May 1st, 2012
In 6 Words: Passion, Walnut, Hodgepodge, Wine, Fresh, Local
Underbelly opened its heavy glass-panelled doors earlier this year and in doing so unclasped the cover to the Story of Houston Food. Since and well before then, a lot has been publicised about the Bobby Heugel and Chris Shepherd lead Hay Merchant and Underbelly tandem. Houston’s love affair with all things Heugel is well documented—probably to death on our end. This might lead those not familiar with his past concepts to the question, “Who’s Chris Shepherd?” To answer that, there’s no better way to learn of Chris Shepherd, than by experiencing his painstakingly designed dishes and atmosphere.
It’s a Wednesday evening and we find Underbelly at 1100 Westheimer, across from the blazing neon of El Real. The interior, with its wood panelling, exposed lumber and light concrete floor, warms the senses, in spite of its industrial nature. The wine bar is inundated with numerous people consumed in conversation, all indulging in the kind of appetites that cling to the week’s mid-section as well as our own.
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— Richard
April 12th, 2012
In 5 Words: Sugar, Shock, Macaron, Pasterie, Mousse
I always assumed that Dolce Delights was the devil. It was a snap judgment, based on the fact that the sleek little pastry shop just had to go and open its doors within steps of the entrance to the gym. Do you have any idea how painful it is to force yourself past a sidewalk sign boasting “chocolate croissants,” to opt for an hour or two on the treadmill instead? Eventually, the temptation just became too much and I had to stop and take a peek. Just a peek. Eye candy never hurt anyone, right?
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— Kerri
April 3rd, 2012
In 7 Words: Artichoke, Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Doughy, Family, Take-Out, Checkered
It’s Saturday evening and after a day of hanging curtain rods, and eventually my head in shame (all at 40 degree angles), only the heavier Tex-’talian (like Tex-Mex) dishes carry enough weight to counter a day of futile floundering. I leave the decision to Google Maps, much as I always do. I play a game of computer screen bocce by entering a typical “Houston Restaurants” query—the nearer the red dots the better. Been there. Eaten that. Collina’s? I see it was given high marks over a decade ago. Does it still have IT? IT being magic.
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— Richard
March 18th, 2012
Corned beef: That beautiful intersection of Jewish and Irish-American cultures. Good tasting and bad for you. I started corning beef soon after I received a copy of Michael Ruhlman’s Ratio, and I discovered that smoking a brisket to Texan perfection is a bit trickier than it looks. However, given the 10-15 days of corning (brining) and my au courant impetuosity, there are days that out-sourcing said melding of beef, fat, salt, and pickling spices are a must. Plus it’s a great hangover cure. The commercially prepared briskets at the grocery store are painfully salty and devoid of real flavor, so where should you go?
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— Alexander
March 9th, 2012
In 6 Words: Spaetzle, Hyperbolic, Bavarian, König, Viennese, Oktoberfest
I love most things Bavarian. I love the weisswurst and the spaetzle. I love the sound of the accordion accompanied with brass in ¾ time. I love the Bavarian way of using words as blunt instruments; so much so that I even learned to communicate auf Deutsch sowohl in der Universität.
Sadly, I’ve never been to Bavaria, and the language I learned over six years of schooling has all but left me, thanks to lack of use. When the Sitter Family opened King’s Biergarten & Restaurant in July of 2011, the schnitzel was all but fried, as they say. No one says that? Anyway, I had to go.
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— Richard
March 8th, 2012
In 5 Words: Casual, Journey, Wine, Dine, Revelry
He/she will regret dumping me. I’m going to lose 20 pounds, quit biting my toenails and soak my scalp in Just for Men until my lungs burn. This is a brand new me!
Three weeks later, you’re back to wearing sweatpants, playing Call-of-Duty til 3 a.m. and yelling at Girl Scouts not to judge you for buying 15 boxes of Tagalongs. But you are who you are. A leopard can’t change its spots, so now’s the time to find a new pad, embrace who you are and hang out with good friends. And maybe sell the jewelry she left at your place for beer money, but that’s neither here nor there. For The Corkscrew, recreating itself was just as easy, it seems.
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— Tea Jones
March 1st, 2012
In 6 Words: Trill, Wafflin', S'mores, Fryders, Quirk,
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple years, you’ve probably noticed that Houston has become quite the little hub for food trucks of all shapes and sizes. Some may call it a fad. I call it fantastic, as freshly painted short buses and converted mobile homes belly up to our favorite watering holes and start dishing out originality. But when the street food crowd recently started to hum in anticipation of the newest kid on the block, it was with a certain degree of skepticism that I set out to track The Waffle Bus down.
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— Kerri
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February 23rd, 2012
Alex Gregg is a bartender at Anvil Bar & Refuge, who sometimes takes pictures. Yes, well sometimes he takes them very well. From now until February 29th, his photos of Hay Merchant will be on display at Catalina Coffee. We’ve got some below to whet your appetite. Be a good sport and do check them out.
Executive Chef Antoine Ware of Hay Merchant
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— The Loop Scoop
February 22nd, 2012
I really envy those “I’m not a sweets person” people. They pass on wedding cake, don’t ever care to peruse the dessert menu and certainly never ask people to borrow 75 cents so they can buy a snickers from the vending machine. I want to be one of them. I want to understand what it’s like to not crave chocolate.
And then there’s days like today that remind me why I’m okay not understanding.
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— Sarah
February 9th, 2012
Houston’s own Punxsutawney Pig named Remley says winter is over. Suck on that, Eddard Stark. We’re throwing a springtime celebration of some great “patios” in Houston without re-hashing the classics everyone loves (West ‘Bama Ice House, ________, etc.). No, they may not all be patios in the literal sense; pack a picnic or sneak in your flask and coffee filled thermos, it’s all the same to us.
Under the Volcano
Bring: Your inclination for sweet concoctions; some old friends
Their skill with tropical cocktails is well known around Houston. The worn and often warped wood that makes up the front deck creeks with each step as if to welcome you again and again. The dimly colored lights and varied Dio de los Muertos accoutrements provide an evasive cloak; their nature so unique, you simply blend in as your merry existence goes happily unnoticed.
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— The Loop Scoop
