Dunkin Donuts (Coming Soon)

First one inside the loop...coming soon to the old Arby's location on Shepherd, near Fairview.

Food Truck Festival

It would seem, the food truck phenomenon is officially here in Houston. Most early FT innovators made their presence known at this years FT Festival this past weekend on HCC's west loop campus. Buzz worthy names like Bernie's Burger Bus, Oh My Gogi, Frosted Berry, all present with long lines or crowds formed at their windows waiting patiently for their number.

Oh My Gogi  ohmygogi.com

With minimal options and at Oh My Gogi's suggestion, I ordered the beef quesadillas.  I rate it a 3 on a 5 scale.  Rebecca thought it was a 5!  I didn't like the sweetness.  It had kimchi in it too, interesting, I wonder what the non asians thought about it.  The guys at Oh My Gogi are not Korean.  Actually, I heard they're from Austin.  Most Houston-former-Austinites are familiar with these guys.  Before Reb tried the quesadilla she said she had tried the truck before in Austin and said it was ok.  Apparently she's changed her mind and loves it, said she's going to try to make the quesdilla at home.

Eatsie Boys eatsieboys.com

Also, minimal selections left, we ordered the Philly Cheesesteak at the suggestion of Eatsie Boys.  I thought this was really good, warm, crispy bread, steak was flavorful, and the cheese was different.  Not your typical cheese that comes with a philly cheese steak sandwich, but I did like it.  It looked like thousand island, but tasted subtly cheesy.  My rating was a 4, Reb's was 3.  I liked the branding of the Eastie Boys truck the most.  The guys were just oozing coolness.  The guy that helped us order had 80s looking pink sunglasses and he made them look really cool.  They seemed fun.

Green Seed Vegan  greenseedvegan.com

We got Kale chips and a brownie here...it tasted healthy, not very good.  I liked the idea, but I don't recommend this truck at all.  They need to keep developing their items and make them tastier.

Fusion Taco fusiontacotruck.com 

At Fusion Taco's suggestion, we got the lettuce beef wrap and sweet potato fries.  To my surprise this was not only really good, but the best in my opinion.  This came in 4th for Reb, but I gave it a 5.  We both agreed the lettuce wrap was really good.  Good flavors, texture, cilantro, basil, yum, so good. The sweet potato fries were really good too.  Crispy and dressed with this creamy spicy sauce, that was delicious.  Fusion Taco is awesome, definitely a go try! 

Angie's Cake Balls  angiescake.com

By the time we got here, there were only 3 flavors left.  Angie suggested the Ginger Beer and we liked that one.  We also got the vanilla on chocolate and that was disgusting to me.  It was all mushy and not worth the caloreis so, I spit it out. :)

I mostly just went to the known namers, the others I didn't want to waste stomach space on.  I thought Fusion Taco was awesome.  Oh My Gogi, I was disappointed by.  It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great in my opinion.  I will give it another try, next time the Korean beef taco.  Frosted Betty was present, but sold out. 

I thought FT Festival idea was fun.  We got there late so it wasn't as great, but it doesn't matter because once you're finished eating, you really just end up leaving because there wasn't much else to do.  Regardless, I'm so glad I got a chance to go to this event.  I've been wanting to try these specific food trucks.  You probably don't know this, but I read an article in a foodie magazine about how many restrictions these food trucks have.  This FT phenomenon is just hitting Houston, now probably at the beginning of the tipping point, but they need a lot of support.  So, go and find one and grab lunch there because it's fun, cheap and good!

I'll definitely be at this Food Truck Friday event, starting June 24.  Hope to see ya there!

http://www.houstonfoodtrucks.com/

http://www.facebook.com/HoustonFoodCrawl?ref=ts&sk=wall

Don Chang a TasteMaker!

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Randy's Rugs

I may be published again in Papercity!  Probably December issue for the opening of Randy Twaddle Rugs at Carol Piper's Rugs in River Oaks Shopping Square.



My client and local celebrity, Randy Twaddle...I'm bragging, I know and I love it!



Artist/designer together with Carol Piper Rugs brings this collection of Randy Twaddle Rugs.  



Originally created for his own living room, now a collection of seven transformer rugs.  Unique, fun, creative, interesting, and just good looking designer rugs.



For more information on Randy or his collection, go to randytwaddle.com

Christmas in September

It's September And Christmas lights are already going up in the neighborhood of River Oaks near Whole Foods Mkt!

Restaurant Week #4 – RDG + Bar Annie

This restaurant now, RDG + Bar Annie, formerly Cafe Annie revamped and on steriods.  RDG are the initials of the executive chef, "Robert Del Grande".  My last hit on restaurant week.  I attempted going on a sunday with a girlfriend, turns out they close at 8pm.  As a matter of fact, most restaurants on restaurant week close early, never knew it.  My second attempt, made with reservations, landed us here on Friday with a group of friends, ready to enjoy this extravagantly stylish restaurant.  I love absolutely loved the interior design, stylish and trendy, impressive.



We order the Faust red wine, very good and only $115 a bottle.  We shared that amongst 5 people, not bad!  I got the Summer Black Berry Salad with Greens and Smoked Cheddar Dressing.  This salad was very good and it had blue cheese, I didn't notice and I hate blue cheese. 



I always find it odd when fine dining restaurants serve skirt steak, but this is what I got.  Wood Grilled Skirt Steak With Tomato Sofrito & Herb Olive Oil / Giant Corona Beans.  I was actually considering the Sweet Potato Enchiladas, but our server recommended the skirt steak.  It was good actually, very good.  But, I had a few bites as I was already getting full, given I had 2 pieces of bread.  Bread was good, couldn't resist.



I got the Chocolate and Coffee Ice Cream Sandwich with Hot Fudge Sauce, which I thought was good, the chocolate cookie was delicious...but I was so full, I about exploded...then I had some...



Raspberry Mousse with Cocoa Almond Meringue Cookie.  The raspberry mousse was so good.  The cookie was bland.



jennifer, denyse, soo



soo and oscar



soo, donny, and denyse



denyse and soo

We also had 2 other folks with us and we all very much liked our experience.  Definitely recommend, but beware, there are some really bad reviews out there.  Also, I lied, Restaurant Week goes on till September 1st.  Enjoy!

Restaurant Week #3 – Hotel Icon’s VOICE Restaurant

Reviews for this restaurant are really good.  Honestly, I'm not quite sure why.  Outside of the opulent  interior design, there was absolutely nothing wow about the food.  The only tasty item from my 3 course meal was the Roasted Japanese Mushrooms.  The Kobe Beef, bland and boring, the Semifreddo dessert, boring and just ok.  All my dining mates agreed, however the person that ordered the Roasted Chicken Breast said his was actually pretty good.  I shall not go into detail about labeling each picture, as I am telling you, it's not worth it.  Three out of four main meals were no delicioso and all desserts were disappointing.  But like I would do, go and decide for yourself.

[gallery link="file" order="DESC" orderby="ID"]

Restaurant Week #2 – III Forks (Downtown)

III Forks is new and gets good reviews, so this was definitely on my to do list.  I decided to go during Restaurant week, the day I was going, a friend said her experience was horrible.  I decided to go anyways, had to see for myself.  There used to be this restaurant downtown, I think the design was a fork or something, so I kept thinking of that restaurant when thinking of III Forks, not a good association to have.   When I got there, I realized this is definitely not that same place, much nicer.



I really had no idea what to expect, but that it's a steakhouse.  I walk in, immediately I like the design.  Very masculine, woody, dark, rich colors, but clean.  I liked the bathrooms, it was like a traditional kind of rich.  Gold sinks and marble tile.



Right as you walk in to the restaurant, you see this hallway made of glass wine encasings.  Very clean, liked it a lot.



Our choices for restaurant week, I got the III Forks salad, Chateaubriand, and Mixed Berries.  By the way, you can't say "Chateaubriand" without making a silly face.  Try it..."chateaubriaannnd", did your pump your eyebrows?  :)



If there had been a description of the III Forks salad, I would not have ordered it.  It's topped with Blue Cheese and that is the one cheese I do not like.  It comes out, I scrape it off the top...oh my Lord, this salad was out of this world.  I mean it's salad, how can salad be so amazing?  This was amazing!  It was the "Walnut Molasses Pecan Vinaigrette"...mm mm mm.



Chateaubriand.  "With Bordelaise Sauce, a Red Wine and Shallot Reduction".  This was actually pretty good, but after about 4 bites it's starts to diminsh on its return.  Now the creamed corn, oh my goodness...that was just pure deliciousness.  So tasty and crunchy even in it's creaminess.  Mash Potatoes were just mash potatoes, but good.



We shared the desserts.  Chocolate Ganache Cake (A Moist Six-Layer Traditional Chocolate Cake with Rich Ganache Icing, Garnished with Chocolate Shavings and Strawberries).  This was ok, in my opinion, but it looks good in this picture doesn't it?  I thought the cake had an odd texture.  It just wasn't...rich and divine like chocolate cake should be.



Texas Pecan Cake (A Six-Layer White Cake with Shredded Sugared Pecans and Homemade Whipped Cream Frosting, Garnished with Chopped Sugared Pecans and Caramel Sauce).  It looks like a hummingbird cake, but it was just ok too.



Mixed Berries (A Collection of Fresh Strawberries, Blueberries, and Raspberries Finished with Raspberry Sauce and Mint Sprig).  Not a great presentation, but this, I think I liked the best.  How can you go wrong with berries and whip cream?

I should have taken a photo of our waitress, she was wearing this little black hoochie-mama outfit.  Apparently, it was the uniform for the female servers.  Now that I think about it, I don't think I saw any male servers.  We were wondering why that was the case, so we decided, steakhouse, downtown, male dominated...ok, we get the hoochie-mama uniforms.  Our service was nothing spectacular, nothing horrible.  Just good ol service.  My experience was pretty good from atmosphere to food and service, I would defnitely recommend III Forks.  You have until August 21 for the Restaurant Week Menu.

Restaurant Week #1 – Flemings

I've always wanted to try Flemmings, just never got around to it, so this was my first hit on restaurant week's list.  I loved the bread that also came with this cheese and butter dip.  It was rosemary bread...so good.  I thought I was only going to eat one, but I had three!  Very good, I liked the cheese spread, the butter spread was ok.



I chose the Flemmings salad (Seasonal Greens, Candied Walnuts, Dried Cranberries, Tomatoes, Croutons, Lemon Balsamic Dressing).  Outside of the candied walnuts, it was a pretty standard salad.  My mom didn't finish hers.



The filet mignon was ok, the creamed spinach I did not like.  It just didin't taste good at all.  The mash potatoes were fine.  Half way through our dinner the manager comes by and asks "How is everything going Ms. Kim?"  That's a first...I've never had a manager come by and address me by my name.  I thought the fact that he went the extra mile was pretty impressive.



The key lime pie was not the best I've had, not even close.  It was sweeter than I like my desserts and tasted decent.  I had a few bites and took it home, I wasn't tempted to finish it, not even the slightest bit.  My mom got the walnut turtle pie, which was way too sweet.  Our waiter was busy, but good.  Overall dining experience was ok.  Not sure what all the hoopla is about, it's definitely not one of the best steakhouses in Houston.

1st

Classic Caesar

Fleming’s Salad

Seasonal Greens, Candied Walnuts, Dried Cranberries, Tomatoes, Croutons, Lemon Balsamic Dressing

 Summer Corn Chowder

With Crispy Bacon

2nd

Petite Filet Mignon

Chicken Breast

Baked in a White Wine, Mushroom, Shallot, Thyme Sauce

 Tuna Mignon

Seared Rare with Poppy Seed au Poivre and Tomato Sherry Vinaigrette

 Sides

Creamed Spinach

Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic

3rd

Key Lime Pie

 NY Style Cheesecake

 Walnut Turtle Pie

Jenni’s Noodle House (Heights)

Jenni's Noodle House.  I've tried long ago and don't remember thinking much of it.  New in the Heights, they have other locations, so me and my coworkers go visit.  Awesome sign...it's all good in the noodlehood, love it!  We walk in, nice spacious, like it so far.







Staff was warm, super friendly and helpful.  They dawned red siracha shirts, cute.



My problem at new places is I never know what to order.  JNH had these photo menus, perfect for visual people like me!  I loved it, I think I wanted to eat everything!  Such a good idea.



They do have the regular menus as well.



I decided to go with the "Teddy's Not Gay" dish (ginger-jalapeno soy sauce loads of vegetables and fresh tofu over buckwheat noodels $11).  They said the owner's friend "Teddy" would order this oh-so specific and uber healthy dish every time he'd come into JNH, thus the name.  I loved it!  Felt like I was at my mom's. It was light, healthy, and tasty...love loved it.



Karen got the $10 Ginger Tofu (Tofu, red onions, jalapenos, ginger served over jasmine rice with side of seaweed salad).  She said it was good and she liked it.



Oscar got the "Infernal Chicken Curry" (Mom's recipe of chicken and potato curry bisque with jasmine rice. Addicts beware $10).  He said it was good...and he is picky and gay. :)



Loved it, highly recommend it!

http://www.noodlesrule.com/