This week’s Food & Drink edition is our In Review edition. Every Summer, we poll our Readers to vote for their favorite restaurants and businesses - these are our top five dishes from our top voted restaurants! The Leader • Saturday, December 16, 2017 • Page 1B
Tableside tradition continues at Italian cuisine classic
tance. It’s something Cavatore says is important to his family and their offerings at their restaurant, and that pride shines through their classic Caesar. The Cavatore Tableside Caesar Salad is made with romaine lettuce, anchovies, croutons, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, Worcestershire and tabasco sauce, black pepper and salt and, of course, garlic; no eggs for this recipe. There are a few hidden ingredients, but you’ll have to stop in for an order and try your pallet at unveiling those secret tastes. Simple and bright are the likings of this salad with each bite – share if you like.
By Christina Martinez christina@theleadernews.com
Fun fact about the Caesar Salad: it’s not Italian rooted. The salad was created by restaurateur Caesar Cardini, who was an Italian immigrant who operated restaurants in Mexico and here in the U.S., according to Wiki. The recipe was adapted with Italian tastes – garlic, anchovies and the occasional egg – and perfected on Ella Boulevard, owner Federico Cavatore jokes. Featured dish: Tableside Caesar Salad Cavatore Italian Restaurant has been open for business since 1983 – that’s 34 years of family service. Through the years, the restaurant has printed a few different menus to adapt to customer wants or needs and seasonal trends. One menu item that has stayed the same is the Tableside Caesar Salad, or Insalata di Cesare. “Tableside service shows the guests how their food is prepared and it puts on a show,� Cavatore said. “It truly captivates you. You don’t find tableside being offered very more because it takes time to do.� In the Italian culture, slowing down and taking that time to spend with friends and family over a meal are of high impor-
IF YOU GO
C’s recommend: Cavatore Italian’s Tableside Caesar Salad Price: $$ ($17 but recommended for two to share; $8.5 per) Location: Ella Boulevard and West TC Jester (2120 Ella Blvd.) Voted Best Italian in Readers’ Choice 2017
Photo by Christina Martinez
A Cantonese classic is a new kind of comfort food Hop over to your neighborhood brewery
By Ozzie C. Davis For The Leader Town in City Brewing Co., founded by college friends who have a passion for beer and bringing people together, opened in 2014. This local brewery is crafting supremely quaffable beers with several new beers rotating every few weeks. Town in City Brewery features seven to 10 beers brewed on-site by Steve, Justin, Mario and the gang. Not only is it a cozy and friendly atmosphere, Town in City hosts and participates in local events if you ever need actual reasons to go have an amazing beer. The secret to Town in City’s brewing processes are written and drawn on the wall in bar room. So, if you want to figure out how they do it, walk on over and take a peek. Featured Beer: Chippedtooth IPA The story behind the Chippedtooth IPA name involves college, beer, inebriated running and an unfortunate tumble and, well, you get the idea. Ironically, this is their highest Alcohol by Volume offering. A sommelier may describe this IPA as “assertive but not overwhelming�. I stole that line from their Bar Manager, Mario-Sebastion Berry, who also happens to be a certified Sommelier. As with most things Mario says, he is spot on with his flavor profiles. This is more of a balanced brew that doesn’t scream hops and bitterness yet also seems to welcome the winter. After you drink a few Chippedtooth IPAs, running may not be recommended as to avoid any incidents.
IF YOU GO
O.C.D Recommend: Chippedtooth IPA Price: $-$$ Location: At the wonderful 5-point intersection of Cavalcade, Main, and Studewood, which I always thought would work best with just stop signs Voted Best Brewery in Readers’ Choice 2017
Even if the food wasn’t delicious – which it is, but I’ll get to that – I’d pay money just to visit with owner Mary Li. I watched her make the rounds of her restaurant, which is getting ready to celebrate its two-year anniversary, and realized that the friendliness and good cheer wasn’t just for me. Good food without good service is a deal breaker in a market as competitive as Houston and Li knows it. Born in Hong Kong, Li was a resident of Los Angeles and Chicago – where she was in the restaurant business – before moving with her mother to Houston 24 years ago. Li first got a job at the Houlihan’s on Westheimer before quickly being promoted to bartender. For more than 20 years, Li was the face of Tony Mandola’s bar program which explained her desire to have “a restaurant with really good Chinese food and a really good bar.� Mission accomplished. Featured dish: Chow Fun with bean sprouts, beef added As Li explained it, in Hong Kong Chow Fun is the Cantonese version of a hamburger or spaghetti and meatballs in the States – in other words, it’s comfort food. As ubiquitous as Chow Fun is, it is actually really hard to make well because the noodles are so flat and it’s hard to stir fry them without either the noodles getting stuck together, or without burning the soy sauce. Li said it is their test kitchen dish for new hires. Mine was perfect – a tribute to the Cantonese-speaking chefs who work in the kitchen. Fun fact: the point of sale receipts are in English and Cantonese so everyone can read them. My dish came with flank steak which I recommend, but you can get the vegetarian version, too. Today, I share just one dish, but I would be remiss if I didn’t also recommend the soup dumplings. You may be asking yourself how soup and dumplings can go together, but you just have to try them. Li can coach you on the right way to eat them, and she’ll no doubt have a good story for you, too.
B’s recommend: Chow Fun + add beef Price: $$ (Featured dish is $13 with an additional $5 for added beef ) Location: 4705 Inker St. Voted Best Asian in Readers’ Choice 2017
3814 N. Shepherd 77018 | 832-667-8081
www.farmboybrewshop.com
Do it yourself
THE LEADER
Make your reservations at the Leader Readers’ voted
Best Italian Restaurant!
2120 Ella Boulevard • (713) 869-6622
Beer • Wine • Mead • Cider Cheese • Yogurt • Kombucha Bread Starters
& other fermentables
Choose from the best ingredients and enjoy friendly service
Photo by Ozzie C. Davis
Flying Saucer Pie Co. probed and found to be delicious Flying Saucer must be the most famous pie shop in Houston and we are proud to have it in our neighborhood. The store has been baking pies at this location for 50 years and produces anywhere from 500-7,000 pies per day. If you like to break statistics down like me, on their busiest day, they make around five pies per minute. It is not uncommon for business people to buy 50 to 100 pies at a time to distribute to their customers for the holidays. Flying Saucer offers 10-15 different varieties from fruit to cream pies. They also offer our seasonal favorites for the holidays. Although during the holiday season, you are apt to stand in line for a few minutes, they do expand their hours to keep up with increased demand. So, whether you are in the mood for a single slice on date night or want a pie for each night of Hanukah, go check out this locally famous pie shop. Featured Pie: Strawberry Cream Pie This is the pie that put them on the intergalactic map. It is their top seller every year and is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Even during the holidays, Strawberry Cream outsells Apple and Pumpkin pies. All their ingredients are fresh and made without preservatives. The pie crust is made in-house and could be the best you have ever tasted. For around $15, you can save yourself a lot of effort and still have a homemade pie that is better than Grannie’s.
IF YOU GO
Cavatore’s
www.Cavatores.com
By Ozzie C. Davis For The Leader
Photo by Betsy Denson
Photo by Ozzie C. Davis
By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
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IF YOU GO
O.C.D Recommend: Strawberry cream pie Price: $-$$ Location: Near Shepherd and Crosstimbers Voted Best Bakery in Readers’ Choice 2017
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ORDER ONLINE: www.cfarestaurant.com/northwestcrossing