fame. Soon, Houstonians will be able to experience the exceptional Italian cuisine, award-winning wine cellar and legendary hospitality when PS Valentino Vin Bar opens at the Hotel Derek, the fashionable boutique hotel in the Galleria. The restaurant will open this fall.
"PS Valentino Vin Bar will house two special dining experiences, an intimate fine dining restaurant and the more casual Vin Bar. Houstonians and Hotel Derek patrons can enjoy Selvaggio’s commitment to an authentic, yet inventive Italian dining experience or choose the eclectic Vin Bar with its wide selection of innovative dishes in a “primi” or small plate format as well as an extensive by-the-glass wine list. The restaurant will also feature multiple private dining areas for special occasions and business functions. Executive Chef and partner, Luciano Pellegrini, who was awarded one of the culinary world's highest honors, Best Chef in the Southwest by the James Beard Foundation in 2004, said “we’ll serve traditional and inventive food with a deep rooted Italian influence that takes into consideration local ingredients, seasonality, and market availability.”
Hotel Derek General Manager, Hans Schmitt, said “we are thrilled to be working with the Valentino team. This truly is a perfect partnership for Hotel Derek as we pride ourselves on exacting hospitality in a chic and welcoming setting. Selvaggio and Pellegrini have developed an incredible restaurant concept which we believe will suit our guests perfectly. Houston is an international city with an appetite for new and exciting food and wine. With both the intimate dining setting and the more casual Vin Bar bistro area under the same roof, overseen by these legendary culinary entrepreneurs, Houstonians and our hotel’s patrons can look forward to a truly memorable experience.”
"The Valentino Restaurant Group is home to Valentino, the flagship restaurant founded in Santa Monica in 1972 by restaurateur Piero Selvaggio. Following the success of the original Valentino Restaurant, Selvaggio opened Valentino Las Vegas at the Venetian Hotel in 1999 and Giorgio, in the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in 2004. Selvaggio is considered one of the modern fathers of Italian cuisine in America, capturing the charm, warmth and festive spirit of Italian hospitality. "
Let's get this out of the way up front: We're not huge fans of large restaurant chains. We are all about small family owned restaurants where the chef and owner is intimately involved with everything from the cuisine to the decor.
But in our modern world, most folks dine regularly at chain restaurants. So it's helpful to find out which ones deliver, and which ones confirm the stereotypes.
Consumer Reports did a recent survey of over 70,000 subscribers making over 150,000 visits to over a hundred different chains. And the results are interesting.
Patrons gave 21 chains top marks for food. Included were The Original Pancake House, Bravo Cucina Italiano, Texas Road House, Bone Fish Grill, Morton's the Steakhouse and Abuelo's.
Five chains earned exceptional scores for value: Black-eyed Pea, Sonny's Real Pit BBQ, Azteca Mexican Restaurant, Cheddar's Casual Cafe, and First Watch.
At the other end of the spectrum, with lower marks across the board, were Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar, Joe's Crab Shack, and Friendly's.
For good meals on a budget (less than $20,) respondents recommended Mimi's Cafe, Abuelo's, Cheddar's Casual Cafe, Elephant Bar Restaurant and Texas Roadhouse. Those restaurants earned better-than-average marks for food and value. First Watch and The Original Pancake House were also standouts for food and value, but are limited to breakfast and lunch fare.
When choosing a chain for a special occasion, Houston's, J. Alexander's, Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano, Bravo Cucina Italiano, Maggiano's Little Italy, Il Fornaio, Bonefish Grill, McCormick & Schmick's, The Capital Grille, Morton's the Steakhouse, Ruth's Chris Steak House and the Melting Pot all earned the highest marks for food, mood, and service.
Respondents weren't shy about discussing problems. Noise (from loud customers and crowded tables) was the complaint cited most often. The Texas Road House, Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar, and Hooters were among the chains cited with higher than average noise complaints. Sloppy service (waiters or waitresses were inattentive or slow to bring food or the check) was next. The Rainforest Cafe, Friendly's and
the Cheesecake Factory were among the eight chains with above average
complaint rates.
Friendly's, Shoney's, and Logan's Roadhouse were among the chains cited for lack of cleanliness (bathrooms or floors were dirty, tableware was grimy). On average food-prep problems complaints (dishes were under- or overcooked, had too much or too little seasoning, or looked unappetizing) were low--only about 7 percent
There were also complaints about long waits, which were more likely than average at The Cheesecake Factory, Rainforest Cafe, Texas Roadhouse, Houston's, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, and Outback Steakhouse. At those restaurants, 6 to 14 percent of respondents waited 30 minutes or more to be seated.
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.
Russell Ybarra, the founder and owner of Gringo's, the successful local group of Tex-Mex restaurants, has opened his new fast casual concept. Bullritos. The menu features custom-made burritos, bowls, and tacos. Margaritas and beer are available as well.
The first store is located in LaPorte, a bit off the beaten path for many Houston foodies, but our sources say it's worth a visit. More locations in the Houston area are planned.
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.
There's a new spot opening up in Vintage Park (Hwy 249 at Louetta) that we're looking forward to checking out. Called Peli Peli, it's an upscale casual restaurant with cuisine that looks very interesting.
Peli Peli (also known as Piri Piri or Peri Peri), which means Bird’s-Eye Chili, is a spice found by the Portuguese in the 15th Century on the plains of Southern Africa. The spice rapidly became popular when used to prepare sauces and marinades for Portuguese and African foods. The Bird's-Eye Chili is the cornerstone spice for the cuisine at Peli Peli.
The chef behind this new spot is Paul Friedman, the man who create Paul's Pizza, the popular local pizza chain with some very interesting recipes. Chef Paul has had over 35 years of experience in the restaurant industry, having owned and operated successful restaurant concepts in South Africa and Germany as well as Paul's Pizza.
They're planning a grand opening event with a Live Jazz Brunch on Mother's Day (May 10) from 11 to 3.
For more information, browse their Web Site
Chez Nous, the superb French restaurant located in Humble, is hosting a fundraiser honoring Leigh Boone, a 29-year-old woman who was killed in a fire truck collision as she was riding her bicycle.
Boone's brother, Mario Pena, is an employee of the restaurant.
Chez Nous is donating 20% of their sales on April 24 and 25 to help the family.
Chez Nous is located at 217 S. Avenue G. in Humble. Call 281-446-6717 for reservations.
Brennan's announced via Twitter today that they could have workers in their building as early as tomorrow. We're anxious for this Houston landmark to reopen.
Brennan’s plans to re-emerge at its long-standing Smith Street address this fall, just 13 months after having been damaged by fire as a result of Hurricane Ike. Slated to open in October 2009, the restored Brennan’s is expected to bring an additional 125 jobs back to Midtown.
Travel + Leisure magazine has released their annual 50 Best New US Restaurant list, and four Houston restaurants made this prestigious list. Congratulations to Feast, Textile, Reef, and Voice.
There was one other Texas restaurant on the list... Tei/An.