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!