Restaurant week 2010- In the Beginning, there was Brennan's...

Wow, where do I start? I am going to describe Brennan's to you just as I described it to my friends and family after I left Saturday night. Brennan's is bomb. Like seriously. Everything about this place exudes excellence.


Brennan's of Houston located on 3300 Smith Street, was my first stop at restaurant week. This was the perfect place to start, not only did it set the bar for the other restaurants to follow suit; it exceeded my expectations of what "The Brennan's" was going to be.

I have talked to girlfriends who had their rehearsal dinner, anniversary, baby showers and every other milestone at Brennan's, but I didn't truly understand the magic behind its restored walls. First on my list are the people. You can have a simply amazing venue, view, food and ambiance, but nothing can replace good quality people. When you walk in to Brennan's, you will be greeted by the valet attendees who give you a warm smile and tell you to enjoy your dining experience. Now your inside and you may be greeted by one of the hostesses Claire, who is equally as sweet. If you have time, make your way to the bar to say hi to another integral piece of the Brennan's team Adam. Adam-man who creates liquid heaven. (that is his Indian name).

After a drink or two or three of Adam's, I thought it would be a good idea to have a little snack before I came back for dinner in a couple of days. I had the 1-1-1 soup appetizer, this is great for those who are indecisive when it comes to food (me). You will get to try 3 different types of soup including their most delicious turtle soap spiked with a splash of sherry if you like. We also tried the chef’s playground, instead of getting sweaty on a merry-go-round at recess, you get to relish in the delightful tastes of venison and foie gras.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Chef Danny who is down to earth and very personable. You can tell that he is passionate about his food and wants you to feel warm and fuzzy after you leave. What I noticed most about Brennan's is everyone that works there wants you to have a memorable dining experience, from our waiter Jon, to the management team, to the other waiters who weren't even assigned to our table.
Eating at Brennan's will make you want to make your next reservation before you even finish dessert. Speaking of, do yourself a favor and order the after dinner coffee, you can see it in my video. The epitome of a night cap.
Nighty Night Brennan's, see you at Sunday Brunch

Deliciously yours,

The Culinary Cutie

Brennan's of Houston
3300 Smith Street
Houston, TX 77006
713-522-9711

Straits- City Center

Straits Houston is the fifth of its kind, with others being located in San Francisco, and Atlanta. This restaurant is quite the place to be even on a Thursday. It feels more like a club than a restaurant, with an amazing DJ that will have you singing the latest songs, and reminiscing on the old ones. I choose to sit outside for dinner in one of the highly sought after cabanas. This area is great for a large party of friends that want to enjoy the scenery and have some good wine and small plates.

The food at Straits is a Singapore fusion that marries savory and sweet flavors together to make a happy long lasting relationship. The Spring Rolls with prawns and Chinese sausage were first on my list. The addition of the sausage was a nice surprise. Next, I had Grilled Grape Leaf Beef. These were served similar to a lettuce wrap with the beef being the star of the dish and the butter lettuce and carrots taking the crown as best supporting condiment.

After you finish your first cocktail and small plates outside, make your way back to the bar where they had drinks specials going on all night. This is where the real party is, some of the best people watching in the City Center, not to mention the best music. I would definitely recommend going to Straits on a Thursday night to get your weekend started right.

Dress is Jazzy, but the casual folk are welcome too. If you have a large party and want to ensure a table, call ahead and make a reservation. Open until 2:00am Thursday-Saturdays.

-Head "Strait" to the bar

Straits
800 West Sam Houston Parkway Suite 940
Houston, TX 77024
713-365-9922

Pork Chops for dinner with the Culinary Cutie

Rub ingredients:
-Adobo chili powder
-Brown sugar
-Sea Salt
-Black pepper
-Cumin
-Coriander

I made up this rub of some of my favorite spices, I didn't measure anything so you will have to freestlye it. That is what makes cooking fun! I used brown sugar as the base, and used equal parts of all the spices, then season with a little salt. Apply the rub to the pork chop. I actually pack it on until I have a nice crust. Heat a saute pan with olive oil and sear the pork chop on both sides. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 and finish the pork chops in the oven for 20 mins. Sorry, no picture for this one, by the time I realized I wanted to share this creation with you, it was half eaten.

Enjoy!

Deliciously Yours,
The Culinary Cutie

The Culinary Cutie and Chef Randy of Haven

In honor of restaurant week coming up on Aug 1, I thought I would post the link to my first Culinary Cutie show with Chef Randy of Haven who will be featured in the Houston Restaurant week 2010.

I will be visiting several restaurants during this time and posting interviews and experiences on my preferred restaurants. If you are a food lover and would like to accompany me to one of the restaurants, feel free to post the restaurant of your choice and we will make it happen! Can't wait!

Deliciously Yours,
The Culinary Cutie

The Egg and I- Dallas TX

So your in Dallas, and you have a hankering for some breakfast, and you want your tummy and your wallet to be full after leaving. I say to you my cheap and greedy friends, go to The Egg and I. The Egg and I is a  quaint and causal restaurant where my party was seated by the extremely chipper manager . We had a group of twelve with no reservation, and we were accommodated without a lot of hassle. I ordered the special of the day which was an omelet with bacon, avocado, and cheddar. I ordered mine with egg whites and opted for the raisin toast. This was just what I needed and only set me back around 10 bucks.

The Egg an I was pleasant and just what I expected. Nothing over the top just good ole fashioned breakfast.

The Egg and was eggcatly (sorry, I couldn’t resist) what I needed. A hearty breakfast before hitting the road.

15203 Knoll
Dallas, Tx
469-375-0750

Canopy

The Culinary Cutie loves to enjoy brunch at Shade in the heart of the heights. So when I heard that the owner/chef of Shade, Claire Smith, was opening another restaurant called Canopy located on Montrose, I had to stop in a check it out. I know what you’re thinking, Geez Mrs. Cutie, Canopy has been open for quite some time. First I say to you, SO? Second of all I tried to go when it first opened on a Sunday, and I am guessing they were about to close since the young women at the front ignored me until I left. I didn’t let that experience stop me from bringing my little food lovers the greatest and sometimes not the latest delicious treats.

The feeling of Canopy is an open and airy vibe with a simple earthy twist. The crowd at Canopy was young and vibrant filled with lots of lively chatter. Our waitress greeted us after we were seated and took our drink orders. I had the Montrose Queen which consisted of Campari, Orange Bitters, and Champagne. It had a refreshing a crisp taste.

For my appetizer, I had the crab cake with fried green tomatoes. This was absolutely delicious. The tomatoes added such an element of surprise to the dish which was well appreciated. I try crab cakes everywhere I eat and I think that the execution of the crab cake presentation and preparation was top notch.  We also tried the quail which my husband thoroughly enjoyed.

For my salad course I chose the Tomato Salad with pumpkin seeds, and feta cheese. What a great course to whip up at your homes for the summer. So far I give my visit an 8 on a scale of 1-10.

My entrée, which was my least favorite, was the fried pork cutlets. I choose the dish because the waitress made the suggestion and the sides sounded so well put together I couldn’t say no.  Unfortunately the breading was more of a shell than a coating, which caused the golden casing to break away from the meat leaving only the thin piece of cutlet to fend for itself, all by its lonesome.

To end on a positive note, I had the lemon ice box pie for dessert. If you are not careful it would be easy to become addicted to this dessert. With all of the right flavors interacting with one another it couldn’t be wrong eating two slices in one sitting. I digressed and only had one. 

Whatever you are in the mood for, Canopy has you covered.

www.thecanopyhouston.com

3939 Montrose Boulevard
Houston, TX 77006

Travel editon continued: Mama's Fish House in Maui

After a day of zip lining, the first thing I was looking forward to was dinner. A local in Maui recommended we go to Mama's Fish House for some fresh fish and delicious fare. We took his suggestion and made early reservations. (808-579-8488).

Mama's Fish House has been on the island since 1973, making it Maui's very first fresh fish restaurant. Mama's ambiance is nothing short of a beach themed post card, but instead of being a still image on 5x7 glossy, the view of the ocean and sand is forever etched in your mind and heart.

I was so famished I didn't know where to start. I decided to take a bit of the edge off from our zip line adventure and enjoy a cocktail at the bar The drinks are deliciously refreshing but it will leave your wallet feeling stale. Fifteen bucks for a martini is a long shot even for me, but hey you're on vacation so who cares.

My appetizer came again from another recommendation from our attentive waiter. I was torn between Mama's Macadamia Nut Crab Cakes with fire and ice relish, Wild Shrimp Won Tons, and Seared Beef Polynesian in a grilled papaya. We settled on the later two items. The Shrimp Won Tons were presented in a way I was not expecting, which was a nice surprise from the norm. The Macadamia dipping sauce made the dish that more more interesting. It added a sweet and tangy flavor with the crunchy texture of the Macadamia nuts.

Shrimp Won Tons with Macadamia dipping sauce and Seared Beef Polynesian in a grilled papaya

For dinner I had the special for the day, which may not be available for you when you visit, since the menu changes daily. The fish is so fresh, they tell you the fisherman's name and where it was caught. My Mahimahi was caught by Shawn Boneza along the north shore of Maui. The fish was stuffed with lobster, crab, and sweet Maui onions. When you visit this restaurant be prepared to spend around $200 for two people with drinks, appetizers, entrees, and dessert. I know your probably full at this point, but don't skimp on the dessert. Banana Macadamia Nut Crisp with homemade vanilla ice cream. Enough said.

Banana Macadamia Nut Crisp

On a side note, Maui has some of the most strict liquor laws in the mainland. If you buy a bottle of wine, and want to cork it and take it back home with you, forget about it. Have a seat and chug a lug, you're not going anywhere.  

Mama's Fish House gets the Culinary Cutie's kiss of approval.

Mahola Mama's!

Mama's Fish House

799 Poho Place

Paia, Hawaii 96779

808-579-8488

http://www.mamasfishhouse.com/

Deliciously Yours,

The Culinary Cutie

Aloha from Kauai Day 1- Travel Editon

 The Kilauea Lighthouse

Welcome to the first travel addition with The Culinary Cutie! I must first paint a picture for those who have not yet been to Kauai, home of the sky scraping cliffs of the Napali Coast. Imagine indigo blue waters on your left and lush, tropical vegetation on your right. With views like this you will never want to leave. My travels landed me at the St. Regis Hotel in Princeville. Although my arrival at St. Regis was at 1:00am, the hospitable staff were still wide awake. You will be greeted with leis and fresh squeezed strawberry and papaya juice. We made our way to the ocean view room that we were upgraded to due to our vacation package through LuxuryLink.com.

 Our view for breakfast after the rain.

Our stay included breakfast for two each morning which turned out to more of a savings then we would ever know. You can easily spend $60 for a breakfast for two at the Makana Terrace. Choose to sit outside on the terrace for the best breeze, view, and bird watching. My first meal of the trip was the lobster omelet with chicken mango sausage and a frothy cappuccino. You will have to excuse the picture of the half eaten omelet, it was so good I almost forgot about my cutie foodies.

Lobster omelet, butter gold potatoes, and chicken mango sausage

In all fairness I feel that I must mention that the service at Makana Terrance was not always consistent. Our first waiter was so amazing and attentive. By the fourth day on the island the service was sub par which resulted in free appetizers and champagne at their elegant fine dining restaurant, the Kauai Grill. 

http://www.stregisprinceville.com/dining/makana-terrace/

Duck Spring Rolls with Plum Mandarin reduction

Dinner will be well spent at a Luau for your first night on the island. I chose to visit the Luau Kalamaku. This Luau had an option to enjoy the owners dinner where your meal is served in the plantation home on site. This option is more expensive then the $99 traditional adult buffet. The Plantation Owners evening includes a four course dinner with a champagne reception with premium reserved seating at the luau. This will run you $135 per person with an open bar when you arrive at the theater. For the dessert be sure to pick the tropical trio of sorbets, the chocolate decadence is very dense and too rich. 

 

If you want to top your evening off with some delicious bubbly, you can get a decent deal on the ever so popular Veuve Cliquot for $90 rather than paying $250 for it at the hotel restaurant.

http://www.gaylords.biz/

Mahalo,

Deliciously Yours,

The Culinary Cutie

Café Rosé

I recently visited Cafe Rose located on the ground level of Hotel Sorella in the City Center. This quaint cafe is stylishly decorated, with lots of open air and space. The menu is limited in selections, but the items that they did have available were acceptable. The wine list was rather sparse, but I did not expect them to have a cellar of stellar wines to begin with. I came to enjoy lunch on a Saturday afternoon, and there were no other patrons at the cafe except myself and a dear friend.

I placed my order for chicken salad sandwich accompanied by a petite spinach salad comprised of gala apples, spiced pecans, blue cheese crumbles, red shaved onion tossed with a spiced cider vinaigrette. This salad was light and refreshing, perfect for a hot Texas summers day. I would have liked to see a different type of bread on the chicken salad sandwich. White bread seemed a little blasé for a French inspired cafe. Perhaps a crusty toasted baguette would have been the "it" factor it needed.

I wouldn't go out of my way to visit again, but If I happened to be in the area, I might give it another try. For those that speak a little French...


Manger at Cafe Rose


800 W. Sam Houston PKWY
Building 9 / Houston,TX 77024
713-827-3545
www.bistroalex.com/cafe-rose/




Deliciously Yours,


The Culinary Cutie