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i AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
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1 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
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L ANDRY’S SIGNATURE GROUP
Photo taken at Brenner’s Steakhouse
Hand-Crafted Cocktails. Ideal Locations. Happy Hour.
DOWNTON HOUSTON-WINTER 2016 GALLERIA • GALVESTON THE WOODLANDS • LAS VEGAS ATLANTIC CITY • LAKE CHARLES grottohouston.com
GALLERIA • NATIONWIDE theoceanaire.com
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DOWNTOWN HOUSTON GALLERIA • NATIONWIDE mortons.com
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KATY FWY MEMORIAL PARK brennerssteakhouse.com
DOWNTOWN HOUSTON LAS VEGAS • ATLANTIC CITY LAKE CHARLES vicandanthonys.com
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As we celebrate our 70th anniversary, we know for sure that the definition of “experienced” involves more than longevity. It means knowing how to get the job done. We’re not new at this. Just like you.
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AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
augustseptember16
inside the pages F E A T U R E S
14 20 30
40
48
D E P A R T M E N T S
BOWLS OF PARADISE What’s the scoop on açai bowls? Text and photography by Melody Yip
7
8
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
COLD TREATS FROM A COOL CAT In the kitchen with Celzo Trejo of Hot Rod Pops Text and photography by Dragana Arežina Harris
8
TABLE TALK
BEHIND THE SCENES
What we’ve been doing between issues
What’s going on in the Houston restaurant world?
CHILL OUT, HOUSTON! This multi-part feature includes specialty cocktail ice, the science behind dry ice and liquid nitrogen and ice cube molds 101. And, Reverend Butter takes us to church. By My Table staff Photography by Kevin McGowan and Becca Wright
11
THE COST OF EATING: THEN AND NOW
12
NOTEWORTHY OPENINGS & CLOSINGS
24
JUST DESSERTS
Tequila Dog Days 26
FOOD LOVER’S QUIZINE
After a Nice Gin & Tonic, Let’s Dance 47
WINE & SPIRITS
Telmo Rodriguez Tells All: The Truth About Terroir 54
BRING ON THE BITTERS A little goes a long way – and makes a big enhancement in your cocktails. By Taylor Byrne Dodge Photography by Becca Wright
RESTAURANT REVIEWS
State Fare Kitchen & Bar Toulouse Cafe and Bar 55
ADVERTISER DIRECTORY
58
MIGRATING TASTE
Into the Cauldron
WE WANT ... A SHRUBBERY! The sweet-tart surprise that makes the most of sseasonal produce By Nicholas L. Hall Photography by Becca Wright
60
TASTING THE TOWN
Okay “Poh-Kay”
4 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
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5 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
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MY TABLE EDITOR & PUBLISHER
H O U S T O N ’ S
Teresa Byrne-Dodge teresa.byrnedodge@my-table.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR &
& DESIGN
Taylor Byrne Dodge taylor@my-table.com
Becca Wright becca@my-table.com
EDITORIAL
INTERN
Bill Albright Sarah Bronson Eric Gerber Nicholas L. Hall Dragana Arežina Harris Stephanie Madan Micki McClelland Robin Barr Sussman
Melody Yip
ART
M A G A Z I N E
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Sarah Bronson Dragana Arežina Harris Chris Hsu Kevin McGowan Doug Pike, Cindy Vattathil
D I N I N G
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ABOUT THE COVER ARTIST Photographer Kevin McGowan is a long-time contributor to My Table magazine and is well known in Texas for his commercial photography and portraiture. This is his fifth cover for My Table. Visit kevinmcgowan.com to see more of Kevin’s work.
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DETAILS My Table magazine is published by Lazywood Press (lazywoodpress.com). A one-year bimonthly subscription (six issues) is $30. Some back issues are available, $9 each. CUSTOMER SERVICE Our website lets you change the address on
your account or order a subscription. Click on “customer service” if you are missing an issue, receive duplicate issues or need to temporarily suspend your subscription. Go to www.my-table.com. LETTERS For the quickest response, contact the editor via email at teresa.byrnedodge@my-table.com. My Table: Houston’s Dining Magazine (USPS #011972, ISSN #1077-8077). Issue No. 134 (August-September 2016). Published by Lazywood Press at 1733 Harold, Houston, TX 77098. Established January 11, 1994. All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced by any means whatsoever without written permission. The opinions expressed by My Table’s writers do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher or Lazywood Press. PERIODICALS Postage paid at Houston, TX. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to My Table, 1733 Harold, Houston, TX 77098. 713-529-5500 www.my-table.com
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6 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
the best Acai bowls in houston, turn to page 14.
BEHIND THE SCENES chill out, Houston. flip to page 30 for our multi-part ice feature.
learn about shrubs and recipes from houston chefs and bartenders on page 48.
elody Yip is Our summer intern M n’s #açaibowls. out exploring Housto girl #healthyeating #juice
Rev. Butter cr eates beautifu l ice cub with flowers inside of them es #behindthesce nes #icesculp tor turn to page 40 to read a bit about bitters
the social network | @GunsandTacos @MyTableMagazine Totally digging these photos at your @MKTBAR exhibit. GUNS
| @phaedracook The folks at @MyTableMagazine will always be like family. Gave me my first print opportunity and work ever since. PHAEDRA COOK
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Testing out recipes for our #shrub feature. How about these mashed-up blueberries full of vinegar? #cocktails
THE THREAD ALLIANCE
ON THE ROAD SHANAGARRY, COUNTY CORK, IRELAND
A destination wedding took us to Ballymaloe House in Shanagarry, County Cork, Ireland. The cooking school at Ballymaloe is the culinary heart of Ireland! — Ramona Alms
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how much have food costs increased since 2012? see our chart on page 11.
7 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
(or email it to info@my-table.com)
Did they turn up the speed this summer? As I write this letter, it’s already mid-July. And, by the time it reaches your mailbox, it will be time to wind up summer vacations, buy backto-school clothes and get organized for the fall. The highlight of autumn for us here at the magazine is always our annual Houston Culinary Awards dinner, set this year for Sunday, October 2. This marks the 20th anniversary of the awards, and we’ve got several surprises in store, including a new venue: We’re moving our gala dinner downtown to The Corinthian, the ne plus ultra of Houston event spaces. Longtime readers may remember that in the early years we used to bind the official Houston Culinary Awards ballot into the August-September issue. As a blizzard of ballots would come blowing into our office, we stayed on top of the rather tedious job of tallying them by logging them in daily. In doing so, we witnessed wavelets of support rise, waver and rise again for particular chefs,
TABLE TALK
bar people and restaurants. About 10 years ago we moved the voting online. I don’t miss actually counting hundreds and hundreds of ballots by hand, but I do miss those evenings spent with the kids around the coffee table, eating pistachios and calling out the checkmarks on each card. Voting for the 2016 Houston Culinary Awards goes live August 1. To vote, click on the “vote” tab at HoustonCulinaryAwards.com and login using your Facebook account. (If you don’t do Facebook, we’ll have a downloadable ballot on the site for you to print out and mail in.) The finalists in 23 categories represent what’s best, boldest and most entrepreneurial in the Houston restaurant industry. Do these men and women the honor of taking a moment to pick your favorites. Tickets for the gala dinner likewise go on sale August 1. Tickets sell briskly, and the dinner has sold out every year. Please avoid disappointment and make your reservations ASAP.
ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS HSU
riding the haute wave
*** I hope this issue gives you a wave of cool. The editorial line-up is meant to be refreshing for the eyes and imagination. I especially love Kevin McGowan’s cover photo of a deconstructed Old Fashioned as created by Rolando de la Garza, aka Rev. Butter. You can almost feel the cold radiating off that big block of ice. We are a little cooler just looking at it.
editor & publisher
and RICK KELSAY is chef. JUSTIN YU,
food court of 5 Greenway Plaza (near
who won a James Beard Award earlier
Greenway Coffee), and more kiosks
this year for his work at OXHEART
are planned, including a location in
restaurant, is the consulting chef for the
downtown’s tunnel system. Meanwhile,
Oaks-area fixture RELISH will debut its
new CENTURION LOUNGE in Terminal
Antone’s is opening a full-service
new restaurant at 2810 Westheimer,
D at Bush Intercontinental Airport. The
restaurant adjacent to Texas Children’s
the old BIRD & THE BEAR location.
lounge opened in late June.
Hospital’s West Campus at I-10 and
In early August popular River
Newlyweds ADDIE D’AGOSTINO
REPLICATIONS: LIBERTY KITCHEN
Barker Cypress. A second location is in
and executive chef DUSTIN TEAGUE
has opened another location, this
are overhauling the new spot and will
one in Garden Oaks in the original
expand the menu. Classic American fare
GERLAND’S GROCERY at 3715 Alba.
MARKET announced in May that it is
with Mediterranean influences will be
It opened in June. NIKO NIKO’S has
planning a 10,000-square-foot expansion
the focus. Counter service for lunch and
opened a Spring Branch location in the
to the Houston store on Westheimer at
brunch will flow into full-service dinner.
former Chili’s at the northeast intersec-
Weslayan, and that work is already well
tion of I-10 and the West Sam Houston
underway. Among the new features: a
BREWING COMPANY finally opened at
Parkway. LEGACY RESTAURANTS,
larger produce section, more imported
3418 Topping. The brewpub is owned
which owns the ORIGINAL NINFA’S
products, larger dairy department, more
by MEREDITH BORDERS and MATT
ON NAVIGATION and ANTONE’S, is
single-lane checkouts and more employee
SCHLABACH. (Schlabach is also the head
expanding both brands. There’s already
parking (and thus more customer
brewer.) MANDY JERONIMUS is GM,
a new grab-and-go Antone’s kiosk in the
parking). It will be unveiled Spring 2017.
After four years of waiting, CITY ACRE
8 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
the works for Ninfa’s. ON THE DRAWING TABLE: CENTRAL
Thank you Chef We Sell the Best and Service the Rest!
Chris Shepherd
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for being a loyal customer since the opening of Underbelly more than four years ago! Underbelly
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TABLE TALK
Construction should commence in August,
PAPPAS BROS. STEAKHOUSE and
with completion later this year.
one-time beverage director for the
RYAN LACHAINE, previously sous chef HANS SITTER and his son PHILIPP
CORDÚA RESTAURANTS, let us know
at UNDERBELLY and REEF, is planning
he is “stepping off the floor for the
SITTER, who operate the Austrian/
a new spot in the old TÉ HOUSE OF TEA
first time in 18 years” to become the
German outpost KING’S BIERGARTEN &
on Fairview at Woodhead. Lachaine,
brand ambassador for PAUL HOBBS
RESTAURANT in Pearland, are planning
a native Canadian, will call it RIEL,
WINES. KENTEN MARIN (previously
an expansion to The Heights in Houston.
honoring Louis Riel, a 19th-century folk
at BRASSERIE 19, HOLLEY’S and
The KING’S BIERHAUS will have a
hero of Manitoba.
UNDERBELLY) is the new executive chef
350-seat biergarten and restaurant and should be open this Fall.
James Beard Award-winning chef, TV
at SHADE in The Heights. Chef MARLIES
celebrity and cookbook author JOHN
WASTERVAL left SALTAIR and is now
BESH has confirmed that his New
at the MFA CAFE at the Museum of Fine
chef PHILIPPE VERPIAND and his wife
Orleans-based hospitality group is finally
Arts, Houston. LOMBARDI FAMILY
MONICA BUI recently revealed plans
opening a restaurant in Houston. EUNICE,
CONCEPTS, which operates TOULOUSE
to open BRASSERIE DU PARC on the
“a Creole-Cajun brasserie,” will be at
CAFE & BAR in River Oaks District,
ground floor of One Park Place (the
3737 Buffalo Speedway in Greenway
announced in early June that chef
building that also houses PHOENICIA
Plaza and is expected to open in late
Philippe Schmit was out and has been
SPECIALTY FOODS) overlooking
2017.
replaced by LAURENT DUBOURG.
ÉTOILE CUISINE ET BAR owner/
Discovery Green. Design of the new restaurant is by KATHY HEARD DESIGN.
OUR PERIPATETIC CHEFS ET AL: JAMES WATKINS, the somm at
9 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
Wine pro MARCUS GAUSEPOHL left MARK’S AMERICAN CUISINE shortly
Tapas, Paella & Wine in Rice Village
2425 University Blvd. 713.522.9306 www.elmeson.com
TABLE TALK
Chef/Sommelier Pedro Angel Garcia
BARTOLOME, who took over as
who celebrated the 35th anniversary of
executive chef at COMMON BOND
his Westside restaurant, CARMELO’S
BAKERY & CAFE after co-founder ROY
RISTORANTE ITALIANO in June … to
before it closed in May and is now
SHVARTZAPEL left in early 2015, has
CAMERATA’s DAVID KECK, who passed
at BRENNAN’S. RICK JAMAIL, most
moved on. As we go to press, there is no
his master sommelier exam in May.
recently with REPUBLIC NATIONAL
word yet as to her replacement.
DISTRIBUTING CO., has been hired
In June HOTEL DEREK announced that
CONDOLENCES … to the sprawling
Mandola family and many friends
as wine director of BILL FLOYD’S two
ERIC McCLANAHAN, formerly of CRU
of FRANKIE B. MANDOLA, one of
new restaurants, BROCCA and the more
WINE BAR, was taking over as executive
Houston’s best-loved restaurant operators.
casual IL PANCHINA. Both spots are
chef. ALBA HUERTA, owner/operator
Among the restaurants associated
in the new apartment complex across
of JULEP on Washington Avenue, has
with Mandola were RAGIN’ CAJUN,
the street from Minute Maid Park and
joined THE ORIGINAL NINFA’S ON
DAMIAN’S, STATE GRILLE and his
should be open soon. Bartender CHRIS
NAVIGATION to consult on the bar
namesake FRANKIE B. MANDOLA’S
FRANKEL has left his GM role at SPARE
program.
STEAK AND BURGERS on Kirby Drive.
KEY. Last heard, he was traveling in
South America. LEXEY JOHNSON, who was at
CONGRATULATIONS … to ETTIENNE
Mandola died on July 8 after suffering a
LEIBMAN, co-owner and CEO of
heart attack.
LEIBMAN’S WINE & FINE FOODS, who
For more news about restaurant openings and closings, comings and goings, follow us @MyTablemagazine and subscribe to our twice-weekly newsletter, SideDish.
VINO VINO in Austin, is the new somm
was inducted into the Specialty Food
at B&B BUTCHERS & RESTAURANT
Association’s Hall of Fame this past June
on Washington Avenue. JILLIAN
in New York … to CARMELO MAURO,
10 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
cost of eating: then & now food item BURGERS & HOT DOGS
restaurant JAMES CONEY ISLAND
June 2012
June 2016
% INCREASE
$1.89
$2.59
37%
$6
$7
16.7%
$11.75
$11.75
0%
$14
$14
0%
$6.50
$7.25
11.5%
$1.50
$1.89
26%
$10
$10.56
5.6%
$2.75
$3.75
36.4%
$7.99
$8.99
12.5%
$6.25
$7.95
27.2%
$6.75
$6.99
3.6%
$1.85
$2.30
24.3%
$6.95
$7.95
14.4%
Cheese Coney Bubba’s Texas Burger Shack
Buffalo cheeseburger pizza
star pizza
12” Joe’s pizza (sautéed spinach and garlic) Dolce Vita Pizzeria Enoteca
salsiccia e friarielli (sausage, rapini, smoked bufala) sweet snacks
sweet paris crêperie
Nutella crêpe with bananas and strawberries shipley do-nuts
Bag of donut holes (dozen) michael’s cookie jar
Chunky chocolate chip cookies 1 dozen (small) sandwiches
Les Givral’s Kahve
Chargrill BBQ pork banh mi aladdin mediterranean cuisine
Falafel sandwich barbecue
goode co. bar-b-q
Chopped brisket sandwich on jalapeño cheese bread gatlin’s bbq
Pulled pork sandwich breakfast
el rey taqueria
Egg and chorizo breakfast taco barnaby’s cafe
Huevos rancheros (includes black beans, potatoes and tortillas) PHOTOS FROM BIGSTOCK.COM
11 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
noteworthy openings BISKIT JUNKIE 403 Westheimer at Taft, biskitburgerbeer.com
If you’re looking for the perfect destination for “cheat day,” Biskit Junkie rises to the occasion. It opened in the spring in the modest little house that was once the old Mango’s music venue, and its location on lower Westheimer in Montrose makes for a cozy breakfast niche. Prepare to slather all the butter on melt-in-your-mouth biscuits; various other offerings include meat-centric creations like burgers and well-crafted biscuit sandwiches filled with fixings from tempura-fried chicken to house-made sausage patties slick with apple butter.
BORGO FOOD STATION 3641 West Alabama at Timmons, 832-940-2126, borgofoodstation.com
Borgo owners Monica Fallone and Luis Mancera give a fancy European edge to their gastro-market’s pre-made meals. Start off the morning with a fresh juice or an espresso to pair with a pastry. For lunch, salads sold in compartmentalized plastic containers prevent soggy affairs. Sandwiches are also available, and house-made croquettes called “Borgo balls” are tucked inside mason jars. For dinner, peruse the cooler for “take and bake” selections perfect for family dining with various-sized portions. BROOKSTREET BARBEQUE 1009 Missouri at Montrose, 713-234-3165, brookstreetbbq.com
With locations already in Sugar Land, Missouri City, Richmond and West Houston, Brookstreet is something old. But it’s also something new, having just joined the Montrose restaurant hub at Westheimer. Set in a renovated 1930s house now clad with stone and with a modern drive-thru window, it’s a family-run business with plenty of classic barbecue flair. But there’s a unique addition here: challah bread. Think about nestling a couple slices of tender brisket inside this fluffy, sweet bread. CANE ROSSO 1835 N. Shepherd at West 19th, 713-868-0071, canerosso.com BISKIT JUNKIE
PHOTO BY MELODY YIP
The first Houston location of the much-praised Dallas-based pizzeria
– the name means “red dog” – has finally opened in The Heights. Dino Santonicola is the master pizzaiolo, and he adheres to all the Neapolitan traditions: fresh dough made in-house every day from flour imported from Italy, hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella pulled fresh in the kitchen. Early visitors were swooning for the thin pies, some calling them the best in Houston. The company promises a second location in Montrose at 4306 Yoakum later in the year. KILLEN’S BURGERS 2804 S. Main near Walnut, Pearland, 281-412-4922
Ronnie Killen has fulfilled his third meaty promise: Killen’s Burgers was unveiled this summer, joining Killen’s Steakhouse and Killen’s Texas Barbecue to make this town just south of Houston full of possibilities. The burger spot has a retro feel, and the open kitchen gives diners a view of griddles and fryers. The menu is brief but pretty much perfect. Lucky Pearland! MORNINGSTAR 4721 N. Main near Airline Dr., 832-382-3466
The sister restaurant of Blacksmith has joined several other restaurants setting up shop in The Heights, and it introduces a new flavor partner for the beloved donut – matcha. David Buehrer and his donut mentor Sam Phan have developed a sophisticated green tea menu (such as frothy lattes and a shot of matcha creamed with condensed
noteworthy closings AU PETIT PARIS
EDLOE STREET CAFE
MARIA SELMA
THE CORKSCREW
GRATIFI KITCHEN & BAR
TRIPLE A RESTAURANT
THE DURHAM HOUSE
HANS’ BIER HAUS
ZELKO BISTRO
2048 Colquitt 1308 W. 20th
1200 Durham
6119 Edloe
302 Fairview
2523 Quenby
12 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
1617 Richmond 2526 Airline 705 E. 11th
®
®
W I N ES · S P I R I TS · F I N E R FO O DS
YOUR
RITUAL
milk) and a bi-weekly rotating set of innovative donut offerings. From pineapple fritters to glazed yeasty confections dripping with Texas honey, these creations will satisfy a sweet tooth. Don’t worry: Greenway’s famous coffee also makes an appearance here, and there are savory options, too. RITUAL 602 Studewood at White Oak Dr., 832-203-5180, ritualhouston.com
This new neighborhood joint can boast some outstanding culinary resumes – owner Ken Bridge of Delicious Concepts, chef Jordan Asher, Felix Florez of Black Hill Ranch as partner/ consultant and cocktail master Peter Clifton. Try all sorts of indulgent flavors, ranging from a tender lamb burger cloaked in a minty salsa verde to the newly-famous “Angry Bird,” a fried chicken sandwich rubbed with a fiery cayenne blend. The location is a retread – it’s where the misbegotten El Cantina Superior was – but it appeals to diners by featuring the best of Texas’ ranches and farms. STEAK 48 4444 Westheimer in River Oaks District, 713-322-7448, steak48.com
This steak palace oozes opulence … which means it fits perfectly into this
PHOTO BY BECCA WRIGHT
chic new retail development. Brothers and veteran restaurant operators Jeffrey and Michael Mastro have Steak 44 in Phoenix and have added two Steak 48s to their portfolio with simultaneous openings in Houston and Chicago. There’s a sexy bar, lush small rooms for intimate conversations and a warm, contemporary look throughout. Other dining options include a stunning seafood menu and a list of 48 wines by the glass. It’s on the front of River Oaks District facing Westheimer, so easy to spot. Self-parking and valet are available.
SUMMER
OASIS! Expand your refreshment horizons with our huge selection of wines, all at lower prices. There’s no cooler way to sip away the summer!
STOKED TACOS & TEQUILA 2416 Brazos at Bremond, 832-701-1973, stokedmidtown.com
Houston’s hunger for anything swaddled in a tortilla can be satisfied at this vibrant taco joint in Midtown. Chris Frankel of Spare Key got the cocktail menu organized – alas, Frankel is now gone – while chef Adam Puskorius of UFO Hospitality Group focuses on crafting house-made ingredients for offerings like jaunty red mole chicken wings, cheesy mashed-potato taquitos and tacos chock full of brisket or pork shoulder. Despite a rather hefty valet fare for parking – it’s Midtown, after all – the Tex-Mex experience and the margarita menu are redemptive.
13 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
CHEERS TO SAVINGS! LOCATIONS ALL ACROSS HOUSTON (713) 526-8787 SPECSONLINE.COM
®
bowls of paradise Text and photography by Melody Yip
Açai bowls are gorgeous and healthful creations, excellent for breakfast, a pre- or post-workout snack or dessert. They’re often so beautiful – richly colored and full of fresh fruit – that it’s no wonder Instagram is littered with photos of them. These elaborate smoothies will make your stomach happy. Yet they’re more than purple frozen puree spun with more fruit and sprinkled with granola. Components need to complement one another to create a wholesome açai bowl. There’s a unique balance between the ratio of granola and açai puree, for example. There’s careful consideration for the degree of creaminess in the smoothie’s frozen texture and the açai’s color. There’s a defining difference between agave nectar and dates as sweeteners. Açai bowls look simple, but considerable craft are poured into these. The West Coast prides itself as being the açai bowl capital of the world, but Houston is catching up, one blender at a time. Here are seven local spots where you can dig your spoon into açai heaven.
Ratings are based on a scale 14of one to five bananas AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
Nourish Juice & Smoothie Bar 1000 W. Gray, 346-701-1505, ilovenourishjuicebar.com
Nourish adorns their bowls with an entire banana cut into slender pieces, and the generous crumbling of granola and honey add lovely warm colors. However, the bowl’s appearance might seem confusing at first since the other ingredients in the blend transform açai’s typical dark purple hue into a pretty pink. Açai has a rich, dark and musky flavor reminiscent of prunes, but this bowl gravitates more towards banana in the smoothie, leaving açai a little under-represented. The strawberries and housemade almond milk that are also whirled in mellow out the açai’s flavor even more. PRICE: $9
açai answers From nutritionist Melissa Hawthorne, dietitian for Houston’s Advice for Eating clinic What is the açai berry?
Açai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is a berry the size of a blueberry, grown on a palm near the flood plain areas of the Amazon River in Brazil. The açai berry is different from other berries in that it contains anti-inflammatory omega-9 fatty acids and very little sugar. What are its reported health benefits?
Omega-9 fatty acids have been found to help improve cholesterol levels and reduce risk of cardiovascular disease. Açai berries also contain more antioxidants than blueberries or red wine. Scientists have found that açai berries contain anthocyanins, and studies have shown that there is a direct relationship between diets rich in anthocyanins and a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease. Açai berries also contain phytosterols, which are known to reduce cholesterol. Why are açai bowls so popular?
Health food stores are capitalizing on this newfound fruit and making more menu items available as Americans become more educated on the health benefits of açai berries. Consumers need to be aware that the açai fruit is highly perishable, so the raw fresh açai berries are only available in Brazil. Health food stores and grocery stores here in the United States carry this fruit in the form of juice, frozen pulp or bottled smoothies.
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DailY Juice Cafe 4010 Bissonnet and other locations, 281-974-3728, dailyjuicecafe.com
Talk about a rainbow bowl. Daily Juice pampers their Berry Crunch Blast with peaches, blueberries and strawberries on top. But all the granola remains hidden on the bottom, which is a sad affair because it becomes soggy. The granola has quite a few ingredients – you’ll find hemp hearts, chia seeds, dried cranberries and almond slivers – but the soupy consistency of the açai makes the bowl resemble a drink. PRICE: $7.95 (small), $9.95 (large)
tout suite 2001 Commerce, 713-227-8688, toutsuite.co
Tout Suite is not a juice bar or necessarily a destination for health nuts; it’s frequented by posh people and those who live for brunch. But the açai bowl is a hidden gem here. The granola will make you think of oats and almonds toasted over a campfire. Its smoky, honeyed flavor allows the açai to shine and evoke a refreshing quality. Using a bit of coconut water and plenty of banana, Tout Suite crafts sublime bowls. PRICE: $9
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juice girl 238 W. 19th St., 713-478-7486 txjuicegirl.com
Long live Juice Girl as açai queen. This is the Beyoncé of the squad. There’s no skimping on anything in this stunning bowl. Eat this after conquering a grueling spin class or if you’re hankering for an indulgent yet healthful dessert. It’s a swirling magenta-purple concoction with enough açai flavor to satisfy a purist. It’s not too sweet, so Juice Girl takes Sinfull Bakery’s vegan Everything Bar and crumbles a hefty amount over the silky açai blend for a friendly helping of chocolate, along with a glistening drizzle of raw honey, strawberries and bananas tucked in. PRICE: $10
Beet Box Blend Bar 1909 W. Gray, 713-239-0780 beetboxblendbar.com
This bowl, the Beet Box Way, might not be the most vibrant, but there’s a pleasantly crunchy puffed rice and oat granola accented with honey that redeems the limp blueberries. The açai features a rather brown color with a hint of purple, which might come from the dates and vanilla coconut milk that sweeten the blend. The flavor, heavy with banana, lacks a strong açai presence but has a tingling syrupiness if you prefer that. PRICE: $10
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sustain juicery 4061 Bellaire Blvd., 713-662-3693, sustainjuicery.com
Redemption for any açai bowl can come via the granola. Sustain Juicery exemplifies this with a sprightly “hemp-plus” granola and a detailed ordering process that allows customers to customize their açai bowls. Ours featured a light mauve-colored combination of strawberries, mangoes, açai and almond milk with some raspberries and bananas scattered on top. The customizable aspect attracts many folks, but the smoothie flavor needs a bit more depth and açai punch. PRICE: $10
tiny’s no. 5 3636 Rice Blvd., 713-664-0141 tinyboxwoods.com/tinys-no5
Let’s call this bowl the “West U Mom.” It’s all about aesthetic here with the cute wooden board underneath, prim porcelain bowl and delicate décor of toasted honey oat granola and fruit. The smoothie puree has a rather bright pink tint with flecks of strawberry and goji berries, but the dark, musky açai flavor is unmistakable. This bowl appeals less to clean eaters and more to individuals who want to brunch on something a bit more nourishing. There’s a fragrant sweetness in this version that matches Tiny’s sophisticated atmosphere. PRICE: $9
18 Melody Yip is My Table’s summer intern
AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
BANANA GRAPHIC FROM IVANOU ALIAKSANDR/BIGSTOCK.COM
Be sure to stop in this summer to enjoy our lively atmosphere while sipping on one of our signature shaker margaritas or fresh cocktails in our beautiful bar or lounge patio. Our bar team proudly pours premium spirits and mixes cocktails with traditional ingredients like aguas frescas, fresh herbs, and zesty citrus! Let us be your tour guide through the Seven Regions of Mexico, enjoying signature dishes and libations that take you on a trip rich in flavor with an inside look at the history that Mexican cuisine has to offer.
DISCOVER REGIONS OF MEXICAN CUISINE 3601 Kirby Dr. (at Richmond) Houston, TX 77098 Phone: (832) 831-9940 19 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
PICOS NET
Cold treats From a Cool Cat Text and photography by Dragana Arežina Harris Recipes by Celzo Trejo
20 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
A trip to Atlanta was a game changer for local popsicle pusher Celzo Trejo. Construction and remodeling jobs for national boutique chains offered Trejo the opportunity to travel the Eastern seaboard, where he spent his free time discovering the unique offerings of each new city. Last summer, Trejo stumbled upon the Atlanta Food Truck Park where he met Tan Bowers, its co-owner. Bowers graciously schooled him in the business of food trucks, but it was the little popsicle cart that sold Mexican-style paletas that captured his imagination. “Houston is huge with respect to opportunities,” says Trejo of our city that has become the new mecca for young culinary entrepreneurs. Building on ideas formed in Atlanta – and with the knowledge and confidence that he can make better popsicles – Trejo began to develop his own recipes and concept. His combined love for cars and, now, popsicles soon morphed into Hot Rod Pops. “What better way for Houston to chill than with a delicious ice cold popsicle?” he asks. Sporting an 8th Wonder Brewery t-shirt in his signature Caribbean blue – it complements his blue eyes and popsicle cart – Trejo is an open book. He happily shared his goals, ideas
and skills while constantly analyzing his methods, projected outcomes and numbers to the penny. He will begin mass producing the pops in his new fast-freezing container soon. “Eighty pops every 20 minutes, 40 per tray, in molds from China,” he says with enthusiasm. A man of many skills, Trejo built his popsicle cart, or paleteria, on a Schwinn bike. It’s now a low-rider trike with custom adjustable suspension hydraulics. Releasing hydraulic pressure lowers the trike’s front suspension, making those delicious popsicles a snap to serve. The mechanized paleteria is partner to a colorful van that Trejo has refurbished to include plush interior carpeting and seating, elegant damask wallpaper, cushions and even a little chandelier. “Construction is like art,” he adds, “I learned that at an early age. Everything I create with my hands, including each popsicle, is a like a work of art in my eyes.” Trejo’s popsicle menu includes traditional flavors such as watermelon, piña colada and strawberry cheesecake, as well as unique combinations such as Pinot Noir blackberry, horchata, Vietnamese coffee and mangonada (with Valentina hot sauce and Tajin seasoning). He uses fresh fruit and
CELZO TREJO
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all-natural ingredients and mentions his mother fondly during a popsiclemaking demo. “My mom used to cut cucumbers, squeeze lime on top, sprinkle with a little salt and serve it that way. It’s simple but good,” he says. His cucumber lime popsicles are just that. Trejo’s recipes below can be made with fruit of your choice. A tip about alcohol: It doesn’t freeze so use only five to 10 percent or less of the total volume of the mixture. You can also soak the fruit in alcohol, strain it and save the liquid for use in a delicious cocktail. Another option is to bring the alcohol to a boil so that the alcohol evaporates and you’re left with just the flavor. Trejo recommends the Norpro Popsicle Maker for home use. It’s the apparatus he used when he began his business. It’s available at Target or online at Amazon.com and other outlets. One can feel the excitement about future prospects. Now sporting a Saucony sponsorship, Trejo is embarking on a tour of Florida to promote his Hot Rod Pops. That’s when the built-in freezer (for popsicles, of course) and the custom deck on the van’s roof will come in handy if he needs to chill.
PROfreshionals pineapple slicer and corer
PIÑA COLADA POPSICLES 4 cups diced fresh pineapple, about 1 whole pineapple zest of 1 lemon juice of 1 lemon 1 can coconut milk, Goya Leche de Coco recommended ½ cup/130g cane sugar, preferably Morena brand 6 Tbsp. rum 20 Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine marinated cherries (or maraschino cherries) 20 popsicle sticks Place pineapple, lemon zest, lemon juice and coconut milk in a blender and blend until chunky. Add cane sugar and rum. Blend until smooth. Place a cherry in each popsicle mold. Carefully pour pineapple coconut mixture in molds (serve any leftover mixture with a little extra rum over ice for a delicious piña colada). Cover with top and insert a stick in each opening. Freeze 5 to 6 hours. To unmold, briefly run mold under warm water. Serve immediately. To store: Place popsicles in a freezer bag, remove excess air and seal tightly to prevent condensation. Freeze up to three months. Makes 20 popsicles.
$6, available at Kroger & Walmart
METHOD:
1 2
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3
1 3
2 CUCUMBER LIME POPSICLES 1½ English cucumbers 1¼ cups/300ml water juice of 3 limes 1/3 cup/90g cane sugar, preferably Morena brand 10 popsicle sticks Slice ½ cucumber crosswise into thin slices until you have 10 pieces. Place each cucumber slice in a popsicle mold. Set aside. Trim ends of 1 cucumber and cut into large chunks. Place cucumber and water in a blender. Blend well (about 1 minute), agitating the machine if necessary to combine the water and cucumber. Strain through a sieve, pressing the pulp to extract as much juice as possible from the cucumber. Return strained cucumber mixture to blender. Add lime juice and sugar. Blend again until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared molds. Cover with top and insert popsicle sticks. Freeze 5 to 6 hours. To unmold, briefly run mold under warm water. Serve immediately. To store: Place popsicles in a freezer bag, remove excess air and seal tightly to prevent condensation. Freeze up to three months. Makes 10 popsicles. METHOD:
YOU CAN FIND HOT ROD POPS ON FACEBOOK AT “HOT ROd POPS” AND INSTAGRAM @HOTRODPOPSTX #HOTRODPOPSTX.
23 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
Dragana Arežina Harris is a life-long food, wine and travel enthusiast. She blogs about food at draganabakes. blogspot.com and dabbles in chocolate at dragana-bakes.com
tequila dog days By Stephanie Madan Photography by Taylor Byrne Dodge
There is no way to avoid mentioning it was Paul who packed for the dogs for our road trip. Day One of the trip covered the territory between Puerto Vallarta and Tequila, Mexico. Amanda and Rachel, our dogs, possess poor impulse control with respect to, say, pursuing a squirrel separated from them by speeding cars. Thus, their dog leads are crucial. These were discovered to be missing at the first gas station stop. Paul accepted responsibility and conceded my designaround alternative of looping his belt through their collars was feasible. He walked each in turn in a half-crouched, furtive posture, gripping the short substitute lead. I actively did not video this. It soon came to light he had forgotten the doggie poop bags. Next we learned Paul had failed not only to bring water, but also the dogs’ water bowl. He visited the gas station mart, bought water, employed a food bowl as substitute and the hydrated family traveled on.
Later I decided to offer Amanda and Rachel a treat for exhibiting grace under imperfect conditions. He had packed no treats. What had he packed? One pillow (two dogs, one pillow – you decide), food bowls, two dog toys, a bag of kibble and several cans of expensive mystery-meat dog food, not the healthful chicken breasts I had cooked and packaged for them. His dog-parenting deficits reminded me of the time my father took charge of me and my five-year-old twin sister while my mother was accepting delivery of a new baby. Daddy was no Mama. He failed to buy milk, so improvised by serving us chocolate-flavored water along with dry Frosted Flakes for breakfast. And I’m certain I recall his doubtful look as he examined the results of his efforts to arrange our long blonde hair into pigtails. Two kindergarteners holding hands, trudging to school wearing beanies atop lopsided, ill-proportioned pigtails is a sad sight. Back on the Tequila expedition,
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things did improve, though not immediately. We knew Hotel Boutique La Cofradia was our destination in Tequila, but were confident our GPS erred in suggesting we turn onto a dusty unpaved road near the town’s entrance. Instead, we sallied forth to the picturesque town square where the hotel was not located. We visited a number of places it was not located. It came to pass that we placed ourselves back in the hands of our GPS. Our GPS is a goddess. She led us back to the disdained unpaved road, which drew us into and through the La Cofradia zone. A cat-size iguana lazed in the low branches of a papelillo tree, no doubt aware its bright green showed well against the tree’s famous peeling
CARTOON BY DOUG PIKE
red bark. Dogs of unclear ancestry sprawled in the road, half-heartedly guarding tiny tiendas as we maneuvered around them. Two pigs nosed about. Amanda and Rachel barked greetings to all. We chose our hotel purely because it accepted dogs. That the hotel comprised only four casitas and was situated on a working agave farm and distillery operation was not a factor. However, upon arrival, we realized fate had smiled. It was a true gem nestled amid agave fields so blue they could be mistaken for lakes fronting the soft-shouldered Sierra Madre Mountains. While Paul checked in to confirm our spectacularly reasonable room rate, the dogs and I observed 50 or 60 ducks waddling and splashing each other in a pond in the center of the casitas compound. Amanda in particular was keen to join the fun, but was restrained. She had forgotten her history of requiring rescue from a giant possum. I, her rescuer, had not. Our casita, Casa Noble, named after the distillery’s premium tequila, was casual, bright and fresh-looking, made all the more charming by its hand-painted murals. My favorite, agave plants and mountains recalling our view, was discovered on the closet’s back wall. Two shot glasses of premium tequila awaited us, as did a sexy shower, a bed high and large, and comfortable seating. Full disclosure, though – there was nary a drawer to be found. A male living out of a backpack must have made that call. After we settled in, Paul left to procure dog leads, only to realize, once in town, it was siesta time. He was forced to quaff beers in a cafe on the square till the bodegas reopened. If I had known about this, I would have downed his shot of tequila, too. Hotel Boutique La Cofradia boasted many attractions – distillery tours, tastings, opportunities to create ceramics. We were impressed with the tequila cave deep underground, including a large restaurant and bar, but left its delights for others to sample. We had other plans. In fact, we had a reservation at
the Cuervo-owned Hotel Solar de Las Animas restaurant, La Antigua Casona. It is an expansive, airy and elegant restaurant, featuring blue and white tile mosaics, a fountain and impeccable service. Sharing a tequila flight, we chose from a menu focused on Mexican haute cuisine and declared every dish superb. By evening’s end, we agreed its rave reviews were justified. Our hotel had provided a driver (!) for the excursion. Later, when the driver dropped us back at our hotel, the ducks were huddled in sleep, the casitas silent except ours, where two dogs responded to our approach with overjoyed yelps and scrabbling on the door. We smiled. It is lovely to be loved. Paul turned the door key many times, yet the lock was impervious. The dogs emitted sounds of increasing hysteria. After he departed, seeking a more skillful key-turner, a night concierge appeared before me, perhaps having sensed the dogs’ despair. He at once unlocked the door. After an emotional dog reunion, I begged to know the trick and was informed a flick of the wrist to the right was required. When Paul returned, we tested it. He turned the key from the outside, employing
25 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
various wrist-flicking styles without success. Good thing I had stationed myself inside. Except. The door would not open from inside. The dead bolt remained locked, with no thumb-turn. The dogs and I were locked in. Paul was locked out. Fortunately, I am brilliant in emergencies. I peered around the casita and noticed a large window that possibly had been there all along, just aside the door. I opened it and saved us all. Paul climbed in to prove he could and then back out, cat-burglar in reverse, to hail the concierge. We were treated with more respect than we deserved when he again opened the lock with the flick of his wrist. When the Madans travel, it is an established truth that things just happen. It was easy to accept our uninspired packing, unsuccessful orienteering – even proving ourselves unequal to opening a door – as fate embellishing the experience. Fate was in charge, so we made memories. We can’t wait to return. I will do the packing for the dogs. Stephanie Madan’s essays and short stories have been widely anthologized. She regularly writes the Just Desserts column.
– Food Lover's Quizine –
After a nice gin & tonic, LET’S DANCE
By Micki McClelland
It was the Roman consul Cicero who advised the Roman Senate that “Nobody dances sober unless he’s completely insane.” A good argument against this declaration might be to throw out a few names of dancers who were able to be inspired by the muse Terpsichore without needing to pull on a bottle. Fred Astaire comes to mind, as does Martha Graham, Gene Kelly, Vaslav Nijinsky, Rudolf Nureyev, Ann Miller, Bob Fosse, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Ginger Rogers. Why is this important to the quiz? It isn’t. What is important to everything, including the quiz, is to listen very closely to what comes out of the mouths of politicians – then, now and forevermore. Thank you. This is a Who Is It? question. Consider the following clues and see if you can name the mystery guest who fits the bill. • Our mystery guest makes it a habit to hide food. • Often when our mystery guest believes spies are around, the business of hiding food will be played out as a ruse – our character will only pretend to hide the goodies – as the secret cache has already been stashed elsewhere. • Like many who go hunting for sport, our character is wasteful, often killing more than could
possibly be consumed. • On occasion the mystery guest is not above being a dump diver. • Like a child who is a picky eater and adamantly refuses to give broccoli a chance, the mystery guest is excessively cautious and wary when presented with a new food. • Our mystery guest is not a human being.
1
The original recipe for a certain cocktail was given aloud to an obliging bartender by a potentially dangerous Someone who enjoys a worldwide reputation not only for his license to kill 2
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but also for his dashing sophistication. Here’s that Someone’s recipe: “three measures of Gordon’s Gin, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it until ice-cold, then add a large, thin slice of lemon peel.” What is the name of the drink? And who is The Cool & Lethal Someone Known to All who invented it? (Hint: Some 50-plus years after the cocktail was introduced Esquire magazine printed a recipe for the drink that concluded with the instruction: “Now shoot someone evil.”) Currently enjoying something of a comeback among Champagne drinkers 3
in America’s better circles, from 1930 to around 1980 the coupe glass was the preferred vessel for sipping the bubbly. (It was then generally abandoned: The Champagne fizz escapes too quickly, was the reason.) Revived in the 21st century as the glass of choice by the popular gin-tonic bars of Spain, the unique design for the shallow bowl glassware made its first appearance in the 18th century. Who, and whose what, is said to have inspired the design?
Dinner and A Movie
For today’s Latin lesson, please match the Latin phrase to its corresponding English meaning: A. Bibo ergo sum B. Omne vivum ex ovo C. Surdo oppedere D. Velocius quam asparagi coquantur E. Mulgere hircum F. Nemo saltat sobrius 4
(a) To milk a male goat (b) Nobody dances sober (c) I drink therefore I am (d) Everything living is from an egg (e) To belch before the deaf (f) Faster than you can cook asparagus Two questions concerning ancient Egypt: (a) Why did a majority of ancient Egyptians suffer severe tooth decay? (b) What did Queen Cleopatra do to change the culinary preferences of her people? 5
Making beautiful music together, please play around with the letters in the italicized songs and enjoy the following word game: A. Find the rude body function in the song title Happy Birthday to You. B. Find what is kosher about The Star-Spangled Banner. C. Find an ingredient for sangria in Home on the Range. (Way too easy!) D. Find a cooking method in Some Enchanted Evening. E. Find what the boys are looking for in Where the Boys Are. F. Find what’s served with the turkey in My Favorite Things. G. Find what sends you over the rainbow in Over the Rainbow. 6
ILLUSTRATION BY CINDY VATTATHIL
H. Find what goes with the cheese in The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. I. Find a bad review for this particular song in Love Me Tender. Here’s what Lord Robert Baden-Powell (1857-1941), who served as lieutenant-general in the British Army and was the author of Scouting for Boys – the inspirational tool beloved by the Boy Scouts of America – had to say about the sport of pig-sticking: “Not only is pig-sticking the most exciting and enjoyable sport for both man and horse, but I really believe the boar enjoys it too.” How is the happy sport of pig-sticking 7
27 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
played? And in what era was the sport especially popular in India? Summertime is gin and tonic time. While you are sitting under that umbrella with the designated Drink of the Season in hand, see if you can list at least a dozen reasons why gin has earned relevance and reverence over lesser intoxicants. 8
Answers appear on page 29. From personal experience writer Micki McClelland has found her moves on the dance floor greatly improved after a couple of very dry martinis.
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C E L E B R AT I N G 3 5 Y E A R S O F S E RV I N G H O U S T O N !
ANSWERS 1 A crow 2 In the book Casino Royale author Ian
Fleming has his hero James Bond (007) invent the Vesper Martini. 3 Folklore has it that the perfectly
shaped breasts of the French queen Marie Antoinette (1755-1793) inspired the coupe glass. 4 A (c); B (d); C (e); D (f); E (a);
F (b)
5 (a) When grinding grain to make
bread, some of the stone used for grinding would chip off and get mixed into the flour. The stone in the bread played havoc with Egyptian teeth. (b) In one of her many intelligent decrees Cleopatra – thought by her people to be the living goddess Isis come to earth – stated: “I made with my brother Osiris an end to the eating of men.” 6 A. Burp; B. Bagel; C. Orange;
D. Steam; E. Beer; F. Gravy; G. Wine; H. Fruit; I. Lemon
7 The merry sport of pig-sticking is
played on horseback by a cadre of brave men who seek to murder wild boars with spears. Usually played on fine mornings in India the sport was exceedingly popular among maharajas and British officers during the Victorian Era.
Top 100 Restaurants ‒ Alison Cook 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
Dogfriendly patio!
Essential 38 Restaurants ‒ Eater Houston 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
3215 Westheimer, Houston, TX 77098 • 713.522.1934 • giacomosciboevino.com
K e v i n M c G owa n Photography print & web commercial photography
8 Here are at least 12 reasons why
gin is the King of Spirits: (1) Fights malaria (2) Fights scurvy (3) Fights arthritis (4) Fights heart disease (5) Helps digestion (6) Reduces wrinkles (7) Eases kidney ailments (8) A great mouthwash (9) Fights foot odor (10) Makes a fine gravlax (11) Excellent window glass cleaner (12) Might assist in making the correct choice for our next president
www.kevinmcgowan.com 29 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
, t u o l l i h C n o t s hou Photography by Kevin McGowan
The most difficult part of a Houston summer might be sitting in traffic, AC blasting, and thinking about the frozen margarita waiting for you if you can just get off the freeway and to your favorite Tex-Mex joint. Or maybe your reward is a briskly shaken dirty martini, with just the tiniest shards of ice floating on top, to sip in your favorite cool dark bar. Or a frosty homemade popsicle, prime for slipping out of its plastic mold, in your own kitchen fridge. With “feels like” temperatures in the triple digits now through September, we figured we’re 30 still far from any weather respite. Here’s some encouragement to cool off and chill out. AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
psalms of chainsaws come hell or frozen water ... Reverend Butter preaches the art of sculpting ice by hand. Wonder who crafted our frozen cocktail still life on the cover? The talented Rolando De La Garza, known worldwide as Reverend Butter. The international champion ice sculptor hails from one of the hottest, most humid climates in North America – he’s a native Houstonian who freezes all doubt when it comes to what can be done with ice. Turn the page to get to know the man behind the chainsaw and see him in action.
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“I slice, dice and sacrifice the ice like butter.”
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GET TO KNOW THE REVEREND HOW DID YOU GET STARTED CARVING ICE?
In 1998 I saw a sculpture in El Campo, Texas, and I found the guy who did it, Walter Odermatt, and begged him to teach me. He taught me for four years and then gave me his blessing to open my own business. And now I have five people working with me, three carvers and two deliverymen. HOW MANY HOURS A WEEK DO YOU WORK ON ICE SCULPTURES?
About 30 hours a week carving. My work is about 30 percent live performances and 70 percent carving in the studio. HOW MANY SCULPTURES DO YOU MAKE A DAY?
On average, three sculptures a day. During December, we average about 12 a day. And I’m involved in the carving of every sculpture. HOW LONG DO YOUR ICE SCULPTURES LAST?
33
Detail melts in four to five hours, but the sculpture will last eight to 12 hours.
AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
GET TO KNOW THE REVEREND WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO CARVE?
I like doing big sculptures – faces, torsos and human anatomy. WHAT IS THE WEIRDEST REQUEST YOU’VE GOTTEN?
A group of men wanted a pair of [testicles] with “Deez Nuts” carved on it. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WON’T CARVE OR SCULPT?
I only refuse to do anything that is unsafe and could fall over. HOW DID YOU GET THE NAME REVEREND BUTTER?
I slice, dice and sacrifice the ice like butter. I got the “reverend” because I preach the word of hand sculpting. Only eight percent of us in the world still do it by hand. Someone who uses computers to make ice carvings called me “reverend” back in 2003, and it stuck. Plus “Bishop Margarine” doesn’t sound as cool. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT REVEREND AUGUST BUTTER’S SERVICES, VISIT DLGICEFACTORY.COM.
34 – SEPTEMBER 2016
ice cube
crushed ice
Ice, ice, baby
ice spear
Text and photography by Becca Wright
Alex Gregg of the bar Moving Sidewalk and ice company Ice Age would say sipping a beverage with a large, hand-cut ice cube is one of the best ways to enjoy a cocktail. That’s because large-format ice has less surface area than smaller ice cubes, which in turn means less melting and less dilution. You taste the drink as it’s meant to be served, from the first sip to the last. But for home bar enthusiasts, slowly freezing large blocks of ice and then scoring and cutting with a handsaw and chisel, well, it’s all a bit daunting. It requires more time and more equipment. And frankly, who has that much freezer space? Luckily, there are tons of great ice molds on the market (see our market report on the next page) for those who want slow cocktail dilution with a fraction of the hassle. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that you are probably never going to get the ice cubes crystal clear, like the cubes produced by Ice Age. (You can find Ice Age’s cubes at Johnny’s Gold Brick, Canard, Izakaya, Ka Sushi, Rosewater, Prohibition, Bovine & Barley, SaltAir and Anvil.) Gregg’s tips for using ice molds:
• Look for a pliable mold made of silicon or food-grade rubber. Cocktailkingdom.com has a nice selection of ice molds. • Use clean water that has been filtered through a line filter or Brita-style filter system.
• The clarity in large-format ice comes from the slow freeze that is directional in nature. To get slightly closer to clear ice cubes when using molds, Gregg suggests freezing the mold inside of a small Igloo cooler in the freezer. This technique will slow the freezing process enough for the dissolved gases to get pushed to one side of the mold, resulting in a clearer piece of ice. And what ice should be used with which cocktail? Obviously the ice needs to fit in the glass and leave sufficient room for the cocktail, notes Gregg. Here are a few other pointers:
• Large-format ice cubes are best suited for boozy, stirred cocktails as well as highballs. • Reserve the sphere ice mold when sipping a spirit by itself. • A spear ice mold is great in Collins and mule cocktails. • Crushed or pellet ice is a must in tiki drinks. “Once you have stirred, shaken or built your cocktail the question of ice becomes one of chill, dilution and mouth feel,” explains Gregg. “Does this cocktail need to continue to chill, or could it warm up a tad? Is the dilution perfect, or could it use a bit more as I sip it? And finally, how is the mouth feel? Is it a little too viscous? Add ice. “In the end, it really depends on your taste and preference. 35 What are you trying to achieve?” Besides a good buzz, AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016 of course.
Interested in purchasing crystal clear ice for use at home? Email Ice Age at iceagehouston@gmail.com. Gregg offers cubes, Collins spears, punch blocks, 10-pound blocks and hand-chipped spheres, as well as slabs and bricks for those who want to cut the ice themselves at home.
ice sphere
– Market Report –
Shape up your ice By Taylor Byrne Dodge Photography by Becca Wright
There are two kinds of people in the world: those who are perfectly content sipping a cocktail made with ice cubes from the refrigerator’s dispenser and those who are very particular about their ice. If you’re the latter, take note – there is a reason specialty ice molds are this summer’s coolest discretionary purchase.
#1
#2
whiskey WEDGE Corksicle, $17.95 Crate and Barrel
PAIR OF BALLS Sharper Image, $8 Marshall’s
Like your whiskey (or tequila or rum) on the rocks, but don’t like it watered down? Try The Wedge: Put the glass and the rubber doorstop-looking mold together, fill with water through the holes and place in the freezer. When frozen, remove the mold from the glass and behold your chilled glass with a perfect wedge of ice. Add desired spirit and enjoy.
If you’ve recently spent time in Marshall’s home goods section, you may have noticed that Sharper Image seems largely invested in ice cube trays and ice molds. This pair of 2½-inch sphere molds is designed to make ice balls that melt slowly. The silicon molds are easy to fill, freeze and pop out. This is the ideal ice mold for Houston patios.
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TIKI ICE MOLDS Tovolo, $12 Spec’s These have no actual useful purpose – they’re just really cute. The three tiki masks were a cinch to make, and popping them out of their little molds was simple. If you’re hosting a party, you may want to get a two-week headstart on making tiki ice, or buy several molds. Online we found vintage molds of nude ladies, Scottie dogs, soccer balls, Darth Vader, even dental impression molds.
HIGHBALL ICE MOLDS Tovolo, $7.97 (on sale) Crate and Barrel These large three-by-two-inch cylinders fit into a highball glass for your Tom Collins or iced coffee. If you use warm water to fill the molds, the freezing process can take up to six hours, but the slower freeze means a prettier outcome. Another bonus of this highball mold shape: easy stacking in the freezer.
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FANCY six-CUBE TRAY Tovolo, $9 Sur La Table
VINTAGE ICE GRINDER $35 (includes shipping) etsy.com
These are perfect cubes. They’ve got gorgeous beveled edges and they’re large (you need two, at most). The silicone tray makes them easy to pop out, all at once or one by one. Having played with the less expensive, less thick version from Sharper Image, we recommend spending a few extra bucks and buying the Tovolo brand. If you are buying just one ice mold, this is it.
Did you grow up with one of these? A turn in one direction of this heavy-duty tool grinds ice cubes into coarse ice chips. The other direction grinds them into something closer to true crushed ice. Many drinks, such as juleps, call for pebble ice. If you don’t have a crushed ice dispenser on your fridge (or if you don’t care for the inconsistency of the crushed ice) keep your eyes peeled for one of these at flea markets and on eBay. 36
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serve it up sub-zero By Melody Yip • Photo by Becca Wright
Frozen water is pretty cool. But what about those other two cold materials, dry ice and liquid nitrogen? Molecular gastronomy enthusiast Alvin Schultz defines dry ice as the compressed solid form of carbon dioxide. It changes from a solid directly into a gas without becoming a liquid – hence “dry” ice. At minus-109 degrees Fahrenheit, dry ice can burn naked skin. While protective gloves are essential for handling dry ice, it can be used for a variety of purposes, from storing ice cream to preserving a dead pet. (It’s happened.) We recently chatted with Vanessa McCoy, a spokesman at local dry ice supplier Ice Express, and three Houston chefs who use dry ice. Here are some tips: Use a Styrofoam cooler or a regular cooler, the kind for camping and beach trips, for transporting dry ice. If dry ice is put in the bottom of the cooler, food will be kept cold (but must not be touching). If put above the food in the cooler, food will be kept frozen (but must not be touching). Air makes dry ice evaporate faster. Seth Gardner-Siegel, co-owner of The Pass & Provisions, says that in an enclosed environment, dry ice sucks out the oxygen and replaces it with carbon dioxide, which can cause dizziness. It also increases in pressure, so make sure air can be let out of whatever storage unit is used.
Do not store dry ice in a fridge or freezer. It’s much too cold and will interfere with the thermostat. Fat Cat Creamery’s Sarah Johnston, who uses dry ice to keep her dairy confections frozen, advises wrapping it in newspaper or a paper grocery bag so that its freezing life is extended. Dispose of dry ice in a safe, well-ventilated area so that it can sublimate slowly over time. But dry ice in cooking? Now that’s a novelty. “It’s excellent for making ice cream and sorbets, particularly sorbets,” says Schultz. “Buy a big block of dry ice, smash it up into small pebble-size pieces or powder, which is even better, and use that to freeze the sorbet base.” He recommends dry ice in sorbets more than ice cream since the carbon dioxide changes to gas and carbonates the ingredients. The result is nicer for a fruit-based dessert rather than a dairybased one … unless carbonated milk becomes a new culinary trend. On the other hand, liquid nitrogen is sublime for ice cream concoctions. This substance is essentially the liquid form of nitrogen, found at a whopping -320 degrees Fahrenheit – much colder than dry ice. Siegel-Gardner says that using liquid nitrogen allows ice cream to be made tableside rather than in a machine. For both liquid nitrogen and dry ice in such frozen treats, smaller ice
TRINITI’S STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE MADE WITH LIQUID NITROGEN
crystals form so that the desserts have a smoother, denser texture. Liquid nitrogen is also a friend to cocktails. Frozen margaritas infused with liquid nitrogen, for example, are not diluted in strength like those made with ice. Nitro-muddling prevents fresh herbs like Thai basil and mint from browning. Certain liquors and oils can even be frozen with this atmospheric ingredient. Cheese can be freeze-dried with liquid nitrogen. “To create a fine bleu cheese crumble, I’ll freeze it with liquid nitrogen and then use a blender to grind it up into particles,” said Schultz. And after nuts are freeze-dried in liquid nitrogen, something about their fat content allows them to be split into perfect pieces when crushed. These innovative applications using dry ice and liquid nitrogen demonstrate how people can learn to use them, so long as proper caution is observed. “I wouldn’t advocate that they’re not dangerous,” said Schultz. “But when used appropriately, they become like any other cooking tool.” For home cooks interested in these intriguing ingredients, dry ice is readily available in numerous grocery stores, and Schultz himself holds family-friendly cooking classes. Liquid nitrogen can be trickier to acquire and master since it involves some special equipment. But if you need inspiration, just Google “making Dippin’ Dots at home.”
Where to Buy Dry Ice
• Many local grocery stores (Kroger, HEB, Central Market) • Ice Express, 8257 Gulf Fwy. • Ronnie’s Ice, 531 W. 27th St. • Sparkle Ice, 6004 N. Shepherd • Airgas Dry Ice, 1350 Boyles Where to Buy Liquid Nitrogen
38 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
• Matheson Tri Gas, 2200 Houston Ave. • Praxair Distribution Inc., multiple locations • Airgas, multiple locations
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bring on the Bitters
By Taylor Byrne Dodge Photography by40 Becca Wright AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
Bitters are an alcoholic preparation most commonly made with spices, dried roots and herbs. They may indeed be bitter, but are sometimes sour or bittersweet. Bitters fall into two groups. Non-potable bitters are very concentrated and are meant to be mixed into cocktails. Their flavor profiles add complexity and depth to mixed drinks. Potable bitters, which were developed as a stand-alone beverage, are generally enjoyed as a digestif. The idea behind bitters has been around for a long time – the ancient Egyptians, for example, made a tonic by infusing wine with herbs. During the 18th and 19th centuries, herbs were bottled with alcohol – this is what we’d now refer to as non-potable bitters – and sold by “doctors” with the promise of health benefits. Suffering from gout? Living with an ailing digestive tract? Bitters were thought to cure many medical problems. Unfortunately, they were so foul-tasting that patients could scarcely choke them down. The term cocktail was already in use
by 1806, and that year a New York newspaper called Balance and Columbian Repository defined a cocktail as a combination of “spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters.” It seems that people were trying to find more palatable ways to consume the medicinal elixirs. Eventually bitters became an integral part of American cocktail culture, with many barkeeps stocking several varieties. You probably recognize Peychaud’s and Angostura (see our sidebar on page 44), which have been around for more than 100 years. BITTERS MAKE A COMEBACK Brad Thomas Parsons’ book Bitters (Ten Speed Press, 2011) dives deep into the history of bitters. He explains that in 1906, the U.S. Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act, which was intended to prevent “the manufacture, sale or transportation of adulterated or misbranded or poisonous or deleterious
foods, drugs, medicines and liquors and for regulating traffic therein, and for other purposes.” Bitters manufacturers (and many others) had to remove words like “medicine” and “cure” from their labels. By the time Prohibition was enacted in 1920, the bitters industry was in decline. The evolution of the cocktail gained momentum in the 1920s (despite Prohibition in the United States), but the habit of adding bitters to drinks was replaced with fruit and simple syrup. Fast-forward to the early 1980s when classic cocktails began to be revived, perhaps as pushback against the frozen blended drinks popular during the disco era. By the end of the first decade of the 2000s, a new wave of bitters popularity was making its way onto the cocktail scene, and mainstays such as Angostura were struggling to produce enough of their product. Demands of the cocktail community were simply outweighing supply. Today many bartenders make their
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“Making bitters is easy, it just takes patience. Bitters don’t have to be dark and brooding.” – Richard Middleton, Brennan’s
own specialty bitters, but mainstays such as Peychaud’s and Angostura are still found on bar shelves, as are many of the small-batch bitters that have entered the market in recent years. These small-batch bitters experiment with loud flavors such as chocolate, chiles, cayenne and coffee. Some bitters are citrusy and slightly sweet, while others may have woodsy flavors, like licorice root, star anise and cedar. Herbal varieties – basil, mint, lemongrass – are fresh and bright. BITTERS AT HOME We asked two Houston bar professionals about bitters for the home bar. Their advice: Kristine Nguyen, Captain Foxheart’s Bad News Bar & Spirit Lodge: “For the
at-home bartender just getting into cocktails, I always recommend Angostura, Peychaud’s and orange bitters. I feel they’re the most necessary types to be able to make a wide range of classic as well as modern cocktails. There are a million other types of bitters out there, but these three are the most important. The other stuff can come in later when you want to get a little experimental. I recommend dashing a little in your sparkling mineral water to really grasp the flavors. They’re also delicious in ginger beer, with tonic water and lemonade.” Richard Middleton, Brennan’s of Houston: “Making bitters is easy, it just takes patience. Bitters don’t have to be dark and brooding. Make flavors that you cannot find commercially. We make a vanilla bean bitters, a basil bitters and a Cajun-spiced pecan bitters at 42 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
Brennan’s. Making bitters is like making a Vacation Bible School project – everyone creates something fun and different.” WHAT ABOUT POTABLE BITTERS? Potable bitters are meant to be consumed solo (either neat or on ice) and are most commonly enjoyed as a post-meal digestif. They are especially popular in South America and Europe and often contain carminative herbs that aid in digestion. Fernet Branca (an Italian amaro invented in 1845) and Underberg (the German krauter liquor invented in 1846) are two of the best-known potable varieties consumed today. Serve them in tiny cordial glasses.
MAKE YOUR OWN BITTERS If your goal is to make bitters for whiskey- or rum-based cocktails, use a dark spirit as your base alcohol. Sweet and fruity drinks? Use vodka. Choose the flavorings. What’s in season, or what flavors best suit the season? You might try apples, coffee or orange peel in the cold months, lemon peel, cilantro or basil in the summer. Along with a friend, we tested the following bitters technique, published on liquor.com, and it worked perfectly. In one batch we used peppermint, while the other featured coffee. WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
• Roots, herbs, spices and other flavorings • High-proof spirit (typically vodka or whiskey) • Two 1-quart jars • Cheesecloth
Combine all the spices, roots, barks and other flavorings in a jar and add in the high-proof spirit. This will sit for about two weeks and will need to be shaken daily to ensure the flavors infuse properly and evenly. Strain the spirit into a clean jar using METHOD:
cheesecloth, then seal. Heat solids on the stove with water and then put that entire mixture (water and vodka-soaked ingredients) into a separate jar. Let that sit for one week. Strain out and discard the solids and combine the infused vodka with the infused water. If the liquid is still murky, strain it again through cheesecloth. (It’s common to have a little sediment remain.) The last step is to add a bit of sweetener, if needed, to make the mixture more palatable, as it will be very bitter. Depending on the flavor of the bitters, use a rich simple syrup (two parts turbinado sugar to one part water), honey, molasses or maple syrup. Once added, shake it until the sweetener is fully dissolved and let it sit for another three days. Finally, the bitters are ready to bottle. We found many sizes of dropper bottles online. Or visit the personal-care aisles at HEB or Whole Foods. Near the essential oils section you’ll find small blue dropper bottles perfect for your homemade bitters. Use a funnel to fill the bottles and be sure to label your tincture. Refrigerate after bottling.
“I recommend dashing a little in your sparkling mineral water to reallY grasp the flavors” – Kristine Nguyen, Bad News
43 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016 PHOTOS OF BITTER INGREDIENTS FROM BIGSTOCK.COM
basic bitters roots, herbs, spices and other flavorings
a high-proof spirit
two 1-quart jars
cheesecloth
BITTERs BRANDS: the BREAKDOWN
BITTERCUBE BITTERS bittercube.com Bittercube hit bars in 2009, the year that Nicholas Kosevich and Ira Koplowitz started their company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There are eight handcrafted varieties of artisanal bitters, and creating each is a weeks-long process. The brand’s repertoire also includes tailored tonics, syrups, tinctures and other commissioned products. A few Houston bartenders such as Alba Huerta of Julep and Justin Burrow of Bad News Bar have created their own custom tonics for their house gin and tonics using Bittercube Bitters. BAD DOG BAR CRAFT baddogbarcraft.com Austin-based spirits educator Lara Nixon and bartender Jason Stevens started this bitters company in late 2011. They offer two flagship bitters – Sarsaparilla Dry Bitters (root beer, herbal tannins, sarsaparilla) and Fire and Damnation Bitters (capsaicin spice, black tea, subtle smoke and green vegetal pepper). Kick up your boozy brunches with their Bloody Mary Bitters flavored with celery, bitter lemon, green peppercorn and coriander.
from a secret family recipe. By 1850, the Sazerac Cocktail, made with Sazerac French brandy and Peychaud’s Bitters, was immensely popular and became the first ‘branded’ cocktail.” Peychaud’s is similar to Angostura bitters, although it’s a bit sweeter with hints of warm spices. THE BITTER TRUTH the-bitter-truth.com Created by German bartenders Stephan Berg and Alexander Hauck in 2006, The Bitter Truth bitters were designed specifically for recreating classic cocktails. First products introduced: orange bitters and Old Time Aromatic bitters. Are you a frequent traveler? Order yourself The Bitter Truth Bitters Travel Pack, which holds five different flavors in a size convenient for a carry-on. Their products have racked up an impressive list of awards, including a 2015 gold medal from the Beverage Testing Institute in Chicago given for their cucumber bitters.
FEE BROTHERS feebrothers.com This family-owned business began in 1864 and is now operated by fourth-generation Ellen and Joe Fee. Fee Brothers’ arsenal consists of some 100 products – cocktail mixes, bitters, cordial syrups, brines, botanical waters – as well as nearly 20 kinds of bitters, including flavors like Aztec chocolate, West Indian orange and rhubarb.
ANGOSTURA angosturabitters.com The most common brand you’ll find behind bars, Angostura was created in 1824 by Dr. Carlos Siegert, who worked to perfect his formula for aromatic bitters for use in his medical practice as surgeon general to the armies of Simon Bolivar. Curious as to the name’s origin? Dr. Siegert lived in the town of Angostura, now called Ciudad Bolivar. Today the company produces four products: aromatic bitters, orange bitters, Amaro di Angostura (an herbal liqueur) and Lemon Lime & Bitters (a non-alcoholic sparkling beverage).
PEYCHAUD’S BITTERS sazerac.com/cocktail.aspx According to the Sazerac company, this is how the story goes: “In 1838, Antoine Amedie Peychaud, owner of a New Orleans apothecary, treated his friends to brandy toddies of his own recipe, including his ‘Peychaud’s Bitters,’ made
REGANS’ ORANGE BITTERS NO.6 buffalotracegiftshop.com Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6 was created in the early 1990s by bartender and cocktail author/writer Gary Regan (who now goes by Gaz) after five failed attempts and a trip44 to “a store that AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
supplies witches, warlocks and gremlins with their potions and what-not.” Unlike most secret-recipe commercial bitters, the recipe to Regans’ orange bitters is included in his book The Joy of Mixology. It includes orange peel, cardamom, coriander, cinchona bark, quassia and gentian root. These bitters are now a product of Buffalo Trace Bourbon (which was bought by the Sazerac company in 1992). BITTERMENS BITTERS bittermens.com Avery and Janet Glasser started Bittermens in 2007 in San Francisco. The duo used a high-proof spirit steeped with cacao, cinnamon and spice to create an extract of a traditional Mexican cooking sauce, which would be the prototype recipe for their Xocolatl Mole Bitters. Add a few dashes of it to dark rum or aged tequila and you’ve got yourself a rich, complex drink. There was a brief moment when Bittermens entered a licensing agreement with The Bitter Truth in 2009. It only lasted for about a year, when the Bittermens re-launched in 2010 as its own entity. (Want to know more? Visit bittermens.com/about/faq.) You can identify the real Bittermens products by the five-ounce cobalt blue droppers with an eyedropper top. DR. ADAM ELMEGIRAB doctoradams.co.uk In 2009, after two years of research and testing, bartender Adam Elmegirab re-formulated an extinct brand of bitters – Boker’s Bitters – that had been founded in 1828 and died during Prohibition. Today Elmegirab has developed his own six boutique varieties of bitters including a specialty blend for prestigious cocktail bar Dead Rabbits Grocery and Grog in New York. Buy them online at kegworks.com or pick them up at Spec’s in Midtown. Taylor Byrne Dodge is the creative director of My Table magazine.
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45 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
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46 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
Designed by: Katie Guidroz
– Winemaker Telmo Rodriguez Tells All –
the truth about terroir By Teresa Byrne-Dodge
It was 10:30 am, and members of the Houston Sommelier Association were gathering at Camerata, the wine bar on Westheimer across from Lanier Middle School. Maureen Lara-Fournier is a local wine rep for Vintus Wines, and she was about to introduce her client Telmo Rodriguez, a movie star-handsome Spanish winemaker who was in Houston for one hot June day to talk about wine and, maybe, convince a few people to reconsider what they think they know about Spanish wine. Rodriguez was not born into the wine business. His Basque parents first purchased property in Rioja in the 1960s. They didn’t intend to grow wine. But when they realized what they had, they worked to restore the land. The tired old native grapes were coaxed back to life and began to produce. As these stories so often go, one thing led to another, and over the past 30 years, Rodriguez has developed a reputation by advocating longignored Spanish grape varietals that are tied to the climates and conditions of their sites. These “rediscovered” grapes include Verdejo, Moscatel, Monastrell and Godello. Wine made from them may have been drunk in medieval times (and even earlier), but they have never been produced on a scale large enough to bottle on a commercial level. Camerata had been set up for a serious wine tasting with multiple glasses, water, palate cleansers and spit buckets. The attendees were about to get schooled by a passionate winemaker whose two-hour lecture would be one part wine education, one part Bible-thumping (preaching the gospel of terroir) and one part fervent Spanish chauvinism. His Houston visit was a big deal. Among the dozen wine geeks who had stopped in to meet Rodriguez and sample his wines were Guy Stout and Denton Moody, two of the city’s oldschool wine professionals. As the day wore on, Rodriguez would also meet
with Monsterville Horton IV, Sean Beck, Peter Garcia and many other serious wine professionals and wine lovers. It would include meetings, lunch with a group of Latin American sommeliers at Rainbow Lodge and culminate with a wine dinner at Backstreet Cafe. And always, there was the steady drumbeat of terroir. “It’s very hard to be Spanish,” began Rodriguez. “There is no respect for Spanish wine. It’s bad when you go to a prestigious wine shop in London or New York, full of amazing Champagnes and Burgundies. And the Spanish section? It’s shit. “We have the worst wine in the world, and we have the cheapest wine in the world,” he continued. But, he noted, the times are changing. “Traveling around America and trying Spanish restaurants, they were always the worst. Just bad chorizo and paella. That’s what everyone here thought Spanish food was. But today, many of the best restaurants in the world are Spanish.” In terms of wine, Rodriguez despairs that the diversity of the past has been undone, and now Spain (like everyone else) is planting Cabernet, Chardonnay, Merlot, etc. But he is also optimistic that in the next five years, “Spain is going to change like day and night. “I compare Spain to an old house that has been closed up for 100 years. You don’t know what’s inside until you pry open the door and begin to explore.” As he continued to talk, asking questions and challenging the answers (“I don’t think any of you really know Rioja”), he led the group through the tasting – Basa 2014 (Rueda), Gaba do Xil Mencia 2013 (Valdeorras), As Caborcas 2011 (Valdeorras), Pago La Jara 2010 (Toro) and others. He returned again and again to the subject of Spain’s indigenous grapes and the importance of not letting them fade into history. Most wine drinkers are familiar with the concept of “terroir.” It refers to the 47 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
PHOTO COURTESY OF VINTUS WINES
environmental factors, especially soil and climate that give a crop a collective character. Rodriguez is all about terroir. All of his vineyards are biodynamically farmed in sites with exceptional terroir. All are traditional to their particular regions. And all are bush-trained rather than trained to stretch out on trellises. (Trellising is “vulgar,” says Rodriguez.) Producing a cheap wine is very easy. “You plant in the wrong places and use a lot of fertilizer.” By the way, although Rodriguez makes rare wines of astonishing character, he also is recognized for his value-priced wines, such as Basa, Almuvedre and Dehesa Gago. “Don’t buy any brands,” admonished Rodriguez. “Just buy wines from people and places. When you buy a brand, you give oxygen to that brand, and they destroy landscapes, planting more and more.” Near the end of the tasting, Rodriguez neatly summed up his life’s work for the dazed attendees. “I don’t want to sound pretentious, but I like to say I make wine for intelligent people.” Amen. Teresa Byrne-Dodge is the editor and publisher of My Table magazine.
We Want …
A Shrubbery! By Nicholas L. Hall Photography by Becca Wright
The Sweet-Tart Surprise That Makes The Most of Seasonal Produce
48 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
“My Aunt and uncle had a pickling stand outside of Waco, and I remember the pickled peaches,” says Lindsay Rae, beverage director at Grand Prize Bar in Montrose. “I would sneak and drink the sweet vinegar syrup and without fail I would always get caught.” Rae, whose current menu at Grand Prize involves three house-made shrubs, fell in love with the colonial-era fruit and vinegar syrups before she even knew what they were. These days, it’s hard to find a cocktail bar in town that hasn’t at least played with the sweet-tart and fruity concoction. Originally devised as a method of preserving the bounty of harvest, shrubs are the liquid cousin of the pickle. While I can’t seem to find any historical, or even anecdotal evidence, I’m at least halfway convinced that shrubs essentially came about as a byproduct of pickling. Both stem from a desire (a need, really) not to waste the literal fruits of labor, and in concert work toward an ethos of utility. Pickle a fruit, then drink the resulting fruity vinegar. It’s an easy path to follow. Whether
or not that’s the path shrubs took into the American culinary consciousness is debatable. What’s not debatable is that, when treated properly, shrubs aren’t just a technique born of necessity, but a simple luxury. Shrubs largely fell out of favor with the advent of modern refrigeration, which extended the shelf life of fruits, reducing the value-adding effects of various preservation techniques. These days, though, the humble vinegar syrup is coming back into fashion. For some, it’s just a matter of trying new things, looking for ways to add value and interest to a beverage program. For others, it ties right back in to the drink’s preservationist history. “I buy as much as I can from each farmer – there are three farmers that sell me everything they grow,” says Chris Shepherd, James Beard Award-winning chef/owner of Underbelly. “I can only use so much product in the dishes in my restaurant. So we pickle as much as we can. We make jams and sauces to sell at the farmers market. And now, we’re preserving produce to use in shrubs.”
49 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
For folks like Shepherd, shrubs are a part of the new frugality. Rather than stretching his own crops, Shepherd is using shrubs to help stretch the crops of the farms with which he has developed a symbiotic relationship. It is in the farms’ best interest for Underbelly to buy their product, and it is in Underbelly’s best interest to do as much as possible with that product. The sources of production may be a step removed from the shrub-makers of early America, but the aims are largely the same. Of course, for a modern restaurant or bar, those goals would fall short of the posts if shrubs didn’t add value for the customer as well. Over at Moving Sidewalk, bartender Shannon Currin sees shrubs as a way to add a bit of intrigue to a drink. “I enjoy the way they mess with my palate,” says Currin, whose ’55 Bel Air (featured on Moving Sidewalk’s current menu) employs a house blueberry shrub. “Shrubs are savory and sweet at the same time,” Currin continues, pointing to a foundational element of the shrub’s appeal. Shrubs aren’t simple syrup, a typical
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source of sweetness in cocktails. Neither are they citrus, the tart prime-mover of the mixed beverage world. Rather, they are something in between, melding the sweetness of syrup with the acidity of vinegar, creating an ingredient far enough removed from the worlds of citrus and simple that you can’t help but look up from your drink as your brain registers the unexpected. Capturing that surprising sensation can be very simple or carefully considered, depending on your predilections. “I prefer maceration to heat extractions for the fruit and vegetables for creating the sugar base,” says Lindsay Rae, making the process sound much more complicated than it actually is. The basic cold-process shrub combines chopped fruit with an equal amount of sugar, allowing osmosis to draw the liquid from the fruit into the sugar, creating a concentrated flavored syrup. Once the sugar has done its work, cut the syrup with an equal amount of vinegar. (“The ratios always change based on the quality of the produce,” Rae notes.) A few days in the fridge helps the components integrate; shaking occasionally encourages the sugar to dissolve fully. From this basic process, there are a number of ways to complicate things. Rae follows the same ethos behind the shrub itself, stretching alreadystretched ingredients to leave no flavor behind. Take her watermelon-cucumber shrub, used in the Chartreuse-based “Uncomfortably Numb.” After peeling and slicing the cucumbers for the sugar base, Rae steeps the peels themselves in the vinegar she uses for the finished shrub in order to extract more flavor. Similarly, she saves the fruit post-maceration, often dehydrating it for use as garnish in shrub-based cocktails, as in the strawberry-tongue garnish on her strawberry-peppercorn shrub-based “Oh, Becky.” Leslie Ross often takes the DIY ethos a bit further, making her own vinegars for use in the shrubs on the menu at her new Heights hotspot, Canard. “If you want to make a simple beer vinegar,” says Ross, “just pop a bottle top and leave the bottle open and somewhere
50 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
a little warm with good airflow. Filter it before use once it has reached the level of acidity you want.” From there, you can simply follow the cold-process method above, although Ross tends to go the other way around, infusing her chosen fruit into the vinegar before sweetening with sugar. While the obvious path to unique flavors comes via your fruit selection, Ross’ house-made beer vinegar (alegar, for you pedants) points to another avenue for unique shrubs. Likewise, you can change up the type of sugar you use for additional layers of complexity and nuance. Beyond the basic white sugar, you can add depth with the molasses notes of brown sugar or turbinado, the rounded sweetness of maple syrup or even the rich notes of honey. (For honey, you’ll want to create a honey syrup first, dissolving honey in hot water, or the honey will not incorporate.) Spices and other flavorings that complement your base fruit and vinegar give you yet another way to personalize your shrub. Right now, I’m on the home stretch of a banana/five-spice shrub. I brought in brown sugar and a mix of coconut and malt vinegars. The resulting shrub is deeply flavored, with a complex spice profile, nutty richness and a subtle savory kick. While a lot of shrubs follow the loose methodologies above, often resulting from trial and error, Chris Shepherd approaches his shrubs from the other direction, employing actual scientists to fine-tune his creations. Shepherd explains how this collaboration with Rice University began as one of mutual benefit. “Several years ago,” says Shepherd, “I was a guest instructor for a Chemistry of Food class. In return, the professor, Dr. Lesa Tran, came to Underbelly and taught my cooks about the chemistry of fermentation and pickling – the science behind [how] we do what we do. Another chemistry professor, Dr. Sandra Bishnoi, wanted to find a practical application for her students to analyze, and Dr. Tran introduced us. I was developing my shrub program then, and so it was perfect timing for her
students to help me.” A Rice student named Tarick Foteh checks in on the shrubs a few times a week, testing and monitoring their progress. No shrub makes it to the menu without the scientific stamp of approval. That relationship now manifests in a shrub program that is fully integrated into Underbelly’s beverage list, giving guests the chance to select a shrub and a bubbly beverage with which to pair it. Since Underbelly is a beer and wine program – no spirits are served – drinkers are given the choice of sparkling water, sparkling wine or lighter style beers to go with their sweet-tart fruit pick. Shepherd feels that the resulting beverages, with their light and refreshing qualities, make them perfect as digestifs and also a great pairing with food, much in the same way that a crisp sparkling wine pairs well. Shepherd’s favorite version involves kumquat and
red chiles, for a spicy, fruity, sweet-tart punch of flavor. In designing your own shrubs, you can keep it simple, or you can throw caution to the wind. Leslie Ross tends to prefer simpler shrubs, focusing on one fruit or vegetable and occasionally augmenting that with a complementary flavor via herbs and spices. “For example, tangerine vanilla, strawberry lavender, pineapple fennel, apple caraway, etc,” says Ross. “I like all kinds of berries and fruits naturally higher in acidity typically, although herbs like Thai basil and lavender work really well.” If you want to go your own way, Shannon Currin says go for it. “You know what you like, throw some flavors together. Play with different types of sugar and vinegar,” says Currin, who advises that you keep detailed notes on your experiments. “Always make at least three versions of whatever experiment you’re working on and date them.
Looking for booze-free shrub cocktails? Sarah Troxell of Sarah’s Shrubs supplies multiple flavors dailY to Paulie’s Restaurant. Visit sarahsshrubs.com for a full list of flavors and locations.
Tweak little aspects like the amount of sugar that went in, the type of vinegar used and how much of what vinegar, or the amount of time you’ve allowed the shrub the sit for. You think you will remember the little nuances, but you will forget, so write everything down.” Here, we’ve taken the liberty of starting your notes for you.
BASIC SHRUB RECIPE By Chris Shepherd, Underbelly
1 cup fruit juice
1 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar
Combine fruit juice and sugar in a sealed container in the refrigerator for two to three weeks. Add vinegar. *To make a basic shrub shandy, take 2 oz. of shrub base, then top it with 8 oz. of Topo Chico, sparkling wine or a lighter-style beer. METHOD:
51 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
UNCOMFORTABLY NUMB By Raul Rojas, Grand Prize 1 ½ oz. watermelon cucumber shrub (recipe to the right) 1 oz. green Chartreuse ½ oz. Canton ginger liqueur ½ oz. lime juice ½ oz. honey syrup (1:1) pickled watermelon rind (optional) 5 basil leaves METHOD:
Combine the liquid ingredients and shake well. Serve in a tulip glass with crushed ice. Garnish with pickled watermelon (optional) and basil leaves.
52 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
ART ON PAGE 51 FROM BIGSTOCK.COM
WATERMELONCUCUMBER SHRUB By Lindsay Rae, Grand Prize
CELERY SHRUB By Leslie Ross, Canard 8 oz. celery, juiced 4 cups sugar 4 cups vinegar 1 tsp. celery seed
1 large watermelon 2 large cucumbers 3 cups sugar 2 cups white wine vinegar 2 rosemary sprigs Cut watermelon flesh away from rind. (Save rinds for pickling, if desired.) Cube watermelon flesh and place in a non-reactive container. Peel and slice cucumbers and place in the same non-reactive container. (Reserve the peels.) Cover the cucumbers and watermelon with sugar and refrigerate for two days. Shake twice a day. At the same time: Combine white wine vinegar, reserved cucumber peels and rosemary sprigs in non-reactive container. Let sit in dry, dark area for the same length of time as the watermelon/cucumber maceration. (Refrigerate if you feel uncomfortable letting the vinegar mixture sit out.) Strain watermelon/cucumber syrup. Strain white wine vinegar base. Combine both in a non-reactive container. Shake and refrigerate for one more day before use. METHOD:
Combine all ingredients and allow to rest in the refrigerator for two days. Strain before use and store in a clean, lidded container. METHOD:
ABSINTHE AND THE SISTERS HENRIOD By Leslie Ross, Canard 1 oz. Pernod Absinthe ½ oz. Parfait Amour (ours is a blend of raspberry and violette liqueurs ) ¾ oz. celery cordial (celery syrup can be subbed here, 1:1) ¼ oz. celery shrub (recipe above) 3 drops celery bitters Combine all ingredients, shake and strain over ice in a tall glass. Top with sparkling rosé. METHOD:
WatermelonCucumber Shrub Use in the Uncomfortably Numb cocktail, recipe to the left
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FIVE-SPICE AND BANANA SHRUB By Nicholas L. Hall 2 very ripe bananas, sliced 1 cup brown sugar ½ tsp. five-spice powder ½ cup coconut vinegar ½ cup malt vinegar Combine bananas, sugar and five-spice powder in a lidded container. Place in the refrigerator and allow to rest two to three days, until the bananas appear shrunken and there is a good volume of liquid in the container (about 1 cup). Add vinegars and refrigerate for an additional two days. Strain into a clean container. Reserve bananas for another use. (The infused banana slices make an interesting banana bread. You can also dehydrate the slices and use them as a cocktail garnish.) METHOD:
EKKI-EKKI-EKKIPITANG-ZOOM-BOING! By Nicholas L. Hall ¾ oz. five-spice and banana shrub (recipe above) 1 ½ oz. white rum ½ oz. smoky whiskey ¼ oz. Batavia Arrack dash Angostura dash Bitter Truth Creole Bitters (may substitute Peychaud’s) Combine all ingredients, stir over ice and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a dehydrated banana slice. (This is also nice when built in a Collins glass filled with crushed ice, topped up with a bit of Topo Chico.) METHOD:
Nicholas L. Hall is a husband and father who earns his keep playing a video game that controls the U.S. power grid. He also writes about food, booze and music, in an attempt to keep the demons at bay. When he’s not busy keeping your lights on, he can usually be found making various messes in the kitchen, with apologies to his wife.
reviews
state fare kitchen & bar ADDRESS
of I-10
947 Gessner just south
TELEPHONE 832-831-0950 WEBSITE statefaretx.com CUISINE Texas/Southern comfort CREDIT CARDS All major HOURS Open 11 am-10 pm
food
Mon.-Thu., 11 am-11 pm Fri. and Sat. RESERVATIONS Recommended NOISE LEVEL Civilized
CARNIVAL OF COMFORT FOODS By William Albright
I seem to run hot and cold when it comes to fairs – which is odd considering the key role that one particular fair
may have played in my career choices. I loved going to the San Diego County Fair as a California kid, and it’s entirely possible it steered me to certain professional paths. The seed for my love of theater and the performing arts in general may have been planted by the fast-talking midway pitchmen hawking everything from cutlery and cookware to motor oil additives. And my addiction to the many kinds of food that weren’t cooked in my house could be due to my first exposure to corn dogs. But apparently I have pulled back when it comes to statewide rather than county expositions. I am ashamed to confess that my culinary curiosity hasn’t so far prompted me to visit the Texas State Fair (set for Sept. 30 through Oct. 23 this year) and sample the astonishing array of things that get deep-fried there. And I have not seen any of the three film versions of the Rodgers and
“The best things i ate at State fare were the mac ’n’ cheese and the pork chop.”
PHOTOS BY BECCA WRIGHT
54 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
Hammerstein movie musical State Fair (the BOMB-rated 1962 version featuring the dreaded Pat Boone succeeded 1933 and 1945 editions and, in a happy coincidence, was actually shot at the Texas State Fair). I am always up for a homophone, though, so I can now report on State Fare Kitchen and Bar, which specializes in Texas/Southern-style comfort food. The conversion from the defunct Pour Society’s sprawling space into State Fare began quietly and mostly under the radar last fall at Gateway Memorial City center, which likes to be a landlord for “chef-driven” restaurants. In the case of State Fare, the executive chef is Bill McKinley. The propellants of his chef-driving are Lee Ellis, Jim Mills, Susan Molzan, Lisa Gochman and others who recently formed Cherry Pie Hospitality. The partners boast experience at The Houstonian and the F.E.E.D. TX group (Liberty Kitchen,
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BRC Gastropub). State Fare is pleasantly open and airy, simultaneously formal and casual. The napkins resemble cotton kitchen towels but are finer than that. The most striking light fixtures are a spidery construction suspended from a massive plank the size of a door and two giant chandeliers that are like huge hamster wheels hung from the ceiling on their sides. There’s a large painting of a rodeo bull rider, and tall open shelves in the main dining room contain neatly lined-up six-packs of hoity-toity beer and bottles of Maker’s Mark, Jim Beam and other spirits. State Fare’s allegiance to the Texas State Fair is best demonstrated by the $19 Hicksburger, apparently named after a favorite patron. In the spirit of too much is never enough, the towering sandwich includes sliced pastrami, grilled onions, Gruyère cheese, a sauce named for co-proprietor Lee Ellis and, in a salute to batter-frying, chickenfried fries that suggest straightened onion rings. A $10 salad is another tip of the hat to the Lone Star State. Here, “Texas caviar” (black-eyed peas) is tossed with tiny shavings of kale and served with
Houston Polo Club (page 59) Houston Wine Merchant (page 39)
cornbread croutons, a deviled egg and two pods of pickled okra. Cilantrolime dressing was an alleged ingredient on my serving, but it must have been applied with an atomizer. The zip that made the okra so bracing was in short supply. Two appetizers I tried were likewise rather muted. Served with house-made barbecue potato chips and an Ellis family recipe, the not-very-pucker-inducing dill pickle dip ($8) was more dill than pickle, but I liked its buttery mouthfeel. I also warmed to the queso blanco with green chiles ($9) as it cooled; thin on arrival, it became less drippy as it sat a while and cloaked the house-made tortilla chips better. State Fare’s comfort-food focus irises out to include Louisiana as well as Texas, and the regions can overlap. Remoulade well dosed with Creole mustard comes with gently jalapeñospiked hushpuppies ($5) for zesty dipping, and the recipe for Sabine Pass Gumbo with seafood, chicken and andouille ($15) is Mills’s dad’s. As for New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp and grits ($28), that dish is made in many ways, but it’s not “barbecue” as Texans know it. The
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Truluck’s (inside front cover) Uptown Sushi (page 5)
shell-on crustaceans are traditionally stewed in a buttery sauce, and different cooks do the dish differently. Opinions differ on butter and Worcestershire sauce (a little? a lot?) and whether or not to use beer, cream, white wine, lemon juice, vinegar. That said, State Fare’s version was okay. The shrimp (mercifully peeled) were plump and flavorful, and the creamy grits packed a degree of heat that would make a Cajun proud. Lee Ellis’s Lee’s Fried Chicken and Donuts uses that (to me) cringeinducing spelling of the iconic fried pastry, so I was not surprised to see farro here mistakenly called “faro” in an otherwise satisfying risotto-style entrée ($20). The kernels of grain were cooked to a nutty chewiness with mushrooms, shaved carrots and bits of cauliflower and kale. Farro must be parboiled a while before being subjected to the regular multi-minute, constant-stirring risotto-making process, so this even-more-labor-intensive-than-usual dish seldom appears on restaurant menus. The best things I ate at State Fare were the mac ’n’ cheese and the pork chop. The bowl of the former ($22) was
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topped with luscious shredded short ribs and roasted shallots. The $27 latter was a huge smoked double chop lightly slathered with a root beer glaze and paired with silky mashed potatoes and very al dente green beans well stocked with tabs of bacon. The server never asked how I wanted it cooked and apologized that it arrived well done, but he needn’t have. It was still ideally tender. State Fare’s portions don’t leave a lot of room for dessert, but I can testify that banana Nutella cake (think excellent banana bread) and double chocolate cake (think fudge) from Susan Molzan’s Petite Sweets shop on West Alabama cram a lot of flavor into four moist layers ($8), so patrons should keep an endgame in mind. The desserts change daily, so options may vary.
toulouse cafe & bar 4444 Westheimer in River Oaks District TELEPHONE 713-871-0768 WEBSITE toulousecafeandbar.com CUISINE French bistro fare CREDIT CARDS All major HOURS Open 11 am-11 pm Mon.-Thurs., 11 am-midnight Fri. and Sat., 11 am-10 pm Sun. RESERVATIONS Accepted NOISE LEVEL Deafening ADDRESS
SCENE BUT NOT HEARD By Eric Gerber
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As we all know from Gérard Depardieu movies and Pepe Le Pew cartoons, Gallic-accented English can be – how you say? – très charmant. But it loses a good deal of that charmant when it’s being shouted in cheek-puffing exasperation. I was reminded of this recently during a visit to Toulouse, a flourishing French bistro in the River Oaks District, that new mecca of high-end 56 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
mercantilism on Westheimer just inside the Loop. Chef Philippe Schmit, known by his self-selected nickname as The French Cowboy, had stationed himself at the pass – the kitchen site where waitstaff drop off and pick up orders – and was evidently running a combination boot camp and on-the-job training session for the restaurant’s less-experienced servers. He seemed to be explaining why this order for mussels hadn’t been written down properly, why this order of the steak au poivre dish wasn’t really ready to be delivered yet (not Cognac sauce on the side, béarnaise!), and why this order of the lobster macaroni gratinee should have been taken to table 10 minutes ago. And the French Cowboy was barking out these head-shaking corrections loudly enough that diners seated 20 yards away could hear. His at-10 volume was the result, I suspect, of his genuine passion for the subject and his frustration with the green staff’s gaffes. But, mostly, it was practicality, having to shout to be heard over the popular restaurant’s high-decibel noise levels. Toulouse is handsomely dressed in a throwback fin-de-siècle style, but that means tile floors, marble tabletops and spacious, unadorned sidewalk windows, which add up to an acoustic engineer’s nightmare. Sound goes ricocheting around in here like a golf ball hit in a bathroom. A goodly number of the patrons are of the see-and-be-seen variety prone to raucous table conversation punctuated with braying laughter every three minutes whether or not it’s actually called for. Add general service clatter and robust music to the mix, along with near-capacity crowds even during the middle of the week, and it can get pretty daunting for those unaccustomed to bellowing their way through a meal, no matter how nice the food and how impressive the décor. Which they are. Yes, the point is belabored – three-word summary: Toulouse is loud! – but I’ve done so to explain why, despite some above-average cooking
and a fetching venue, my regard for the establishment is moderate at best. Now, I need to report that the French Cowboy is no longer with Toulouse, having helped launch the operation for the Lombardi Family Concepts restaurant group that already has a Toulouse going strong in Dallas. Whether this was a planned departure or some sort of falling out wasn’t announced. Schmit is a talented chef and can point to his previous accomplishments in Houston, like Bistro Moderne and his eponymous Philippe Restaurant, with pride. But the Gallic Cowpoke has been doing a lot of riding off into the sunset the last few years, and it’s starting to raise eyebrows about his judgment and/or intentions. Schmit’s exit shouldn’t affect the quality of the food here, which, while nicely done, is hardly stretching the boundaries of creative cuisine. In fact, Toulouse has aimed squarely at Old Reliables & Comforting Classics. Onion soup ($11)? But of course. Salade Niçoise ($24)? Ah, yes. Foie gras ($26)? Mais oui! Escargots ($15)? Certainement! Pommes frites ($6)? For you, always. While the kitchen will occasionally step up with a minor surprise – red
beet-cured salmon on potato latkes – for the most part the menu is the French equivalent of P.F. Chang’s. Not, I reiterate, that there’s anything wrong with that, and Toulouse does it pretty well. Both the classic beef bourguignon ($32) and the duck leg confit ($32), for example, were perfectly prepared. And an order of diver scallops ($32) was especially memorable for the wonderfully rich black truffle risotto that accompanied it. Toulouse may not be innovative, but the food is reliably first-rate. I should also note that, for all my carping about the off-putting uproar inside, you do have a somewhat less distressing option. In keeping with its bistro/sidewalk cafe DNA, Toulouse has a creditable patio where the sound doesn’t bounce around quite as frantically – until, that is, the elbow-to-elbow tables are all filled and then it can be almost as distracting. Of course, sitting outside you do have the advantage of ogling the luxury cars as they creep along the fashionable streets, looking for Harry Winston and Van Cleef & Arpels. As expected given the exclusive location, location, location, Toulouse is expensive. But not exorbitant. For instance, it’s possible to grab a
57 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
Toulouse burger with fries ($17), a house salad ($9) and a glass of decent Bordeaux ($9). But most folks will more likely wind up hitting the $100-plus per person mark without trying too hard. Finally, for whatever reason, service here has been fairly sketchy for an upscale operation. A request for a glass of Burgundy to accompany the beef bourguignon resulted in the waiter bringing a white Burgundy, not the dry red wine the dish is traditionally cooked in. Picky? Perhaps. Likewise, when a diner jokingly asked her server to remind her what “lobster” is in French, you don’t expect the honestly befuddled reply to be “Um … le lobster?” Especially when it’s spelled out right there on the Franglish-ed menu: homard. I think I know why the French Cowboy was shouting.
William Albright has reviewed local restaurants for more than 20 years for The Houston Post, Inside Houston, Houston Business Journal and others. Eric Gerber is the director of communications at the University of Houston.
– Migrating Taste –
Into the Cauldron By Sarah Bronson
When Luis Lopez and Christian Sanchez left Chicago for Houston more than 10 years ago, they planned to retire from catering. But the two seem unable to stop feeding people. Lopez noticed there weren’t many Puerto Rican restaurants around Houston. Two years later El Caldero Boricua – the Puerto Rican Cauldron – was born. The small eatery on Bellaire Boulevard near Highway 6 has steadily acquired a loyal following ever since. More Puerto Ricans are moving to Houston, Lopez says, not just from their homeland but also from New York, Chicago and the Dominican Republic. Mexicans frequent El Caldero, too, and African Americans. Filipinos love the plantains and lechon here. Native Texan cowboys also come for the roast pork. Some folks visit from as far as Galveston and Corpus Christi. Even their babies eat the rice, beans and chicken. And the same kids grow bigger and come back. Puerto Rican food resembles other Latin American cuisines in many ways, says Lopez, but is more Creole and less spicy, using lots of garlic, pepper, salt and olive oil. Lopez and Sanchez are particular about their approach: the right amount of salt, the right seasoning of the meat. “We put our pride and joy into this,” Lopez says. “It’s all
fresh. It should be like going to your grandma’s.” Our first visit to El Caldero, we pulled up to an unassuming storefront and found a small space that was nonetheless lovingly adorned. A poster about Puerto Rico stood out, crammed with historical and cultural photos, handwriting and drawings – the effect was reminiscent of a class project. In fact, in June, the restaurant began a highly anticipated expansion. The owners expected to re-open in July (abut the time this issue goes to press). Beyond that, Lopez hopes to someday open new El Calderos to reach even more of the people who love the food. When we visited the original cafe, a two-man operation making everything on the spot can mean a wait, but we didn’t regret it. The carne empanadas are mere seconds out of the fryer, the pastry popping with flaky air bubbles, the meat tender. Pork chops are rubbed
with spices and roasted till red, with salty bursts at the crisp edges of the fat. The rice, unlike any other we’ve had, is suffused by a flavorful sofrito of cilantro, red and green peppers, garlic and tomatoes along with pigeon peas. The slow-cooked pulled pork is luscious and accompanied by crunchy red skin and avocado. It’s cash only and BYOB. Call ahead to place your order if you want a shorter wait. The restaurant went on hiatus shortly after our first visit, in order to complete the renovations, but Lopez and Sanchez’s kitchen remained busy as ever, creating feasts for parties and takeout for the customers who still needed El Caldero in their lives. When we visited Lopez at home, Sanchez was pounding plantains with a pilon, a massive wooden mortar and pestle, on the counter for mofongo, the traditional Puerto Rican dish of green plantains fried, mashed and rolled into a ball studded with chicharrónes and flavored with garlic. Earlier at the restaurant, we had found our serving of mofongo somewhat plain on its own, but a dip into the minced garlic and olive oil fully enlivens each bite. A tip from Lopez: Eat the mofongo with the pollo guisado broth. Later we got pollo guisado – a rich stew of succulent chicken drumsticks and thighs and vegetables – to go. As we picked up our order, Sanchez invited us to peek into the oven. Inside, a whole baby pig was curled up in a roasting pan, skin golden and blistering. “We picked it up from the farm this morning,” Lopez said. Quite the retirement. EL CALDERO BORICUA, 15115 BELLAIRE BLVD. AT WINKLEMAN, 832-785-6363
Sarah Bronson is a professional word wrestler. See her head-desking about language and life on @usewordsbetter.
58 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
Welcome to the largest Polo Club in the United States!
Did you know, Houston Polo Club has grown to be the largest Polo Club in the United States and the World, per playing members?
Houston Polo Club Accommodates Individuals and Events! Sunday Polo at the Houston Polo Club is a terrific way to entertain! Your guests will be treated to a world class polo match in a unique outdoor setting. From private tents and umbrella tables to box seating in the Grandstand, your guests will have a gorgeous view and unforgettable experience. Houston Polo Club also offers professional instructed Polo Clinics, Polo School, English, Hunter Jumper, and boarding. Visit thehoustonpoloclub.com/schedule for our polo schedule and tickets. 59 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
8552 MEMORIAL DRIVE HOUSTON, TX 77024 • HOUSTONPOLOCLUB.COM • 713-681-8571
– Tasting the Town –
Okay “Poh-kay” By Robin Barr Sussman • Illustration by Chris Hsu
Poke (pronounced poh-KAY), the cool, salad-like staple of the Big Island starring raw tuna, is making a big splash in H-town. Here are some of the best versions we picked up this summer. LIBERTY KITCHEN & OYSTER BAR
KATA ROBATA
1050 Studewood, 713-802-0533
3600 Kirby Dr., 713-526-8858
Sublime. This can’t-miss poke dish boasts ginger- and soy-marinated bigeye tuna accompanied by thinly sliced shimeji mushrooms, pickled red onions and delicate frisée garnish. Creamy yuzu kosho (Japanese-seasoned) yogurt dots the chilled plate. PRICE: $15 SCORE: 10
LITTLE LIBERTY
Luxe. Exec-chef Lance Fegan, a surfer who loves poke, has several styles: Choose raw tuna, salmon or vegetable with tamari soy or spicy mayo, which can be served over white rice, cucumbers or kale salad. The spicy mayo version over rice is rich and filling, crowned with a tangle of scallions, diced avocado and sesame seeds. It’s a great value. PRICE: $13 SCORE: 9
LITTLE LIBERTY
2356A Rice Blvd., 713-807-7224
Cool as a cucumber. We are digging this newcomer’s menu of excellent poke choices. Choose from raw tuna or salmon and customize with toppings like macadamia nuts or jalapeños. Served on a circle of cucumbers, the fresh tuna marinated in ginger-soy and generously laced with mango, sliced red onions and sesame seeds is lovely. PRICE: $12 SCORE: 10
PESKA SEAFOOD CULTURE
1700 Post Oak Blvd., 713-961-9229
PHOTO BY BECCA WRIGHT
Ceviche style. Spanking fresh cubes of yellowfin tuna are marinated in citrusinfused soy and submerged in chopped tomatoes, diced onion, cilantro and wisps of toasted nori. Think pricey, beefed-up 60 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
pico de gallo sans jalapeños (request diced serrano on the side, if desired). PRICE: $24 SCORE: 8 SHADE
250 West 19th St., 713-863-7500
Snappy. The unique poke on the dinner menu combines fresh marinated snapper with lime, chile peppers and citrus served over generous avocado wedges. The flavors are clean and zippy and the thin, lightly fried taro chips served alongside add a nice crunchy touch. PRICE: $15 SCORE: 8
VELVET TACO
4819 Washington Ave., 832-834-5908
No fork required. The hip Dallas import with wildly inventive tacos folds up a cool ahi number in a lettuce wrap. Expect a terrific variety of textures and flavors including buttery avocado, seaweed salad, pickled fresnos, cilantro, sesame seeds and ginger soy vinaigrette. If you like raw tuna, this Japanese-style poke will float your boat. PRICE: $6.75 SCORE: 9
Robin Barr Sussman is a freelance food writer with a culinary mission: great taste.
We certainly think so. We’re proud to offer premium Certified Angus Beef ® brand products sourced from right here in the Lone Star State. Every cut must meet the same 10 exacting standards for marbling, texture, juiciness and flavor the brand has always required. Those standards are more selective than USDA Choice and Prime,* and, it’s raised by ranchers under Texas skies.
61 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
*
CertifiedAngusBeef.com
where good times and great meals
bring people together We deliver the finest All Natural Angus Steaks from our Farm to your home. Quality is bred into everything we do and you’ll be able to taste the difference.
62 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2016
44farms.com