Ouisie’s please

Restaurant: The Bird and the Bear

Address: 2810 Westheimer

Cuisine: American Bistro

Rating:

The Bird and the Bear caught my eye before it was even open. I was going out to eat at a nearby restaurant and saw the trendy and modern-looking logo across the way. The closer we got to the sign, I noticed it was owned by Ouisie — who also owns Ouisie’s Table, one of the yummiest restaurants in Houston. Ouisie’s is a fancier southern comfort version of its new counterpart, which boasts a more casual and modern atmosphere with a menu catering to all kinds of taste buds. Coincidentally, the night I decided to go try it out, it was the opening night! Therefore, the climate was a bit more frantic than it will probably be in the future and I’m sure the kinks will be ironed out in due time.

We made reservations that day and were disappointed to find that we had to wait at the bar for about 10 minutes before being seated. That is one of my pet peeves. I mean, what’s the point of making reservations if you have to show up and wait? I know it was the opening night, so I was trying to be understanding. The hosting staff was very attentive and came by to check on us and let us know it wouldn’t be much longer. Also, I ordered a mojito at the bar and it took nearly 20 minutes for them to make it. I was already seated at the table before it was served to me. The drink was very good though.

The atmosphere was interesting. It was one open room, not very large either. It seemed as though the tables and chairs were jammed in and not much space in between to maneuver. The most conspicuous decor were some chairs suspended from the ceiling, as well as some beautiful crystal chandeliers.  The bar shares a wall with an open kitchen. A neat concept, yet not the best idea for a small open space as it had poor air circulation and the restaurant appeared and smelled very smokey from the open grill. The seating was interesting as well, with a mixture of casual tables and wooden chairs and red booths extending along the perimeter of the space. The red fabric was almost like an outdoor, all-weather type of texture. There was a beautiful wine wall towards the back of the space and burning tea light candles on each table, which gave off a more intimate feel. There was also a very good jazz singer up in the front near the bar.

Our service left much to be desired. Although the waiter seemed to be knowledgeable, he was unable to pay much attention to my table and he would vanish for too long of intervals before returning. As I sipped on my mojito, we ordered an appetizer called Vuelve a la Vida (which means return to life). It was a take on ceviche, that consisted of shrimp, octopus and scallops in a spicy, white wine cocktail sauce garnished with avocado and cilantro and accompanied with saltine crackers. It was very tasty. My only complaint was that the avocado was not ripe and therefore difficult to cut with a fork and to chew.

Vuelve a la Vida

For the main course, I ordered the Roasted Atlantic Salmon with Crab Meat, which was mouth-watering. The salmon was stuffed with crab meat, fresh basil, and capers, served on top of saffron rice and asparagus and crisp fillo. My salmon was bit over-cooked, leaving certain parts a little dry for my taste, but overall I loved this dish.

Roasted Atlantic Salmon

My husband ordered the Moroccan Beef Shank Tajine, which came with caramelized prunes and apricots, saffron potatoes and grilled asparagus. He also really enjoyed his meal, although, he mentioned that parts of the meat were too charred for his liking. He noticed the waiter did not ask how he’d like his meat cooked and that might have made all the difference.

Moroccan Beef Shank Tajine

And last but not least, we ordered a small but delectable dessert from a nicely assembled tray. It was a small espresso cup filled with pureed chocolate, topped with cocoa powder and fresh cream. A perfect few bites to end the meal.

mini chocolate cup

Overall, we had a nice experience and enjoyed the food enough to return again. I’m not sure it will ever live up to its sister restaurant in my opinion but every venue deserves time to perfect and tidy up loose ends. There is also a tapas menu offered besides lunch and dinner, which might be a fun way to experience The Bird and the Bear.

The Mockingbird definitely sings!

Restaurant: Mockingbird Bistro

Address: 1985 Welch at McDuffie

Cuisine: Texas Provence

Rating:

Grilled Salmon Special

Whenever I think of the word Mockingbird, I always get that lullaby in my head… “and if that Mockingbird don’t sing, mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring…” Of course, in this instance, moms and men alike don’t have to worry about buying diamond rings because this Mockingbird metaphorically sings with the most beautiful voice! Although it won’t cost as much as a diamond, this bistro is fairly expensive so be prepared or save it for a very special occasion.

My husband and I came here a few months back so I am going to do my very best to reflect on the menu items. (Please let the photos do all the talking.) That being said, I wanted to include this review more for the incredible experience. The ambiance, lighting, service, wine and food all contributed to an evening I will never forget. Just to prove how much I enjoyed this place, total time we spent here was 3 hours!

When you walk into this little hidden venue, you feel as if you are in some old château in the middle of France with its high, vaulted ceilings, exposed brick in some portions of the walls, dramatic, red curtains, old-world chandeliers and small sculptures delicately placed around the restaurant. We were led up some stairs away from the main dining room that despite its beauty, seemed a bit noisy. Our upstairs room was still open and looked out on the main dining hall downstairs but definitely had a more intimate, relaxed feel.

Once we were seated, we were greeted by a very young, but knowledgeable waitress. She wasn’t the designated sommelier, however she was studying wines and therefore became our table expert. After browsing through the menu, which changes seasonally, we noticed that we could opt for a menu and wine tasting for two (meaning that each person at the table had to get it) and it didn’t seem all that outrageous financially. We prompted our waitress about this amazing deal and she confirmed (in our minds) that we could each get the tasting for that price. So we thought, “What the heck?” Well, little did we know she had meant that cost was meant for one tasting for two people and if we chose to do two tastings (like we did) the cost doubled. We should have known and we feel a little foolish now for not assuming this but we weren’t really that upset because that’s how much we enjoyed every single bite we ate. And of course, it was double the amount of menu items and wines we got to try.

We mainly stuck with trying different French wines that I can’t remember or pronounce, but just believe me when I tell you they have an excellent selection. I even had our waitress write down a few names for me to find at Spec’s.

Some of the appetizers we ate included veal sweetbreads and delicious foie gras. These seem to always be on the menu, but seasoned and prepared differently based on market-fresh products available. Both items were divine.

Foie gras

Our entrees  included the Grilled Salmon Special pictured high above and the amazing duck dish pictured below.

Mockingbird duck

And of course, no tasting is complete without the dessert.

chef's choice dessert trio

That chocolate truffle on the right might have been hands down the best piece of chocolate ever placed in my mouth. Absolute heaven.

If you haven’t noticed, I gave this restaurant the highest rating (5 smiley faces) and I don’t believe I’ve rated a restaurant that high yet on this blog. Despite the communication failure on the tasting, we had one of the most glorious dining experiences to date here in Houston. This is a must-try for all you foodies out there.

a shady place to rest

Restaurant: Shade

Address: 250 W. 19th Street

Cuisine: New American, Southwestern twist

Rating:

Leg of lamb with homemade lamb sausage

After seeing a blurb about this eatery in my weekly Yelp newsletter, I realized two things: 1. that the logo looked a lot like that of another restaurant that I recently frequented called Canopy (which I didn’t have time to review) and I was right, it is owned by the same people; and 2. I must try it because Canopy was so good! And so…I ventured on over to The Heights once again. This will probably be a trend as hot new places are popping up left and right, reviving what was once a very old, shady part of town (get it? haha).

The space is really beautiful. It’s got a modern, simplistic feel to it but it is warm and welcoming at the same time. It goes pretty far back so there are plenty of tables to accommodate the patrons (and on our Saturday night, every single table was filled). Beautiful, huge lanterns hang from the ceilings giving off a just-above-dim sort of light.

I wasn’t too hungry so I opted out of appetizers, especially since I was thoroughly enjoying the freshly baked, warm bread. I ordered a seasonal item that isn’t on the web site menu. It is the Leg of Lamb accompanied with Homemade Lamb Sausage sitting on a bed of Creamy Risotto with bits of butternut squash and freshly steamed asparagus. All of that was sitting in a nice brown gravy that added so much flavor to the lamb. I had the lamb cooked medium and it was already sliced off the bone for me when it was served. Everything was so delicious, not too rich and very satisfying. My table of friends also shared a side dish of the Shade Mac and Cheese (also not on web site menu), which was made with Gruyère cheese and white truffle oil. Let’s just say I could have eaten five of those myself! It was so amazing. Everyone at my table seemed to be impressed with their dishes as well. Shade has won awards for its wine list so I decided to try the 2003 Pago Florentino Tempranillo from Spain. It paired very well with my meal.

We couldn’t seem to pass up dessert as our waiter was quite the salesman. I shared the Individual Coconut Cream Pie (I’m a big coconut fan) with a hazelnut shortbread crust. It was very light and fluffy and divine.

Individual coconut cream pie

If you are ever in need of  a great place to sit back and relax, go get some Shade. You won’t be sorry.

How ’bout them mussels?

Restaurant: The Broken Spoke Cafe

Address: 1809 Washington Avenue

Cuisine: Belgian

Rating:

Bouchée Ostendaise

Nestled in the Sixth Ward of Houston is a little unassuming cafe that is said to be the only authentic Brussels bistro in town. When you walk into this small little dive, you automatically feel as if you’ve been transported to Europe. The quaint size reminds me of the restaurants in Manhattan…never enough tables to accommodate the crowd. What once seems to have been an old western hotel, the owners got clever and decided the proverbial “spoke” can be that of a bicycle rather than a wagon wheel. That said, there are several bicycles suspended from the ceiling and walls throughout the cafe. There are also colorfully painted pictures all over the ceiling and emblems representing many esteemed European beers.

I have to admit, I was rather disappointed with the service from the start. My husband had made reservations only for us to walk into a line almost leading out the door and no one in sight to acknowledge our presence. Once I realized one of the women commanding things in French to her partner at the bar was the one responsible for seating, I mentioned we had made a reservation. She told me “two minutes” and 35 of those later after every single person in line, including some who came after us were seated, we got a table. Moral of this story: Don’t try to make a reservation here. The upside: I got two free glasses of wine out of our disappointment.

As for the food, it was quite enjoyable. Mussels seemed to be their dominating specialty as half of the menu offers several dishes (appetizer or entrée size) with different recipes surrounding them. My husband is not a big fan of mussels and I can tolerate them so I got a small taste in my main dish. For our appetizer, we ordered the Fondue Parmesan, which are basically cheese croquettes. They were larger than expected and very tasty. I mean, who doesn’t like fried cheese?? Then we shared the Salade d’ Endive. It was somewhat simple, but nicely presented. For my entrée, I had the Bouchee Ostendaise. It consists of a pastry stuffed with salmon, shrimp, mussels and mushrooms sitting in a cream sauce. It was very rich-tasting with wonderful elements of seafood. The portion was rather large and I wasn’t able to finish, but I enjoyed every bite I had. And p.s.-the mussels were better than I expected! My husband ordered the Carbonade  a la Gantoise, which is a Flemish beef braised stew in Belgian beer, onions and carrots. It was outstanding and truly soul-warming.

We were too full to try dessert, but their options were rather expansive with tempting items such as mocha and pistachio ice creams, Belgian chocolate mousse and several different crepes. I’ll have to go back and try a few. My free wine was the house Bordeaux and it was very good. An interesting fact: this place offers beer and wine tasting samples for a pretty good deal. The choices are uniquely European.

Overall, I think I would come back but I wasn’t as impressed as I imagined I would be. In the end, the experience feels like a notch above dining in a bar. I believe with a better atmosphere and better service, the food has the potential to really wow Houstonians.

A Houston Gem

Restaurant: Cafe Piquet

Address: 5757 Bissonet Bellaire 77401

Cuisine: Cuban

Rating:

Ropa Vieja

Can I just say, YUM!? Wow, how has this place been hiding from my knowledge all these years? Well, I guess I haven’t lived in the Meyerland/Bellaire area for very long but this place has been right around the corner the whole time and I didn’t know it. Since my best friend is half-Cuban, I grew up eating her abuela and abuelo’s recipes straight from Cuba. I have a deep appreciation for the cuisine as it is abundant in flavor and generally very good for you. There aren’t too many Cuban places that I know of in Houston, so it’s nice to know about this little place if you have that specific craving, like I do.

The location is in a bit of a sketchy area of Bellaire, but the restaurant itself is very legit, clean and has a decent atmosphere.  The stucco building has beautiful wooden doors inviting you into a warmly lit, wood-floored dining room. Little homey accents abound to make you feel comfortable and relaxed. A large wooden bar sits along the back wall. Although I seem to have gone on a slower night, the service was excellent. Our waiter was very observant and made sure he was clear on what came with our orders.

To start, I ordered the Tostones, which are fried green plantains that come with garlic sauce. These were fairly decent, although I believe the original fried green tomatoes works a lot better with this concept. The plantains were pretty tough and chewy, and they cooled off rather quickly. Without the sauce, it really didn’t taste like much. I think I’ll stick with ripe plantains in the future.

Next I ordered a Cuban classic, Ropa Vieja, which is basically shredded beef in tomato and wine sauce. It came with black beans and rice (moros) and yucca with garlic sauce (yuca con mojo). Besides Abuela Rodriguez’s version of this dish, Cafe Piquet’s rendition rocked my world. The beef was cooked perfectly and  everything was warm and full of flavor. FYI, the portions are HUGE, but I like that because then I get to take it home and have it for another meal. It tasted almost just as good the second time around too.

My husband had the Camarones al Ajillo, which is shrimp in garlic sauce. It came with white rice, black beans and ripe plantains (those were da bomb). The shrimp was delicious and succulent. Great seafood entrée.

I was too full this time around to try any of their desserts, but some options included bread pudding, flan, rice pudding and tres leches. I’m sure they are amazing. There were lots of other menu items and I look forward to returning and trying much more. I am definitely intrigued by this find and I hope you are too. Buen aprovecho!

Tags: Cuban, review

L’chaim! T’afia!

Restaurant: T’afia

Address: 3701 Travis Street, Houston 77002

Cuisine: New American

Rating: (out of a possible 5 s)

T'afia outdoor seating

T’afia comes from a creole word, ratafia, which is a fortified wine made with seasonal produce. It is also used as a toast, meaning “to your health” and “the deal is done.” Located in the hip midtown area of Houston, this small restaurant is nestled into a few buildings that don’t appear like much from the outside. As you walk in, there is a charming little outdoor seating area to the left with beautiful lanterns giving off a warm glow. The atmosphere reminds me of  Benjy’s, which is also American dining. The tables and chairs are simplistic with a sort of school/institutional feel along with menus that come in “old school” looking binders. The lights were the most impressive, which also gave off a warm, orange glow in an otherwise very dimly lit restaurant.

Chef Monica Pope, who boasts that her restaurant is “passionately local,” has won several awards including Best Chef 2009 by Houston Culinary Awards. She was also nominated in 2007 for the Southwest Best Chef James Beard Award. I have to say, her menu definitely impressed me with its seasonal, local products conjured up in ways I would never imagine.

To start, I ordered one of the restaurant’s ratafias. I chose the Royale, which is a peach and red wine ratafia with champagne. So delicious! Then off of the “bites” portion of the menu, I ordered the Chickpea Fries with Red Curry Ketchup. Those were very scrumptious as well as healthy tasting. Next, I ordered off the “small plates” the Portabello Stew, Cashew & Walnut Croquettes. (For these two dishes see photo below) This was outstanding. All of it was sitting in a coconut broth that makes you want to lick the plate just to make sure none of the yumminess was left behind.

chickpea fries and portabello stew

For the entrée, I chose the Shrimp and Mac and Cheese-style Grits. The shrimp were super-jumbo size, which made them very succulent. They were grilled with a type of BBQ seasoning and they were cooked perfectly. The grits definitely had a cheesy quality to them and if you weren’t focused on the texture, they were a good imitation of what mac and cheese tastes like. Although this dish was tasty, I’m not sure I would order it again. I was much more wowed by the previous two dishes. Dessert more than made up for it though. Everything on the dessert menu intrigued me, but the one I was most curious about was the Semi-sweet Beet Brownie with a side of freshly made Goat Cheese Gelato. I mean, who dreams this stuff up?! Of course the savory elements were very subtle but they really made each bite special, usually finding hints in the after-taste. I loved it because it wasn’t too sweet, yet you still get that chocolate craving taken care of. I definitely plan to go back here and try some of the other items on the menu. It seems the menu is constantly changing so you never know what “The Pope” has up her sleeve.

Remedy for Ravenousness

Restaurant: The Raven Grill

Address: 1916 Bissonnet Houston, TX 77005

Cuisine: fresh, regional food

Rating: (out of a possible 5 s)

Pecan Crusted Chicken

 

I dined at this quaint, little West University neighborhood restaurant last Sunday. Admittedly, I have been here before, but it was for brunch and I have been eager to return and try their dinner menu. I have to say that overall, I was very satisfied. The venue is quite understated with a  laid-back environment and simplistic, yet cozy setting. Once it gets dark, the patio area offsetting to the right of the restaurant is daintily decorated with white Christmas lights (year-round) and the windows looking inside give off a dimly lit, warm vibe. The tables have white linens on top and then a layer of brown paper over that. There are also over-sized comfy booths available. The kitchen is open so you can hear lots of hustle and bustle. And there is a large bar around the back of the restaurant.

I ordered a yummy glass of the Chateau Tour de Mirambeau, Bordeaux Blanc, France, 2005 (I’ve been really into French wines lately). I started off with their Mixed Greens Salad that consisted of field greens, tomato, cucumber and homemade croutons. It was nothing to boast about but was a nice, healthy salad. It was also a good smaller size so as not to fill up before the main meal arrived. For my main course, I ordered from their “Raven Favorites” section and chose the Pecan Crusted Chicken (see photo above). It came with green beans and sweet potato wedges and the chicken was topped with ancho cream sauce. No doubt that anything that comes crusted and with a cream sauce, it’s going to be good. This was no exception. In retrospect, it was too large of a portion for me. I focused on the chicken and hardly had any room for the sides. It also tasted a bit more greasy than expected. Of course, grease makes the flavor better in many people’s opinions so it might be a bonus to some. I liked my meal because it felt very “down-home” and very much how I would picture comfort food.

I tasted a few other dishes since my family was there with me. Some nibbles came from the Seafood Enchiladas and the Sweet Potato and Spinach Enchiladas…both excellent. And of course, it wouldn’t be a true taste test if I didn’t try a dessert or two. The Fudge Brownie Melt (see below) just might be the best thing in that restaurant…it has a warm molten center and is served with three sauces. Yum to the max! Also, I had some of the Carrot Cake, which was just as delicious if you’re not in the mood for chocolate (but, really, when do you ever NOT want chocolate?) It had lots of coconut in the cake so that scored lots of points with me as I am a serious coco nut!

All in all, this is definitely a restaurant I’d like to frequent again. If you’re in the mood for a more casual, comfortable (not to mention affordable) experience with food that won’t let you down, quench your ravenous hunger down at the Raven Grill.

Fudge Brownie Melt