 Dining in the Bayou City Nancy H. Rosenberg Copyright © November 2002 All rights reserved. Published I've loved Houston since I was a kid. Twice a year, my parents, brother and I would drive from our home in Dallas to visit my mom's family, most of whom lived in or around places with such exotic names as Buffalo Speedway, Westheimer, Bissonnet, and the mysterious-sounding "Kuykendahl." Many of my most vivid memories of Houston revolve around food. My grandfather, a relic wildcatter from the east Texas and southern Louisiana oilfields, had a knack for finding rich, soulful Southern food. He and I would get up at 4 or 5 a.m. and cruise around the deserted city streets, and on some mornings he'd let me sit in his lap and drive, an act that surely would be considered a high offense in this era of air bags and an overabundance of caution, but back then it was a little girl bonding with her larger-than-life grandfather on a grand scale. We'd head for Major's Coffee Shop, on West Alabama, where we were always the first to arrive. My grandfather would put the coffee on while Major flipped on the lights in back and began to knead biscuit dough. The regulars would begin to filter in, clapping my grandfather on the back with great hearty thuds. And then the food would arrive, great platters of bacon, eggs, hash browns, sausage, biscuits and gravy. Major would turn out fluffy omelets, spectacular creations filled with the freshest peppers and heartiest meats and cheeses, and once the breakfast rush was through, he'd begin to make the pies. The luscious chocolate silk, coconut cream, and other mouth-watering flavors lured the crowds back for lunch. I still visit Houston once or twice a year, and I still look forward to visiting those tried-and-true joints that do what they do better than anyone else. Narrowing the list down to a handful of favorites was no easy feat, accomplished only by a dogged determination to find the very best. Buffalo Grille In the mornings, the super-casual setting at Buffalo Grille lends itself to leisurely newspaper perusing while you sip freshly squeezed orange juice or Colombian coffee. A giant buffalo head--once stolen and the focus of an impassioned citywide search--reigns from the corner with its majestic, steady gaze. Breakfasts here are soulful. Pancakes are giant, sweet and fluffy. One covers a 14-inch plate. Piping hot syrup is dispensed from a carafe at the condiment bar. French toast, gorgeous in its simplicity, is piled high with mounds of fresh fruit and lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Pecan-smoked peppered bacon is thick and crispy, and the cheese grits are creamy beneath a blanket of melted cheddar. But before you settle in with the tried and true, check out the Tex-Mex breakfast offerings, which toss ingredients such as green chilis, ranchero sauce, tortillas, chorizo and anaheim chilis into basic egg dishes, and the results evidence what a creative kitchen can do with quality ingredients. Some of the most popular menu items include migas and the huevos burrito--scrambled eggs, sausage and refried beans folded in a giant flour tortilla then smothered with green chili sauce and still more cheese. Lunch and dinner offerings include such soul-satisfying favorites as chicken and dumplings, peppered pork chops, and chicken fried steak. Specials may include pecan-crusted catfish or King Ranch enchiladas. More basic offerings include an array of hamburgers, sandwiches and salads. A child's menu and stacks of high chairs in the corner make families feel welcome, and beer and wine are available by the bottle or by the glass. King Fish Market Maybe it's the mirrored saddle straddling the giant swordfish that hangs high above your head as you enter, or maybe it's the Warhol-esque prints above the bar, or the giant mural that depicts a fanciful, rowdy bar room in the depths of the sea. All you know for sure when you walk through the door at King Fish Market is that you're in for a rollicking good time. Start with an appetizer: smoked shrimp potstickers, stuffed jalapenos, grilled bacon-wrapped scallops or crab quesadillas. The plantain- and coconut-crusted shrimp are divine. No surprise here; the real reason diners head for King Fish Market is the solid selection of fresh fish and seafood. These dishes are prepared with an abundance of innovative, flavorful ingredients. While a lesser joint might be content to serve grilled jumbo shrimp, King Fish ups the ante by basting those bad boys with habanero sauce (Spicy Jumbo BBQ Shrimp) or a spicy tropical glaze (Jumbo Mango-Jalapeno Shrimp). Grilled scallops are likewise basted in a rich red plum-chili sauce. Other innovative menu selections include the Ginger-Panko Crusted Idaho Rainbow Trout, Sesame-Pepper Seared Ahi Tuna, Pistachio-Crusted Atlantic Salmon, and Caribbean Jerk Catfish. While prices are moderate (most dinner entrees are in the $13-20 range), downright bargains are to be had for lunch, where most entrees are under $10. Taste of Texas You have to look hard to find Taste of Texas; although it's "on the highway," the building sits back from the road, and there's no glaring neon or intrusive billboard shouting its presence. What does flag its presence, however, are the crowds. Go early or go late; if you hit the door at dinner time, you're in for a wait. But once you've dined at taste of Texas, you understand what makes the throngs of hungry diners so patient. First-time Taste of Texas diners are astounded by the sheer size of the outfit; a cavernous, lodge-like room filled with rustic cattleman décor is the centerpiece, flanked by rooms of various sizes that provide a more intimate setting. A full seating capacity of 350 makes the sometimes two-hour wait even more astonishing. Vegetarians beware; certified Angus beef is the pride and joy of Taste of Texas, so much so that the owners, Edd and Nina Hindee, guarantee that if your steak isn't perfect, then dinner is on the house. Individually wrapped steaks are showcased in a glass refrigerator case in the back of the restaurant; diners are encouraged to select their own steak, which can then be wrapped in a thick slice of hickory-smoked bacon, seasoned with garlic lemon butter, or left to shine on its own as a spectacular piece of meat. I should warn you about the kitsch factor at Taste of Texas, however. It's high. The menu is available in nine different languages, and those visiting from other lands are taught to shout a hearty "yee-haw" once they are seated, "honorary Texans" for the night. A star made entirely of rattlesnake tails hangs proudly by the door, and diners who can choke down 64 ounces of beef--four pounds--are fed for free. The cumulative result of all this beef eating and back slapping is a magnificent meal with a twist--a true taste of Texas. Pino's I knew I'd struck gold when I strolled into Pino's and noticed Marvin Zindler holding court at a table near the back. Zindler, a local celebrity who through the years has single-handedly transformed the Houston dining scene with his relentless on-air demands for cleanliness and quality, wasn't there to snoop around or check the temperature of the freezer. He was there to eat. Definitely a good sign. I settled in with a menu and a good glass of wine and began to observe my surroundings. Pino's is a far cry from the mass-produced faux Italian joints that seem to have sprouted on every city corner. Here you'll find a relaxed ambiance, a dim, soothing light cast by candles and wall sconces, the romance of an unhurried pace that hearkens back to a genteel, slower way of living. Waiters call back and forth to each other--in Italian, of course--and the food, when it arrives, is rich and hot and perfect. A wide range of antipasti is offered, including tomatoes with fresh mozzarella, olive oil and balsamic vinegar; prosciutto and melon, carpaccio, calamari, escargot and bruschetta. Classic salads are simple and fresh. Pizzas are thin and crisp. But the entrees… Oh! The entrees! The lasagne, quite simply, is to die for. The beef cannelloni alla Pino is a large noodle stuffed with meat, ricotta and spinach, but here my descriptive powers fail. This cannelloni is creamy, rich and smooth. It melts in your mouth with flavors that soothe and satisfy. And I'm not even a huge fan of Italian. El Meson This is a great place for Mexican food. And Tex-Mex. And Cuban. El Meson has managed to do three times what many restaurants fail to accomplish only once: it delivers a wide range of authentic regional dishes served with panache. Forget the well-rehearsed schtick of a smooth-talking college kid killing time as a waiter; most of the waiters at El Meson barely speak English. While they may be at a loss to encourage you to try dessert, they are gentle and friendly and eager to please. The setting is a riot of color. Apparently nothing was ordered in the same color--not the baskets on the tables, the chairs or the paint for the walls. Large plate glass windows look out onto the bustling street outside. From the formica tables beside the colorful, peeling walls, the view of brand-spanking new shops outside makes you feel like you're sitting in pre-Castro Cuba, looking through a magic portal into 2002 America. The Mexican food is savory and dependable. Black beans and white cheese abound. For the most part the Tex-Mex covers all the bases you'd expect. Fajitas, tacos and enchiladas are the order of the day. But what really stands out at El Meson is the wide range of authentic Cuban dishes. Grilled plaintains are crispy on the outside and hot and smooth inside. If the menu says that a dish comes with "garlic sauce," beware: what this means is that piles of sauteed, minced garlic will be piled on top. These people are not afraid of flavor. Ragin' Cajun What a find, what a delight, what a hole-in-the-wall joint that delivers as much of a wallop with its true Cajun décor as it does with its fried jalapeno cheese bites. This place will clog your arteries faster that you can suck the gunk out of a crawfish, but if you restrain yourself and venture a visit only occasionally, it's well worth the temporary cholesterol spike. Let's be clear: this isn't the spot to impress a date from River Oaks. Inside the poppy red building you'll find long rows of formica tables, high-school cafeteria style, dotted with bottles and canisters of TexJoy spices and every imaginable brand of bottled fire--pepper sauces--under the sun. Then there's the beer. This place goes through a lot of beer, evidenced by the stacks of beer boxes piled along the walls. A date from River Oaks would likewise fail to be impressed by the crawfish-printed curtains, the mounted deer head cleverly sporting a hard hat, the giant trash cans on wheels that make cleanup a breeze, or the plethora of beer ad posters that feature voluptuous young women with magnificent, ah, physical attributes But on to the food. What's on the menu? Fried catfish, shrimp, and crawfish tails, stuffed shrimp, stuffed crab and hushpuppies. Jambalaya, bayou-style gumbo, red beans and rice, boudin sausage and etouffees that will bring tears to your eyes, though it's hard to tell if they're tears of joy or merely a reaction to the heat. Maybe both. There's a mile-long list of Po-Boys, a lunch crowd favorite, including oyster, shrimp, catfish, softshell crab, boudin, and crawfish tail. Oysters on the half shell are abundant and cheap ($5.99/dozen), and piles of boiled shrimp or crawfish are served on massive trays lined with--what else?--newspaper. The rambunctious atmosphere is punctuated by French Cajun music that makes you tap your toes as you reach for another handful of hushpuppies. You may not be from Louisiana, but here you'll feel a surge of appreciation for our flamboyant neighbors to the east. There you have it, just a few of the soulful Houston restaurants that stand out for their service, ambiance, and dependable, delicious food. Match the restaurant to your mood then head out. You won't be disappointed. Essentials All of the following restaurants are wheelchair accessible. Call for directions. Buffalo Grille, 3116 Bissonnet, 713/661-3663; 1301 S. Voss Road, 713/784-3663. Hours: Mon 7-2, Tues-Fri 7-9, Sat 8-9, Sun (breakfast only) 8-2. King Fish Market, 6356 Richmond Ave., Houston; 713/974-3474. Hours: Taste of Texas, 10505 Katy Freeway, Houston; 713/932-6901. Hours: Pino's, 2711 Hillcroft, Houston; 713/783-2232. Hours: El Meson, 2425 University Blvd., Houston; 713/522-9306. Hours: Ragin' Cajun, 4302 Richmond Avenue, 713/623-6321; Woodlake Square, 832/251-7171; Downtown Tunnel, 713/571-2422. Hours: Mon-Thu 11-10, Fri-Sat 11-11, closed Sunday. Westheimer location open Sunday, closed Monday. |
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