Food and Cooking

MasterChef Season 3 Winner Christine Ha

Wows crowd at Brazos Bookstore.

God Bless Americana: Brooklyn Athletic Club's Sinful Blend of Comfort Food and Class

Brooklyn Athletic Club celebrates with its Americana menu mixing gourmet and comfort food delivered in generous portions.

Top 5 Daiquiris to Try in Houston

In a city where the margarita tends to monopolize the frozen alcoholic beverage market, one can easily forget there are other cocktails that are just as icy and intoxicating. In the past, I've explored multiple alternatives to the margarita , and this summer I'm homing in America's second most pop ... More >>

The Non-Pressure Test: Make Hollandaise & Eggs Benedict Like a MasterChef

Masterchef is back (and with another Houstonian in the mix)! We've been loving the season so far, especially the pressure tests. But with a pissed-off Ramsay, daunting time restraints and cameras right in the contestants' faces waiting for them to break down in an ugly cry in front of the judges an ... More >>

Brooklyn Athletic Club: Mixing Stylish Drinks With Gourmet & Comfort Food

When the corner lot on Richmond Avenue that was once home to Zimm's Little Deck opened up, restaurateur Shepard Ross pounced. He telephoned Chef Jeff Axline in Austin and once again, the two of them partnered for a new venture. In an homage to Brooklyn and Houston, the Brooklyn Athletic Club has e ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 1: Jose Vela of Mockingbird Bistro and His Previous Life as a Drummer in a Mexican Rock Band

This is the first part of a three-part Chef Chat series. Check back with us for Parts 2 and 3, which will run in this same space Thursday and Friday. Mockingbird Bistro is one of our city's finest hidden gems. Sitting smack dab in the middle of a residential neighborhood in the River Oaks-Montrose ... More >>

Cake Decorating 101: Baking the Perfect Cake

One of the most challenging things to make in the kitchen is a cake. It seems quite simple at first. All you have to do is mix the ingredients together, pop it in the oven, then cover it with frosting. Maybe add a little bit of sprinkles or icing, and voilà, you have a cake. However, as many of us ... More >>

What's Cooking This Week? Mussels in White Wine & More

I love cooking for my fiancé and me, but most of the time, cooking for two proves to be difficult. If I don't make a plan, I end up running around in circles at the grocery store and wasting half the ingredient's I've bought (and I hate wasting food). Enter What's Cooking This Week - my weekly meal ... More >>

The Final Feast: Groundbreaking Restaurant Closes With Sold-Out Night

Click to view the full, final menu from Feast. Feast's friends and fans packed the little house at 219 Westheimer for a final taste of hearty delights such as fish and scallop pie and coq au vin. The sold-out final night was a fitting end for a place that convinced Houstonians that offal was not aw ... More >>

Openings & Closings: Sad Farewells & Exciting Expansions

Let's just get to the sad news, first. Feast is closing today. The wonderful and beloved restaurant, however, is having a yard sale to get rid of, well, everything. Head on over on Saturday, June 15 at 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.-ish and Monday, June 17 from 10 a.m. until dusk to snag something from the re ... More >>

Hey, Lady, That Ain't Champagne in My Glass!

A few nights ago, I cozied up to the bar at the swank Hotel ICON on Main Street downtown to wait for a friend who was staying there. I asked for a wines-by-the-glass list only to discover that there was nothing by the glass that I wanted to put into my body (it was dominated by usual-suspect, high- ... More >>

Upcoming Events: Snowballs for Charity & a Free Wine Tasting

Brennan's of Houston is having a Snoball Fight for Charity starting Friday, June 21, and lasting until Friday, July 5. Brennan's has partnered with five local charities -- SEARCH, Alley Theatre, YDC: Youth Development Center, Hermann Park Conservancy and Scout's Honor Rescue -- that have each chosen ... More >>

Travel Through Texas Barbecue (Good and Bad) with Daniel Vaughn

This Saturday, June 15, Daniel Vaughn, who's the new barbecue editor for Texas Monthly and has been dubbed "BBQ Snob," will be signing his new book, The Prophets of Smoked Meat, at Leibman's Foods/Blue Willow Bookshop from 1 to 3 p.m. and River Oaks Bookstore from 4 to 6 p.m. We spoke with Vaughn ... More >>

Top 10 Bars, Clubs & Ice Houses In Upper Kirby

As our sister blog Eating...Our Words does, from time to time Rocks Off will be giving your our picks for the top taverns in various Houston-area neighborhoods. Of course, the lines can be porous, but here anything with a TABC license that cannot reasonably be considered either a restaurant, coffeeh ... More >>

Where to Eat on Father's Day

Treat Dad to Something Sweet and Something with Meat.

An MF Perfect Nigiri: Trust the Chef at MF Sushi

Sushi Chef Chris Kinjo offers exotic fish, delicious sashimi and some of the best nigiri sushi in town.

7 Campfire Recipes to Try This Summer, Including S'mores Two Ways

While I'm not the most experienced camper (I went last weekend and am still convincing myself that whatever was crawling on my shoulder was not a scorpion), I do enjoy a night or two under the stars. The crackling fire. The darkness of the night. It's all so peaceful. But perhaps my favorite part o ... More >>

Top 5 Variations on the Arnold Palmer

There's nothing quite as refreshing in summer as a tall, icy Arnold Palmer. So popular is this hybrid beverage (ice tea and lemonade, with some debate as to the exact proportions) that many supermarkets now offer their own premixed varieties. I prefer, however, to mix my own Arnold Palmer at home ... More >>

Sushi Rice and the Omakase at MF Sushi

For me, eating sushi -- enjoying sushi -- used to be measured by the quality of the fish. As I've come to learn more about sushi, however, I now understand that you can't measure the quality of sushi on the fish alone. In fact, the critical component in all forms of sushi is seasoned rice -- whether ... More >>

This Week in Food Blogs: Iced Coffee Guides & Medieval Jousting Entertainment

Blue Jean Gourmet: If you're looking for the perfect summer dessert, look no further. Blue Jean Gourmet made a peach and blackberry cobbler with freshly picked peaches and blackberries. The sweetness of soft peaches combined with the tart, yet subtly sweet, blackberries makes for the ultimate cobble ... More >>

Houston Restaurant Weeks Kicks Off August 1

Houston Restaurant Weeks is less than two months away and is gearing up to raise funds for the Houston Food Bank, once again, beginning August 1 and lasting through Labor Day to September 2. This year will mark the tenth year of installment, after launching in 2003. While the complete list of resta ... More >>

Spirited Sweets: Semolina Pudding with Ginger Vodka Sauce

A few years ago, my husband received The Vodka Cookbook and a bottle of Smirnoff for Christmas. He was grateful but a bit bewildered, having never much been interested in drinking vodka let alone incorporating it into his cooking. So it sat on our shelf untouched and eventually I stole the vodka ... More >>

What's Cooking This Week? Easy Chicken Fajitas & More

I love cooking for my fiancé and me, but most of the time, cooking for two proves to be difficult. If I don't make a plan, I end up running around in circles at the grocery store and wasting half the ingredient's I've bought (and I hate wasting food). Enter What's Cooking This Week -- my weekly mea ... More >>

Gina's Italian Kitchen and Pizzeria Makes Urbanspoon's Most Popular Family-Friendly Restaurants List

Summer has started for most kids in Houston, which means more time spent with family, especially when it comes to eating out. Urbanspoon released its list of "Most Popular Family-Friendly Restaurants" and guess what? One Houston location made the list. Gina's Italian Kitchen and Pizzeria is one of ... More >>

Openings & Closings: Houston Will Run on Dunkin'

This week has been full of openings and few closings. So let's just get the bad news over with. Houston Avenue Bar, aka Re:Hab Houston, informed the public that its lease is up and will be closing the first week of July. The Houston Chronicle reported that management already has a new location thou ... More >>

Brasserie 19's Extreme Value Wine List

There's really no other way to say this. The wine prices at Brasserie 19 on West Gray are insane. And that's not just the California-speak of my youth creeping into my wine blogging. They are insane, crazy, nuts, cuckoo, mad, screw-loose, and just downright non compos mentis.

Where to Eat on Father's Day 2013: Treat Dad to Something Sweet & Something with Meat

Unlike Mother's Day, Father's Day is not filled with champagne and mimosa brunches, or frou-frou breakfasts-in-bed. But, that doesn't mean you can't take your dad out for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even cupcakes this Father's Day. Show Dad how much you love him by filling his stomach with deliciou ... More >>

Upcoming Events: $10 Wine-Tasting Class for Dad & a BBQ Book Signing

Give Dad an early Father's Day gift by signing him up for the Wine Workshop: Wines for Father's Day -- "An ode to Dad" at Central Market this Monday, June 10, at 6:30 p.m. This demonstration class is run by the Central Market Beer & Wine Experts, who will take each participant on a tour through the ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 3: Matt Pak of Koagie Hots, and His Gourmet Korean-ized Food Truck Fare

This is the third part of a three-part chef chat series. If you missed the first parts, you can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. This week, we chatted with 28-year-old Matt Pak, a self-trained chef who had worked up the kitchen ranks since the age of 15. Like many young chef-entrepreneurs around t ... More >>

MUY CALIENTE SUMMER EDITION

A Slice for a Tat

Pi Pizza truck reflects on its unique promotion.

The Ultimate Trip to Japan with Carl Rosa

Sushi Club of Houston President Carl Rosa has taken Houstonians to Japan since 2007. Rosa takes three groups throughout the year to visit the beautiful land of Japan, tour areas you won't find in a typical traveler's guidebook and taste the best cuisine Japan has to offer. In August, a group of 16 ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 2: Matt Pak of Koagie Hots and The Golden Grill, on Life as a Food Truck Owner

This is the second part of a three-part Chef Chat series. You can read Part 1 here and Part 3 in this same space Friday. Yesterday, we chatted with Matt Pak, the chef and co-owner of Koagie Hots and The Golden Grill food trucks, about how he got started in the food world. He also told us about his ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 1: Matt Pak of Koagie Hots and the Golden Grill Food Trucks, on the Korean Tapas Restaurant He Would Have Opened

This is the first part of a three-part Chef Chat series. Parts two and three will run in this same space on Thursday and Friday. Korean food is full of flavor and texture, its tastiness so addictive that it brought national attention to LA's @kogibbq truck, whose claim to fame was Korean barbecue-s ... More >>

Zen and the Burger Venn (Diagram) at The Burger Guys Downtown

At this point, it's fair to say that The Burger Guys is an established part of Houston's healthy handful of bright-burning burger stars, though their original outpost clings to the far west side of that constellation. Open since last fall, the downtown location, the subject of this week's Café Revi ... More >>

Crawfish Reigns Supreme on Brennan's 7-7-7 Happy Hour Menu

Brennan's of Houston may not come up in conversation as a go-to place for happy hour, but it should. During happy hour, which takes place in their Courtyard Bar, Brennan's offers a 7-7-7 menu that includes seven cocktails, seven wines, and seven appetizers, all for just $7. And the great thing ab ... More >>

Food Network Star: A Promising New Show Is A Possibility

It's that time of year once again; Food Network Star premiered Sunday at 8 p.m. for its ninth season. Last year, the three star judges, Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis and Alton Brown, served as judges and mentors to the contestants they chose to be on their team. This year, however, Food Network S ... More >>

Do You Know Your VinoType?

How many of you actually really enjoy a glass of White Zinfandel or Moscato, but are afraid to tell your friends in fear of being judged for having a "beginner's taste" in wine? Probably a lot of you (including myself). Wine & Food Week 2013 began on Monday night with the Wine Wizard Kick-Off Even ... More >>

Bowl on Richmond's Fresh Menu Is a Summer Staple

Even though the peak lunch hours at Bowl Café are usually hopping with customers, I still feel like it's one of my "secret spots" in the city. While I enjoy their menu of salads, soups, sandwiches, and pizzas year-round, summer is my favorite time to visit and my trips to Bowl increase in frequency ... More >>

What's Cooking This Week? Greek Spinach Pie & More

I love cooking for my fiancé and me, but most of the time, cooking for two proves to be difficult. If I don't make a plan, I end up running around in circles at the grocery store and wasting half the ingredient's I've bought (and I hate wasting food). Enter What's Cooking This Week - my weekly meal ... More >>

Openings & Closings: An Earlier Goodbye from Feast, But a Happy Welcoming of Christine Ha

The month of May has seen many restaurants and bars come and go, including a few surprises and an earlier good-bye from a well-loved restaurant, but this week fortunately brought more openings than closings. As Mai Pham reported, Seasons 52 opened last week on Thursday offering a menu filled with i ... More >>

Sommelier Sean Beck Always Stumps Me at Backstreet Café

"Anything but Italian!" I exclaim as I find a seat at the bar at Backstreet Café, where Sean Beck curates one of the best by-the-glass wine programs in Houston. I have nothing against Italian wines. In fact, I'm a big fan of Sean's Italian selections. But because Italian wines are my main vinous ... More >>

Upcoming Events: Mac 'n Cheese Fit for a Rockstar

Fleetwood Mac is coming to Houston next week and Quattro has your before and after meal plans already set. If you're still trying to figure out what to eat before and after the concert, have no fear, Quattro is here with its pre-concert menu offering. The pre-concert three-course menu is filled wit ... More >>

UPDATE: Five-Alarm Blaze on Southwest Freeway Injures Four Firefighters

UPDATE: The four firefighters taken to the hospital died as the result of injuries and smoke inhalation according to reports. One of them was a 24-year-old rookie, Anne Sullivan. Original entry: Multiple outlets are reporting a five-alarm fire at the Bhojan Restaurant at 6855 Southwest Freeway. Th ... More >>

Max's Wine Dive Moving to Montrose

What does that mean for Houston?

Oxheart: Challenging the Idea of What Dinner Can Be

Surviving its critics' predictions, this restaurant continues to thrive in Houston, folllowing a most atypical path to attract the city's diners.

Meditations on Home Cheese-Making

My husband has never been one to shy away from making foodstuffs at home that can be easily (and cheaply) purchased elsewhere. In addition to regularly brewing beer, he has also tried his hand at making yogurt, bagels and kimchi. I admire his culinary ambition and certainly relish the fruits of hi ... More >>

Five Blind Wine Pairings, Five Sommeliers and One Fantastic Dinner at Philippe Restaurant Lounge

Five courses, five sommeliers, two bartenders and a Master Chef of France. As far as wine dinners go, last week's Guest Sommelier Wine Dinner at Philippe Restaurant Lounge was nothing short of a tour de force. The dinner marked the finale of sommelier Vanessa Treviño-Boyd's wildly successful So ... More >>

Three Cooking Shows to Watch This Summer

While most of your regular-season shows will take a break this summer, you can now tune in for new programs and seasons of food and cooking shows. If you're looking for a little inspiration in the kitchen or are just in dire need of a new television show to get hooked on, here are three you definite ... More >>

What's Cooking This Week? Beer Can Chicken & More

I love cooking for my fiancé and me, but most of the time, cooking for two proves to be difficult. If I don't make a plan, I end up running around in circles at the grocery store and wasting half the ingredient's I've bought (and I hate wasting food). Enter What's Cooking This Week - my weekly meal ... More >>