Sorrel Urban Bistro on Alabama

Eat here throughout August for their Houston Restaurant Weeks menu. Sorrel's 3-course menu for $35 (a bargain for this somewhat pricey restaurant) includes your choice of three starters, four entrees, and three desserts. Our foursome tried many different dishes, so here is the rundown: the corn chowder with a fried oyster was delicious and loaded with fresh corn. The grouper was tasty and like sashimi, cured with soy sauce and very thinly sliced. The salad was a generous portion of fresh field greens, enhanced with cheddar, figs, and ham, and dressed with a light vinaigrette. Entrees were a bit trickier. I would avoid the NY strip steak. While it was much larger than expected--about 10 ounces--and perfectly cooked to medium rare, it lacked the intense flavor of a prime steakhouse steak. The sweet potato gratin that accompanied the steak, while sounding tempting, was too rich. A better entree choice would be the shrimp and grits, which featured five large, whole (with the head) seared shrimp, or the veal scallopini. The food is presented beautifully and piping hot, which adds to the enjoyment. We also like seeing the food prepared in the open kitchen and I recommend requesting one of the high-top tables alongside the kitchen to see all the action. 

Del Frisco's in the Galleria

Eat here during August for their $35 bargain of a sumptuous three-course Houston Restaurant Weeks menu. Start with a salad or bisque, then choose from a 10-oz. Prime NY Strip, an 8-oz. Filet Mignon, or three other non-beef entrees (all served with an individual side dish) and end with one of three desserts. I highly recommend the strip steak, which was juicy, flavorful, and cooked to a perfect medium rare. It was served with a generous helping of delicious red-skinned mashed potatoes. For dessert, avoid the chocolate bread pudding because it was quite dry, and go with the chocolate mousse or strawberry cheesecake. What was so nice about the dining experience was the pride the restaurant took about their participation in HRW. The server proudly announced that last year the restaurant generated $78,000 in contributions to the Food Bank and that this year's goal was $100,000. Unlike other restaurants, where you have to practically beg to see their HRW menu, Del Frisco's presents it immediately and promotes it with enthusiasm. Another thing I liked about the experience was that the server, upon delivering the bill, immediately explained that the gratuity had already been added to our bill, since we were a party of six. So many servers purposely don't point this out, hoping you won't notice and will double their tip!

Cafe Piquet in Bellaire

Eat here for excellent Cuban cuisine. This is about as close as one can come to Havana without leaving Houston. The restaurant is decorated with lovely photos, artwork, and curios depicting Cuba, which gives the restaurant an authentic atmosphere. The menu offers a very wide variety of dishes. We like to start with an off-menu item--a basket of warm plaintain chips topped with chopped roasted garlic. I like the grilled chicken breast (Pollo a la Plancha) or thin-cut sirloin (Palomilla), both of which come with grilled onions on top and black beans, white rice, and sweet plantains on the side. There are plenty of typical Cuban dishes too, such as Ropa Vieja (shredded beef in tomato and wine sauce) and Cuban sandwiches, if you are more adventurous. Service is excellent and prices are very reasonable. Cafe Piquet is definitely worth a visit.

Frank's Chop House on Westheimer

Eat here on Sunday nights for half-price wines and good 'ol Southern cooking. But don't check your cholesterol for at least two weeks afterwards! We loved the appetizer of fried green tomatoes, topped with three succulent shrimp in a spicy remoulade, served piping hot and delicious. We followed that up with Frank's specialties: chicken fried steak and buttermilk fried chicken. Each came with two sides. The baked macaroni and cheese was to die for, made with four Italian cheeses and just the right amount of crispiness on top. The service was good, not great, and the ambiance was pleasant, although a little too dark for my taste. Frank, the owner, is always on duty, making the rounds and adding that special personal touch that so many restaurants today don't have. By the way, there are healthier choices on the menu, such as the beautifully presented herb roasted half chicken, grilled veggies, and cauliflower purée, but when you need Southern comfort food, Frank's is the place.

Local Foods in Rice Village

Eat here for a great egg salad sandwich. Since you don't find egg salad on many lunch menus, it was nice to see a truffled egg salad sandwich here. With a hint of truffle oil and Parmesan, the tasty egg salad was served with greens and a slice of tomato on an amazingly crunchy, delicious salty-sweet pretzel bun. Choose two side salads from amongst nine on the menu, but beware. They are a bit unusual and may not be what you would expect from their names. Read the ingredients on the menu, but then check them out in the case. They all have very distinctive flavors, which you may or may not find pleasing. I liked the beet salad, but my friend, Kim, did not. The kale salad was too strong on this visit, but I liked it on my previous visit. My friend, Debbie, ordered the three side salad plate and had plenty to take home because of the ample portion. The place is busy, very casual, and not too noisy, with comfortable chairs, big booths, and an outdoor patio. Try to avoid the peak lunch hour because parking (in the way too narrow spaces) and seating is limited. 

Brasserie 19 on West Gray

Eat here for a summery, beach-like atmosphere, but not for great food. The white-on-white decor is stylish and reminiscent of a seaside resort in the Hamptons. Unfortunately, the food doesn't live up to the decor. It is average, with limp mixed greens, bland and too rare sirloin strip steak instead of typical entrecôte for steak frites, and a funky wine list presented on an iPad. While the wine selection is decent and the bottle prices reasonable, the by-the-glass prices are ridiculously high. A $45 bottle is offered for $18 a glass. The pommes frites and bread are good, as is the service. We may give the restaurant another try in order to sample other menu items, such as mussels in white wine and French onion soup, since these are typical bistro foods that you can't find everywhere, but I am not terribly optimistic. However, there is something to be said for an attractive setting and a good bottle of wine. So if you go, ask for the "quietest table", go early, and don't go with high expectations. 

Max's Wine Dive on Washington Avenue

Eat here for outstanding Southern fried chicken. A signature dish at this noisy, slightly irreverent late night neighborhood gastropub, the chicken was a delicious indulgence worth every calorie. It was tender and juicy, with crispy skin that was seasoned just right and wasn't greasy. It was served piping hot with sweet and spicy chipotle honey dipping sauce, mashed potatoes, and collard greens (which can be substituted for a salad, if you are like me and don't care for these greens.) The Kobe beef burger was a generous 8 ounces, but pricey at $18, plus another $4 if you want to add mushrooms, onions, and gruyere or bacon and blue cheese. The fried oysters were sublime. Served atop crunchy fried wontons, the oysters were crispy outside, melt-in-your-mouth soft inside, made perfect with a touch of garlic aioli and a sweet and spicy habanero salsa. The wine list is extensive, reasonably priced, and features many wines that you won't find anywhere else. The bartender was very knowledgeable and gave us three different wines to sample to help us choose. No snootiness here! Max's takes reservations, which were honored promptly. Definitely pay Max's a visit when you long for gourmet comfort food and a nice glass of wine.

Little Pappasito's on Richmond

Eat here on Wednesday nights. That's because the "Fajitas For Two" are half-price. We ordered the beef, medium rare. Given the fact that most restaurants' fajitas are so thin that they can almost never be rare, I was skeptical. But some of our beef slices were actually pleasingly red. The portion was large and the beef tender. It came with the standard accompaniments: beans (I recommend the black beans), rice, guacamole, and pico de gallo. The hot platter usually has lots of onions beneath the beef, but only a few tonight, plus a big jalapeño pepper. The red and green salsas were flavorful and not spicy-hot. Fun, festive, and reliably good Tex-Mex is what you will find at this popular spot. Call ahead and they will add your name to the waiting list to save you time once you arrive.

Laurenzo's on Washington Avenue

Eat here when you don't quite know what you want to eat. I came at noon and was amazed by the vast number of menu options. I have been here many times for dinner, but never earlier in the day (my dinner favorites are their signature prime rib and seared ahi tuna salad). At midday you can choose from the weekend brunch menu, a lunch specials menu, and the extensive dinner/anytime menu. Since breakfast is my favorite meal, I chose brunch. The brunch menu consists mainly of eggs Benedict dishes (two poached eggs atop a toasted English muffin with hollandaise sauce), served with two incredible melt-in-your-mouth folded crepes and a side order of creamy mascarpone cheese grits--think Paris, France meets Paris, Texas. Having grown up in the North, I am not accustomed to eating grits, but I tried them for the sake of research, and I have to admit, they were pretty darn good. I chose the "Lake George" eggs for two reasons: (1) it sounded tempting; and (2) it was Lake George in NY where my parents first met! Don't ask me what it's doing on a Houston menu, but, hey, it made my selection a tad easier. Layered beneath my poached eggs were crisp-tender asparagus, grilled tomato, and fresh mozzarella (hollandaise sauce on the side, as requested). It was a colorful combination of textures and flavors that worked really well together. My companions enjoyed their lunch specials, which included soup, a generously-sized half sandwich, and a side dish. While we have always had friendly, well-meaning servers, the kitchen occasionally makes mistakes, so consider yourself warned. I find Laurenzo's a convenient place for dinner before downtown theater. It is not inexpensive, so look for the occasion half-price coupon to save some bucks. Come hungry and allow enough time to study this eclectic menu.

JerryBuilt Burgers on Holcombe

Don't eat here if you want an exceptional hamburger. Good buns from Three Brothers Bakery, yes. Mostly crispy sweet potato fries made from potatoes cut on-site, yes. Tempting milkshakes made with Blue Bell ice cream, yes. But when it comes to the burgers, no. They were salty, skinny patties with very little flavor and limited free and optional toppings, when compared to Five Guys. The two soft drink machines allow you to custom blend your drink, which is a real kid pleaser. They also have a gimmicky hand cleansing machine that drenches your hands, which you then must towel dry. The kids love this too, but give me an eco-friendly squirt of Purell anytime. The workers were friendly and the place was clean and attractive, albeit quite noisy. This is their first week of business, so I will cut them some slack as they work out the kinks, such as the awkward flow of customers coming in from two directions and converging on the ordering counter, and the doubling up of our order on drinks and fries. I suggest they also work on the burgers.

Cafe Rabelais in Rice Village

Eat here for a lovely French-inspired dinner. After eating lots of fabulous fresh fish in Florida, the landlubber in me was craving lamb. I decided to try the pistachio crusted rack of lamb with cranberry sauce at this attractively decorated French style bistro. It was delicious and served perfectly done at medium rare. The two thick chops were accompanied by fresh green beans (the skinny haricots verts would have been nice) and smooth, creamy mashed potatoes. The tomato basil salad featured three thick slices of beefsteak tomato (that actually tasted like a tomato...imagine that), topped with basil and roasted garlic balsamic vinegar. The salade niçoise had a generous amount of tuna and toppings for a dinner serving. The warm, rustic French bread was a stand out - crunchy crust on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth softness inside. Topped with the wonderful European butter, the bread was a highlight of the meal.  Next time we will try the mussels and pommes frites, both of which looked great. I can just picture myself dipping that heavenly bread into the white wine-infused herb broth. And I plan to leave room for one of the tempting French desserts. Service was excellent. The wine list was extensive and we enjoyed a half bottle of Côtes du Rhône. One drawback was the menu board. They only have one and it is high up and rather inconvenient to see from parts of the room. The tables are also close together, although the room wasn't noisy and we could have a conversation. This unassuming storefront holds a delightful dinner ahead, and a little taste of France, if you use your imagination.

Eating Our Way Through South Florida

We are on vacation this week with friends, eating our way from Key West (the southern most point in the U.S.) north to Coconut Grove and then Miami. So far we have cracked "world famous" (according to the restaurant) garlic crabs in the shell, enjoyed fresh grilled local snapper, sampled traditional Cuban Palmilla steak, drank Cuban coffee, and tasted pretty good Key Lime pie. We are on a mission to find the BEST Key Lime pie, though, and have a few more days to accomplish our task. Stay tuned. Let me know if you are planning a trip here and want some restaurant recommendations.

Los Dos Amigos on Washington Avenue

Eat here for good, cheap homemade Mexican breakfast. It doesn't have much atmosphere or many tables, but it's an institution that has been around since 1976, according to the sign outside. They serve the full gamut of typical Mexican egg dishes, accompanied by slightly greasy fried potatoes (possibly homemade judging from the oddly shaped pieces), refried beans, and tortillas for around $5, or a dollar less before 10am. Deliciously flavorful (not hot) green salsa and chunky red salsa, homemade chips, okay coffee, and hot food served promptly made the trip worth the drive. For a dive of a place, it was surprisingly clean, with friendly service from an attentive waitress. No one rushed our group of six, all of whom enjoyed their food. While it is not a place for a business meeting and is quite small, it had ample parking in the lot. The place isn't going to win any awards, but for what it is, it is worth considering a stop. 

Fung's Kitchen on the SW Freeway

Eat here for a scrumptious dim sum (Chinese small plates) lunch on Saturday or Sunday. We love joining the crowds of multi-generational Asian families enjoying the vast array of dim sum dishes served from carts being rolled around the massive dining rooms. Last night we rang in the "Year of the Dragon" at a special banquet dinner we learned about at our last dim sum visit. We invited friends to join us for Fung's 3rd annual Chinese New Year celebration, which featured an 8-course gourmet dinner, cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, and cultural entertainment. We got into the spirit by wearing red for good luck. The ten of us were eagerly seated around a round table with a lazy susan and a bottle of red wine (which we supplemented with a few more to really get into the spirit.) The feast began with an appetizer platter of BBQ pork, roasted pork, and shredded tofu. Next we were served a delicately flavored pumpkin-white asparagus-lobster soup that surprisingly had a big chunk of succulent steamed lobster meat from an entire claw in each bowl. The entrees included traditional crispy Peking duck, tender grilled Maine lobster in the shell with spicy sea salt, and stir-fried fillet mignon slices with sweet onions in a honey black pepper sauce. Delicious, golden-colored shrimp fried rice followed. For dessert, we savored the crisp, chewy fried sesame balls filled with sweet red bean paste and covered with sesame seeds (think Chinese jelly donut) and the unique Dragon's Beard candy made from superfine sugar threads encasing the sweet nutty ground mixture of sesame, peanut, and coconut. Wow! This fabulous meal was accompanied by exciting raffle drawings (Mimi & Ralph were lucky winners at our table), a traditional Lion Dance, noodle stretching demonstrations, hosting by personable tv cooking show chef and cookbook author Martin Yan from San Francisco and Dorothy Huang from Houston, goodie bags for everyone from Kikkoman, and more. Hoi Fung, chef and owner of the restaurant, made the rounds to each table (about 30 of them) with chefs Yan and Huang for a personal toast to the New Year. With a start like this, it is bound to be a legendary year. Gung hay fat choy, and see you for dim sum at Fung's soon!

Tango & Malbec on Sage

Eat here for a welcome break from the ordinary. Located in the shadow of the Galleria, Tango & Malbec serves delicious South American cuisine in an warm, attractive setting at moderate prices. I love the very extensive wine list, especially the Malbecs, by the glass and bottle. Not surprisingly, the menu features lots of grilled beef, but it also has plenty of fish and seafood, sausage, chicken, homemade pasta, and many unusual offerings for the more adventurous eaters. We started with the mango salad, which had attractively arranged thin strips of sweet mango, sliced red onions, and avocado dressed with a mango vinaigrette...a balanced blend of sweet and pungent flavors. Next we shared the beef tenderloin brochette, which consisted of four large chunks of tender, pancetta-wrapped beef cooked to a perfect medium rare, delicately topped with chimichurri, and served with grilled vegetables over the most wonderful Basmati rice. My husband loves the sautéed onions and bell peppers side dish, which sounds harmless enough. But take note (since the menu doesn't mention it), there are also jalapeños sautéed into the mix and everything is flamed table side with Bacardi 151. Consider yourself warned! If you come on the weekend, you may hear live music from a keyboardist and see a couple demonstrating the tango after 9pm or so. This place is fun, lively, and refreshingly different, with great food, wine and service. Plus, it has lots of parking, which is a real plus these days. 

Prego in Rice Village

Eat here as often as you can. If you don't live nearby, consider moving. We adore Prego and are dinner "regulars". The lively, friendly atmosphere and great Italian food keep us coming back. The food is exceptional and served piping hot, the portions quite ample, and the prices very moderate. The chewy sourdough bread is irresistible, especially when dipped in the mild olive oil spiked with red pepper flakes, basil, and chopped garlic. They've been using locally grown ingredients for years, but I am thankful they don't scream about it the way all the new restaurants feel compelled to do. While the menu is loaded with excellent choices, our favorites are: linguini pescatore with perfect al dente pasta and tender shrimp, mussels, calamari, clams, and scallops in a flavorful, not spicy fra diavolo sauce (generous enough to share, as we did tonight); their incredible, unique lasagna made with homemade veal and beef meatballs, mozzarella, tomato sauce, and pesto; wood grilled snapper topped with an ethereal lemon butter sauce and oven-dried tomatoes, accompanied by the must-have butternut squash and French green beans; and the to-die-for soft shell crabs when they are in season. They have a new gluten-free menu featuring pasta, fish and more. The waiters are all professionals who never write down a thing, yet get our orders right every time. Run, don't walk to Prego, but make a reservation first, since we aren't the only ones who love this neighborhood gem.

Candalari's Pizzeria on Holcombe

Don't eat here if you want really good pizza. While I recognize that pizza is full of personal preferences--thin crust vs. thick, Euro style vs. traditional, standard ingredients vs. gourmet, etc.--we found the pizza here wasn't any better than Domino's and a lot more expensive. The place was dimly lit, the staff not welcoming, and the service mediocre. Our pizza lacked flavor, so we asked for some garlic powder, which they didn't have. Save your money and go elsewhere or kick back and order delivery. 

Mai's Restaurant on Milam

Eat here before or after downtown theater. Mai's was a great choice my friend, Ann, made for dinner last night before we attended a performance at the Wortham. We parked conveniently in Mai's parking lot, enjoyed a delicious, modestly priced Vietnamese dinner, and were on our way within 45 minutes. The  spring rolls--2 to an order for just $3.50--were tightly filled with three shrimp (also available with chicken, pork or tofu), vermicelli, bean sprouts, and lettuce, accompanied by a crunchy peanut-laden peanut dipping sauce. The Pad Thai with chicken ($10.00), which I was glad to see on the menu even though it is not a Vietnamese dish, was very good, although not the best in town. The dish had large slices of tender, white meat chicken, slightly chewy flat rice noodles, crunchy peanuts and bean sprouts, and sauce that added just the right sweetness. My favorite dish of the evening was the baby bok choy, which was steamed to a perfect crisp-tender, and seasoned with slivers of stir-fried garlic in a light sauce. Fantastic and just $7.00! We shared everything and walked out comfortably full, with plenty of time to make our curtain. Make your way to Mai's soon. 

Rustika Cafe & Bakery on the SW Freeway

Eat here for a homemade lunch in a casual setting. I eat here often because it is a reliably good lunch spot with a big menu in a central location (Greenway Plaza area). They serve delicious salads, assorted Mexican dishes, omelets (try the "Ike special" with everything tossed in or the "BP special" with a mole spill), soups, and sandwiches. I ordered my favorite today: the chicken salad salad (not a typo). It is a very generous scoop of fresh, homemade white meat chicken salad, made with just the right amount of crunchy celery and mayo, atop a huge bed of house salad. Tossed into the mixed greens are mandarin orange sections, sliced tomatoes, and toasted slivered almonds. Their house dressing is tangy, a bit sweet, with a slight kick. Accompanying the salad is a lightly toasted, thick slice of their delicious homemade wheat bread. Rustika is a bakery, so they know how to bake bread. They also make incredible cookies, pastries, and cakes. If you order the #2 lunch combo, which is a cup of soup, half sandwich, and salad, you get a free cookie. Rustika's food and style is comforting, with mismatched silverware and plates, real glass drinking glasses, and an occasional table cloth and high-backed chair. Almost like being in someone's home, which makes it a special place.

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar on Alabama

Eat here, especially on Sunday nights. We love their lusciously succulent and tender prime rib, which is an excellent value with their "Sunday Night Dinner Special" at $37.95 (or just $29.95 during the month-long promotion in January!) Wait until you hear what it includes: your choice of a Caesar, wedge, or house salad, any side dish on the regular menu, a 12-oz thick cut of prime rib (nice and rare, if you like it the way we do), and dessert. And everything is full sized. They serve warm, crusty whole grain bread with two different spreads, and include three dipping sauces on the side of the prime rib. We generally share one of these dinners and order an extra salad, since the portions are huge. Tonight we didn't even have room for dessert, so we took it to go. And to add to the great value, you can get an extra $25 savings toward your next visit if you complete the short online survey using the code on your receipt. So tonight, we used our previous visit's $25 savings, which meant our two glasses of wine were essentially free. You can also save 20% by buying gift cards at Costco that can be used at any time. Sunday nights are very busy here, for good reason. The restaurant is well managed, and the service is usually quite good, despite the crowds. Our food was served at the right pace and everything was hot and delicious. Sunday night at Fleming's is my favorite way to say farewell to the weekend.

E Tao in the Galleria

Eat here for possibly the best Chinese food in Houston. Asian friends of ours, David and Suzanne, turned us onto this hidden gem in the Galleria (on the second floor near Nordstrom) last year and we've been back many times. We feasted here with them tonight, and boy, what a treat. They ordered mostly from the Chinese menu on the last two pages (there is an English translation, so have no fear.) We started with everyone's favorite steamed Shanghai soup dumplings, which must be handled delicately so as not to burst the thin dough wrapper and lose the delicious soup inside (which we managed to do a couple of times!) The scallion pancake appetizer was tasty and crunchy. My favorite main dish was the fried brown rice with soft shell crab, pine nuts, and fish eggs (#187). It was incredible. Don't let the fish eggs scare you. They were very tiny orange beads that added crunch to the rice, which had superb texture and flavor. The crab was lighted breaded and crispy. We savored huge stir-fried prawns in a ginger sauce (#181), the just right slightly chewy ho fun (flat rice noodles) with tender slices of stir-fried beef (#116A), the flavorful stewed eggplant with diced chicken, and tofu with snow pea shoots (which you won't find on the regular menu). We tasted the special XO sauce, which isn't a sauce at all, but rather a crispy topping of fried minced garlic, hot peppers, black beans, and crunchy white noodle strings. Wow! Terrific and very spicy. The menu is extensive and moderately priced, so the next time you are craving Chinese food, come to E Tao for an exceptional, authentic meal.

Grotto on Westheimer

Eat here for reliably good Italian food. It is noisy, popular (translation: you may have to wait for a table), and a lively atmosphere that makes it a fun favorite of ours. The food has maintained its high quality over the years, serving delicious fresh pastas, chicken, veal, pizzas, salads, and lots more. We never can resist the fabulous hot-out-of-the-oven focaccia and the crisp-on-the-outside soft-on-the-inside Italian bread in the bread basket. We inevitably fill up on the wonderful breads, which leaves little room for the rest of the meal. We shared a generous order of fried calamari, which featured a few plump ones uniquely stuffed with herbed ricotta cheese. Yum! Then we shared an Italian chopped salad that featured grilled chicken, provolone, salami (instead of the menu's prosciutto), chopped egg, Gorgonzola, extremely crisp bacon, and chopped iceberg lettuce. This is the lazy-man's special, since everything is diced up into tiny pieces, with no cutting and little chewing required. Service was excellent, as usual, with very attentive waiters who paced the meal leisurely, as we preferred, and bus boys who refilled our water glasses unobtrusively throughout the meal. The sweet, crunchy biscotti and Italian flag cookies that came gratis with the check added to the sweetness of this impeccable evening. Bravo, Grotto!

Eduardo's Mexican Restaurant in Stafford

Eat here for down home Mexican cooking, next time you are cruising through Stafford. Tonight, business took us out to this suburb about 20 minutes from the Galleria. Eduardo's was convenient, so we stopped there for a quick dinner. I learned it has been in business for 17 years, and now I know why. The food was delicious, hot, and fresh. The chunky salsa was homemade, packing plenty of heat. The chile relleno was outstanding, surpassing the quality of any of the major chain restaurants in town. The cheese-stuffed poblano pepper had just the right texture--not too firm and not too soft--and was topped with a homemade ranchero sauce that was mild, yet flavorful. The rice was authentic and tasty; the guacamole was loaded with fresh ingredients; the refried beans tasted the way they should. The menu features the traditional fare (except there were no salads), plus four homemade "soups for the soul", as the homey, hand-written signs on the walls advertised. The look of the place is endearing, with the feel of an outdoor taqueria created by decorative barrel tiled roofing covering the bar and kitchen sections. The place is loaded with sombreros and colorful decorations hanging everywhere that give it a warm, fun, family atmosphere. Prices are very reasonable and the service excellent. Worth a special trip? Maybe, when you get tired of eating at the big, noisy chains.

The Union Kitchen on Bellaire

Eat here for lunch, not dinner. That's because the lunch menu is quite extensive and moderately priced, and the atmosphere is light and airy. Dinner, on the other hand, is not nearly as nice an atmosphere as many other comparably priced restaurants around town, and the menu is not as appealing. Getting back to lunch, today I dined with 9 women friends celebrating 2 birthdays, and each of us enjoyed our dishes immensely. My Kobe beef burger was superb, served medium rare as requested, and topped with Swiss and fresh mushrooms on a whole wheat bun. My companions had delicious wraps, sandwiches, salads, and soup, all of which were generously sized and made with the freshest ingredients, such as the grilled chicken and avocado sandwich served with tomato and swiss on ciabatta, homemade lentil soup with herbs and vegetables, and a grilled chicken paillard salad with sundried tomatoes, olives, and parmesan served over arugula with a white balsamic vinaigrette. One thing amazed us about our waiter: he took each of our orders and didn't write a single thing down! We were very skeptical and couldn't imagine we would be getting what we ordered the way we wanted it (you know, "dressing on the side", "medium rare", "wheat bun"), but low and behold, we did! Hats off to our memory whiz of a waiter. The Union Kitchen has become our new home for our birthday luncheons.

DiMassi's Mediterranean Buffet on Kirby

Eat here at half price, come hungry, and don't expect any atmosphere. We had a Groupon for half price-2 dinners for $12, including soft drinks, so we decided to try it. The extensive buffet featured the typical Middle Eastern dishes. We sampled the hummus, baba ganoush, fatoosh, tabouli, and marinated mushroom salad with spinach, onions, and bell peppers--they were fresh and good, but nothing special. Next we tried the grilled veggies (yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, and onions), which would have been a lot better if they had been hot, the yellow rice pilaf, which had very little flavor, and the baked cauliflower, which had just been set out on the buffet and was fresh, hot, and delicious. There were three chicken dishes to sample, including baked chicken pieces, seasoned chicken breast chunks, and batter fried chicken legs (kid pleaser). The shwarma (lamb and beef) was very tasty and freshly carved off the spit. The pita was piping hot with a great fluffy texture, but bland. There were also crispy baked pita chips. Dessert included cut up fresh cantaloupe and honeydew, rice pudding, sweet and flaky baklava, and honey-drenched coconut pound cake. After this meal, we rolled home!

Mark's Restaurant

Eat here, but bring a wad of dough. We dined with another couple here tonight who were visiting from San Antonio. Mark's is their favorite Houston restaurant. Dinner was delicious. We shared everything, so we could all taste the menu items that sounded so appealing. We started with a lobster dish served over two types of noodles, with one large scallop in the center and two dipping sauces. Very tasty and colorful, and it seemed like it was a whole small lobster. I found the two different noodles rather odd, and would have preferred the one thicker pasta only. We then sampled the duck and venison ravioli with fois gras in a fabulous sauce. Next we ordered three salads: an heirloom tomato salad with very fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese and arugula; a saffron-laced pear salad with warm goat cheese, arugula, and candied pecans; and a winter salad with roasted beets, yellow tomatoes, barrata, and arugula. The salads were very attractively presented and tasted good, but when you call a salad a "pear salad", it should have more than a few tiny slivers of pear. For our entrees, we shared the breast of Muscovy duck, with blackberries and wild rice pilaf, and grilled shrimp with crab meat with a light, flavorful sauce. The assorted breads that accompanied dinner were excellent, with at least five different types. We had room for one dessert, which was a warm raspberry crumble tart, served with a tiny scoop of pistachio ice cream and a cookie. Quite a divine way to end the meal. While Mark's is rather pricey, the portions are adequate but won't provide tomorrow's lunch. To save a little money, you can purchase $100 in gift cards for $79.99 at Costco, but let's face it, this is a splurge meal. The atmosphere and service were top notch, so eat here and enjoy!

Eddie V's on Kirby ("West Ave")

Eat here, but bring a flashlight! Eddie V's is a consistently good seafood restaurant with dishes that are a bit out of the ordinary and that really work. For instance, the Kung Pao style calamari appetizer, consists of spicy, fried calamari, seasoned with soy and ginger, served over crispy rice noodles and toasted cashews. Served with chopsticks, this dish is generously sized to serve four as an appetizer, or in our case tonight, it was our entree. We also ordered an heirloom tomato salad to finish out the meal. My only objection tonight was regarding the lighting. You literally could not see the menu because the lighting was so dim. I observed many diners using their iPhone flashlights to view their menus. When I asked the manager about it, he said "corporate mandates the light settings". Well, corporate needs to visit and observe. I didn't experience this problem when dining at three other Eddie V's locations (two in Austin and one in West Houston at City Centre.)

La Vista on Fountainview

Eat here. Last night's dinner was delightful. We brought our own bottle of Jordan Cabernet to this popular BYOB restaurant on Fountainview between Westheimer and San Felipe. Amazingly, we didn't have to wait for a table, which was a nice surprise, considering we arrived at 7pm. It was warm enough to sit outside, but we judged it too humid. And who wants to sit at the edge of a parking lot anyway? The atmosphere inside was pleasant, although nothing fancy. Our server, Octavio, provided excellent service that was attentive and efficient. After perusing the menu, we ordered a few dishes that sounded good, even though they weren't entrees. We chose a medium sized garden (veggie) pizza, which we were able to customize (half with no olives, half with no eggplant) without any trouble, the goat cheese stuffed pepper, and the marinated tomato salad. Wow! The thin crusted pizza was weighed down with colorful fresh ingredients: mushrooms, tomatoes, red onions, bell peppers, sliced olives/eggplant, basil, zesty tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese. The unusual stuffed pepper dish featured venison sausage that was absolutely delicious. The marinated tomato salad had sliced artichoke hearts, sliced Romas, onions, black olive slices, basil, Parmesan cheese, and two large slices of their warm, fresh-baked and grilled bread to dip in the slightly sweet balsamic marinade at the bottom of the dish. Yum! These three dishes made a perfect meal for two, with some pizza to take home to savor for today's lunch. Prices are moderate, but with the small wine corkage fee of $7 per bottle, you can save quite a bit over comparable restaurants.