Inside My Table #62 | Contents
ExcerptOn the coverDavid Chien is an illustrator, designer and professional artist. His work has been shown across Texas and can be viewed online at nakedgremlin.com. He will be giving a talk about his work on September 23 at the Contemporary Arts Museum of Houston. |
24 REHASHED: A BOLD SOUP
The key to hot and sour soup lies in a rich stock. The namesake flavors come from the chef’s audacity to add enough vinegar, white pepper and salt—and the ability to make them taste great together. In Chinese it is called gou-wei or “flavorful enough.” As our local chefs demonstrate, you have to have a bold hand for a soup with a bold name.
Recipes by Robin Luo, Tri La, Joseph Sanchez and Armando Ramirez
Chef portraits by Kim Coffman
28 H IS FOR HAMBURGERS
By the end of World War II, the hamburger was king, having deposed hot dogs as our nation’s signature food. In this weird and wonderful nation where our greatest cultural strength is diversity, let’s hear it for this shared edible icon.
By Marilynn Gump
30 COVER STORY: EATING UP RICE VILLAGE
In 35 years of living near the Village, our writer has witnessed a restaurant revolution. She and other restaurant-lovers can now choose among 50 establishments, including 14 ethnic cuisines, within a few compact blocks. Here’s a guide to dining around Rice Village. (First in an intermittent series of neighborhood profiles.)
By Patricia Martin
Illustration by David Chien
56 JUST DESSERTS: MY TALE OF TWO CITIES
Freshman year of college can be summed up by paraphrasing Charles Dickens’ illustrious introduction: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of independence, it was the age of innocence (ha!), it was the epoch of all-nighters, it was the epoch of extra pounds and food to be feared. Or was it?
By Diana Ebanks
11 TABLE TALK
11 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
12 HOUSTON BITES BACK
Includes Letters to the Editor, Noteworthy Openings & Closings, Tasting the Town, On The Road, Edible Etymology, Recommended Reading, Man About Town & more
20 MR. ANON IN CLUBLAND
38 WINE & SPIRITS
Chill Out at an Icehouse
39 ¡SALUD!
A toast to Tim Kohler & Dave Poss
44 DINING WITHOUT BORDERS
Calling Des Moines?
48 WHAT’S BUZZING IN THE KITCHEN WITH …
Sherron Watkins
46 LISTINGS
Rice Village
50 RESTAURANT REVIEWS
17
Mantra
54 THE EATER’S DIGEST
Restaurant report from our correspondent in New York City
