Subject:

Chuck Cook

  • Blogs

    May 18, 2012

    Houston Bartenders Shine on a National Level

    A few years ago, a bar in Houston was just a place to get a drink and the people who worked there were just part of the service industry. Chefs were rock stars and everyone else was fairly invisible. In the last few months, there have been multiple bartenders who have become worthy of notice in the ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 27, 2012

    A Nice, Quiet Dinner at Fratteli's

    "Red or white?" the server asked. My partner got the white, and I ordered the red. As I sipped the serviceable house Chianti, I considered that sometimes it's nice to be presented with such a simple choice. No fretting over the wine list, just a quick glass to help shunt off the workday. There was ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 11, 2012

    Rum Competition Sends Another Houston Bartender to National Finals

    On Monday night at Grand Prize Bar, seven Houston bartenders competed in a throw-down sponsored by Don Q Rum and the Houston chapter of the United States Bartenders' Guild. The three men and four women came from a mix of Houston restaurants, clubs and bars. The competitors were: Kehlen Selph--Cop ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 4, 2012

    Secret Food Confessions

    No matter how well-educated one becomes about food, some cravings never go away. Some are born in childhood. My husband complained for years when Grape Tang was discontinued and gets bizarre cravings for the crime against nature called "circus peanuts." Supposedly, it's a candy; a mind-boggling, rub ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 19, 2012

    Stick It Truck Serves Up a Dose of Festival Fun

    There's something about putting food on a stick that makes it more fun. Perhaps it's the bite-size pieces. Maybe it's being able to gnaw the tasty morsels directly off a skewer. Eschewing knives, forks and plates gives a sense of freedom to the whole act of eating. I think the folks running the St ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 29, 2012

    Bento Bliss: Competitors Study the Art of Lunch

    The Epicurean Cooking School in Rice Epicurean on Fountainview was at its maximum capacity of 40 on Saturday, February 25. The big draw: the Bento Contest, which was organized by the Consulate-General of Japan at Houston. It was sponsored by The Epicurean Cooking School and Satake USA, Inc., which m ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 21, 2012

    Bingo and Booze at Double Trouble

    Chuck Cook PhotographyLooking out onto the patio, where the bingo happens.​"G 48, G 48. Gee, I can't believe Whitney Houston was only 48." The basic requirements of bingo-calling are so undemanding that an illiterate person could fulfill them. Doing it well, though, takes wit, and often the w ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 20, 2012

    In the Middle of Strata

    Chuck Cook PhotographyStrata is lovely and beckons attractively, but the lonely corner it sits in does them no favors. ​Strata is an attractive restaurant in Vintage Park near Chasewood Park Drive and 249. While the middle section of this upper-scale shopping center resembles an outdoor restau ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 31, 2012

    Bacchus Boasts an Assumption-Challenging Wine List

    Chuck Cook Photography​Have you ever told a friend, "I simply have to come see you sometime!" and then ended up saying that every time you ran into each other? And then, by the time you're ready, or he's ready, something has changed? Well, while "wine badass" Marc Borel was at Bacchus, I kep ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 26, 2012

    Chocolat d'Arte Hits the Road with Devilish Delights

    After a great deal of planning, faith and up-front investment, Chocolat d'Arte has driven into Houston's burgeoning food truck scene with a new, spotless van. Rich graphics laden with photos of some of the chocolates on offer adorn the sides. Entrepreneur and artisan chocolatier Nancy Burke, of Cho ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 10, 2012

    Bare Bowls Are Remarkably Filling at New Food Truck

    On a gorgeous, unseasonably warm Thursday in January, the new Bare Bowls truck made its debut in back of The Menil Collection building. Despite the fact that it was its first day out, it didn't lack for customers. A crowd that averaged five people persisted during our visit. Bare Bowls is the late ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 5, 2012

    Mango Tree Thai Bistro: Dancing on the Edge

    Almost exactly a year ago, I left a job downtown to start a more exciting one in Northwest Houston. While it may have been a good career move, it killed the fun I used to have at lunchtime. I went from getting to see and dine with my spouse and my friends every day to driving around, alone, in searc ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 29, 2011

    Return to Backstreet Café

    A few years ago, I tried being vegan. Then, I swapped to a vegetarian diet, and finally, pescetarian. I found it extremely educational. (For example, I learned that I don't want to live the rest of my life without cheeseburgers.) It also sent me on a quest to find restaurants that could accommodate ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 20, 2011

    Philippe Offers Luxurious To-Go Items for the Holiday Table

    Chuck Cook PhotographyTake home a pack of gravlax from Philippe to make the lovely appetizer dish on top.​Philippe (the acclaimed Galleria-area restaurant headed up by Chef Philippe Schmit) is offering a small selection of delicacies that you can buy and serve at home for the holidays. We were ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 19, 2011

    Open Jukebox Night at Fitzgerald's: Mixing New Wave Tunes With No-Nonsense Cocktails

    Chuck Cook PhotographyJustin Burrow pours a craft cocktail on a quiet night at non-pretentious Fitzgerald's.​Justin Burrow, who recently received the Favorite Mixologist nod for the My Table Houston Culinary Awards in October, is using his experience to create a casual and accessible cocktail ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 14, 2011

    5 Gifts for the Coffee Snob

    Chuck Cook Photography​As a coffee snob myself, I am here to advocate for my people. Please, don't break our hearts. You know how much we love coffee, but since you're not a coffee snob yourself, you might think we'd appreciate one of those machines that make coffee by squirting hot water into ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 13, 2011

    It's Ribs, But Go For the Chicken

    Chuck Cook PhotographySkip the grocery store and take this chicken home instead.​Have you ever walked into a restaurant where the staff is so kind and eager that you just don't want to say anything bad about the food? Such is the predicament I find myself in. When I read about a place called ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 12, 2011

    1252 Tapas Bar in Vintage Park Opens to Bad Weather With Good Food

    Chuck Cook Photography1252 Tapas Bar in Vintage Park​I visited the new location of 1252 Tapas Bar in Vintage Park on its first two opening nights. (The original is located in The Woodlands.) Vintage Park is near 249 and Louetta and is structured a great deal like Uptown Park off of Post Oak. ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 9, 2011

    Coffee and Cocktails at Double Trouble Are Double Delights

    Chuck Cook PhotographyA full house of buzzing patrons celebrate Double Trouble Caffeine & Cocktails' grand opening​I first met Robin Berwick while she was working as a bartender at Anvil Bar & Refuge. She said that she wanted to have her own place someday. Many bartenders say that, but Robin w ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 9, 2011

    Openings & Closings: Trouble and Tacos

    Photo by Chuck Cook​Blind Item of the Week: A Heights hotspot in a somewhat cursed location is rumored to be closing soon. Its intended replacement was said to have been a new Bruce Molzan restaurant, but the Ruggles owner's current legal troubles may prevent that from coming to fruition. What ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 6, 2011

    The Modular: Blowing Up Boundaries with Big Bones and Burgers

    Photo by Chuck Cook PhotographyIt's just another night at The Modular​Some of the best food to be had in Houston is happening in a small kitchen at Grand Prize, and a trailer in front of Liberty Station. The Modular (as reported on previously by Minh Truong and Mai Pham) is the brainchild o ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 18, 2011

    Openings & Closings: Every Day We're Shuffling

    Photo by Ed T.What's happening with Ruggles Grill?​It's been a busy week to be in the restaurant business, especially if you're in Montrose. When Latina Cafe closed a few months ago, not many tears were shed over the loss of the little Cuban restaurant -- I liked it just fine, but it had gone ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 29, 2011

    Photos: Anvil's First Annual Enthusiast Cocktail Competition

    Photo by GroovehouseChuck Cook made a Star Trek-inspired Mon Capitan cocktail.​Customers from all walks of life -- from IT professionals to aerospace engineers -- competed last night in an unusual twist on a cocktail competition at Anvil Bar & Refuge. Although they were all cocktail enthusiast ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 4, 2010

    Caesar Salad Cupcakes and More: The 26th Annual Caesar Salad Competition

    Caesar salad cupcakes: Where is your god now?​"We worked on these for two days straight," laughed Jody Stevens as she proudly displayed a cupcake garnished with a romaine lettuce leaf. Stevens and her partner, fellow pastry chef Rebecca Masson, were in inhospitable waters on Friday night as th ... More >>

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