Inside My Table #89 | Excerpt
Noteworthy Openings
BEDFORD, 1001 Studewood at 10th St., 713-880-1001. Chef Robert Gadsby has his own independent place at last, and we hope it sticks. We aren’t wild for the newly constructed two-story contemporary space – way noisy, and traffic upstairs sounded like a herd of buffalo – and start-up service stumbled, but the food was terrific and intelligently conceived. The cross-cultural menu is market driven and changes often. [See Bill Albright’s review of Bedford on page 48 of the current issue.]
BENJY’S ON WASHINGTON, 5922 Washington Ave. just east of Westcott , 713-868-1131. Like practically every other announced fall opening – e.g. Little Bigs, Khun Kay Thai Cafe, the Anvil – the new Benjy’s was held up by post-Hurricane Ike problems. Now opened (but still not quite finished when we visited in early January), this is going to be a huge success for owner Benjy Levit and chef Michael Potowski. The menu is about 75 percent the same as at the Rice Village location, and the rest is Potowski’s own Asian-fusion work. Among the dishes we liked: chicken sausage pizza with shaved apple, fennel and mascarpone, buffalo hangar steak, a pho-like “Big Bowl of Noodles” with braised ribeye and warm pistachio-crusted goat cheese cakes. The new location is roughly twice the size of its sister location and includes a private dining room, patio and upstairs lounge and deck. Interior design is by celebrated Austin-based designer Joel Mozersky (Uchi and The Belmont).
BRICK HOUSE TAVERN + TAP, 12910 Northwest Fwy. (Hwy. 290) bet. Pinemont & Hollister. This is unabashedly a guys’ place, a sports-centric concept that offers an elevated level of retro comfort food to complement its 70-some brews. On the menu: “Doublewide Sloppy Joe,” “The Gun Show Burger” that is topped with a fried egg and “Double D Cupcakes” for dessert. To add to the “man cave” experience, the restaurant features a bar that opens to the outdoors, an outdoor fire pit surrounded by campfire seating, leather recliners with built-in cup holders and snap-on food trays, free Wi-Fi and more than 20 high-def flat screens.
CAFE BYBLOS, 6134 Richmond west of Fountain View, 832-251-0505. Calling itself “Houston’s first fine-dining Lebanese restaurant,” this spot is a little like a Vegas show room with a dance floor and bandstand designed as a thrust stage. Entertainment (this would include belly dancers) generally starts at 10 pm and goes late. There are hookahs available on the patio. Dinners are served family style, and signature dishes include bastroma (thin slices of spicy Armenian smoked beef), batinjan el-rahib (grilled eggplant), falafel and grilled halloumi cheese. The owner is Assad Boulos, GM is Samy Bachachi.
CIELO MEXICAN BISTRO, 300 Main St. at Congress, 713-229-9500. Bella Restaurant Group, owned by Youssef Nafaa, took over the space that was St. Pete’s Dancing Marlin and created this restaurant and its next-door neighbor, Collin’s Chop House (see below). The two restaurants share a kitchen, but are vastly different in style. Cielo, more moderately priced, offers modern Mexican food with a twist on tradition. Try the poblano-glazed scallops, open-faced tamales, crispy whole catfish or skirt steak with chimichurri. There’s also a nice apps menu that is served during happy hour, with plates just $1.95 each. Open for lunch and dinner.
COLLIN’S CHOP HOUSE & WHISKEY BAR, 300 Main St. at Congress, 713-229-9504. Sharing a kitchen with Cielo (see above), this is designed as a Chicago speakeasy, with red velvet walls, crystal chandeliers, cozy booths and Billie Holiday music playing throughout. One of the large flat-screen TVs even loops old silent films. It’s more upscale and expensive than Cielo, with a wide choice of fine scotches and bourbons. Beef-lovers really must order the bone-in ribeye. And to start, don’t pass on the balsamic maple-glazed quail.
HUBCAP GRILL, 1111 Prairie at Fannin, 713- 223-5885. Small, already popular and therefore very crowded at lunch, this place has quickly become a favorite for hamburgers. Ground chuck keeps the burgers juicy (rolls of paper towels are thoughtfully placed on the tables). There are lots of variations on the standard burger, including a muffuletta burger with olive salad. Order the sweet potato fries, too. The place is by the Alden Hotel and is owned by Ricky Craig, who had Craignale’s Little Italy. Open 10 am to 3 pm Monday through Friday.
ISLA IXTAPA, 12225 Westheimer bet. Kirkwood & Dairy Ashford, 281-379-1717. This Mexican seafood grill and bar, an Austin import, has taken over the space that was Inka South American Cuisine. There are fajitas and enchiladas, as well as fish tacos, snapper à la Veracruzano and a number of vegetarian offerings.
OUT OF AFRICA, 10419 Southwest Fwy. bet. Dairy Ashford & Commerce Green, Sugar Land, 281-277-2691. This is not the first South African restaurant in the Houston area – there was one on Jones Road back in the 1980s – but we think it may be the only one currently in business here. Set in the space that was Sugar Creek Grille, it’s owned by Shaun Willett (from Pretoria) and Russell Williamson. The menu includes bobotie (minced meat baked with an eggy topping, a bit like a curry-ish moussaka, if you will), pap porridge (like corn pudding served with spiced tomato sauce, also called trainsmash) and boerewors sausage. The wine list brims with South African choices, and the patio overlooks a small lake.
RUGGLES GREEN, 2311 W. Alabama bet. Greenbriar & Kirby, 713-533-0060. The management is making a lot of hay out of the “green” trend, and the menu notes Ruggles Green is a Green Certified restaurant by the Green Restaurant Association. Regardless of their color, the food here is very good – Bruce Molzan is executive chef, while Jonathan DeMarco is the hands-on chef/manager. We recommend the smoked chicken sandwich with plantains and black beans (the flavor combination will remind you of the Cuban taco at El Rey), the buffalo burger and “hempenadas,” which are empanadas made with hemp flour. Federico Marques is “the green guy” who keeps the organization on the environmental track.
SIRENUSÉ EURO BISTRO 24 Waterway Ave., The Woodlands, 281-362-5885. This newcomer looks great – very modern décor with large windows that overlook lots of construction right now but will have a view of the water feature in the future. It’s a contemporary Mediterranean bistro with French, Italian and Spanish accents, and instead of a happy hour, they have a daily tapas hour. The menu includes hand-made pasta, risotto and paella dishes, along with wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, organic salads (they buy their lettuce still growing in little water-filled containers) and creative vegetarian selections. The executive chef is Cory Garrison, GM is Morgan Taylor.
SMASHBURGER, 7811 Main St. bet. Kirby & S. Braeswood, 713-491-4526. The Denver-based hamburger phenomenon has come to Houston, finally. The shtick is that the burgers (one-third or one-half pound size) are “smashed” on the grill to sear in the juices, then served on an egg bun. And they are remarkably juicy and delicious. You can customize your order: The Texas Smashburger includes American cheese, mustard, onion, tomato and pickle. As seductive as the burgers are, the unusually good sides, especially the haystack onion rings with spicy dipping sauce and the fries tossed with olive oil, garlic, salt and thyme, should not be missed. There are also salads and “smashdogs.”
