Robert Del Grande

Better Than Tarzan and Jane: The Grove Restaurant in Discovery Green

The Early Bird Gets to Perch on a Stool at the Bar at The Grove

Dumb Waiters

Ignorance, thy name is waitstaff

Best Chicken-Fried Steak

Rio Ranch

Conversion Experience

Rio Ranch

Tacos with Ambition

Robert del Grande's Taco Milagro aims upmarket

Dish

Robert del Grande's Taco Milagro aims upmarket

Downtown Attraction The Grove

A destination restaurant that only sometimes gets it right.

The ABCs of DNA

Robert Del Grande

Burnt Offerings from the USDA

When will the federal agency tell us it's safe to eat medium-rare burgers again?

Haute Stuff

Robb Walsh is a James Beard finalist times two

Grande Plans

Houston's most famous chef talks about prostate cancer, turning 50 and what's next for Cafe Annie

Food of the God

Robert Del Grande continues to perform miracles at Cafe Annie

Luby's Has a Chef?

From haute cuisine to the LuAnn Platter, star chefs are moving on down the food chain

Fish Fraud

Passing off cheap fish for expensive red snapper is against the law. But no one enforces the regulations. So Texas restaurants are free to rip you off.

Stirred and Shaken

Taco Milagro's La Polama

Chicken-Fried Honor

George's civic slur

Get In Line

Bruce Molzan's Ruggles Cafe Bakery makes meals worth standing around for

Hot Plate

Bruce Molzan's Ruggles Cafe Bakery makes meals worth standing around for

Hot Plate

Bruce Molzan's Ruggles Cafe Bakery makes meals worth standing around for

Openings and Closings

Anyone in the social media community in Houston will be familiar with the first closing of the past week, Sauté (2303 Richmond Avenue). On June 5, the erstwhile "new world Creole" restaurant broke the news via Twitter: "Our dear friends: Today we sadly announce we are closed. Had some great parties ... More >>

Openings and Closings

Although only open for a few short months, Out of Africa (14019 Southwest Freeway, #204) has already closed. An excellent review from Robb Walsh in March, fantastic reviews on B4-U-Eat, an excellent burger and a killer patio weren't enough to save the young restaurant. This leaves Houston with ... More >>

Community Bar Food

Photos by J.C. ReidJust above the bar at newish Midtown watering hole called Community Bar is a chalkboard with various drink specials, as well as the words "Food served." I was intrigued yet doubtful. Bar food in Houston is definitely a hit-or-miss affair (mainly misses in the form of Velveeta nach ... More >>

Breakfast Row on Westheimer

Photo by Robb Walsh Personally, I am pretty fond of the under $3 breakfast specials at Houston taquerias like Jesus Maria on Spencer Highway or Kiko's on Fulton. But when I have to entertain visiting grandparents at breakfast time, I head for the stretch of Westheimer just east of Beltway 8 nea ... More >>

Houston's Most Overrated Restaurants

Photo by Dave Knapik​With Cafe Annie ending its nearly 30 year reign this month, Houstonians will have one less default restaurant to turn to when someone asks for a recommendation for a "nice meal" ("nice meal" being keywords for "I want to go somewhere fancy and try to impress one or more ... More >>

Burnt Offerings from the USDA

When will the federal agency tell us it's safe to eat medium-rare burgers again?

RDG Bar Annie's Shrimp Meat Balls

In the wake of Café Annie's closing, Robert Del Grande has taken up the chef's hat again. Just a bit further down Post Oak, the RDG Grill Room, Bar Annie and the BLVD Lounge are now all serving a variety of small plates and entrees at different price points. But even in a new place, Chef Del Grande ... More >>

Burger Chic

The RDG Burger at RDG + Bar Annie

Chef Chat, Part 2: Ryan Pera of the Grove

​Yesterday, we started a conversation with Chef Ryan Pera of the Grove. As promised, today we finish it up, even asking him about a pesky rumor we'd heard and shamelessly questioning him about his personal life. Eating Our Words: We have heard a little rumor about the burger recipe at the Gro ... More >>

Top 9 Houston Restaurant Closings of the Decade

Photo by emmiegrnThe Pig Stand, one of Houston's lost restaurants. Read about nine more of the most important restaurant closings of the decade below.​1. Maxim's Maxim's closed in January 2001. It was possibly the most influential restaurant in Houston's culinary history. It was the only upsca ... More >>

Upcoming Events

​Smackdowns, showdowns, throwdowns. There's food violence aplenty coming up for your voyeuristic pleasure. Bread and circuses, served up daily by your Houston food community. This Sunday, of course, is our very own Cupcake Smackdown at Block 7 Wine Company (720 Shepherd) from 4 to 6 p.m. You ... More >>

Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?

There's murder on the menu

Houston Heavily Honored by James Beard Foundation

Photos by Katharine ShilcuttRobert Del Grande​If anyone is still under the impression that Houston is trying desperately to play catchup with culinary empires like New York City and Chicago, they only need to look at the 2010 James Beard Award nominations -- released today -- to see that isn't ... More >>

Breakfast at Cafe Express

Photos by Katharine Shilcutt​Breakfast at Cafe Express might be one of the best-kept secrets in town...for now. Even though the breakfast menu launched a few months ago -- the efforts of Cafe Express' corporate chef Greg Martin finally come to fruition -- the crowds haven't yet found their wa ... More >>

RDG Bar Annie's Fresh Canned Smoked Oysters

​Robert del Grande puts a tongue-in-cheek spin on a retro cocktail-hour favorite. If there's one dish that comes to mind that could uniquely define Houston's culinary palette at this very moment, it would have to be RDG Bar Annie's fresh canned smoked oyster deluxe. Executive Chef Robert del ... More >>

Openings and Closings

Photo courtesy of the Barbed Rose.Fried oysters on top of house-cured bacon at the Barbed Rose.​Openings all over town have things looking up for intrepid food lovers as well as those ready to welcome back some old favorites. In the Clear Lake area, the beloved Alpine Brauhaus has opened back ... More >>

Chef Philippe Schmit Takes Aim at Galleria Crowd

Ruthie JohnsonSalmon on pumpernickel was one of the less successful dishes served Saturday.​ Philippe Schmit wants to feed you. On Saturday night from the kitchen and rooftop of the condos at 1510 Lovett, he settled for a group of food bloggers and freelance writers. Schmit, formerly of Bis ... More >>

Brunch at The Grove

​I am sure everybody has heard by now that Ryan Pera has left The Grove for bigger and better things. I heard they have decided to not hire another executive chef and just let Robert Del Grande oversee the kitchen.

First Look at TQLA

More photos from TQLA are in our slideshow.​If there are two things that serve to immediately dissuade me from trying a restaurant these days, the phrases "167 tequila offerings" and "Washington Avenue" would be those two. I have nothing personally against either tequila or Washington Avenue, ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 1: Robert Del Grande of RDG Bar Annie, Part 1

​EOW recently got to sit down with Robert Del Grande of RDG Bar Annie (plus a host of other restaurants around town -- The Grove, Café Express and two new ventures about to open at West Ave, just to name a few). Though we could have asked him how it felt to be one of the pioneering chefs du ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 2: Robert Del Grande of RDG Bar Annie

RDG Bar Annie​Yesterday, EOW sat down with Houston Chef extraordinaire Robert Del Grande at his beautiful Galleria-area restaurant, RDG Bar Annie. After having fun exploring his musical aspirations and scientific background, we tried to get him to share some culinary wisdom. Eating Our Wo ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 3: Robert Del Grande of RDG Bar Annie

​This week I have been chatting with Robert Del Grande, the chef behind one of the most famous restaurants in town, RDG Bar Annie, formerly known as Café Annie. The experience actually has me thinking about food in a different way. The important things: buy the best ingredients you can, b ... More >>

Openings & Closings

Photo courtesy of AvaInside Ava Kitchen & Whiskey Bar​First things first, for anyone who might be heading out to Skewers (3991 Richmond, 713-599-1444) for its grand reopening: Don't. At least, not yet. The restaurant's PR team emailed us an explanation for the delay this week: Skewers is not ... More >>

Openings & Closings

​News that a new tapas bar is opening in Midtown led to the brief discussion on Twitter this week about pronunciation issues concerning holiday islands in the Mediterranean, and Houstonians' propensity to open restaurants named after them. Majorca Island Bistro and Tapas, that new tapas resta ... More >>

First Look at Pondicheri

Photos by Katharine ShilcuttKachumber salad and saag paneer-stuffed samosas.​"Oh, good. There are other brown people here," my friend remarked with a laugh as we walked up to Pondicheri's front door one recent evening. "That's always a good sign." Indeed, one of the things that first struck m ... More >>

The Place to Be: Ava Kitchen & Whiskey Bar in West Ave

Mai PhamSmoked muscovy duck breast with liver mousse and apple endive​If you've driven by the new West Ave development on Kirby and Westheimer at twilight, you've probably seen the crowded, happening scene taking place through the floor-to-ceiling windows at Robert Del Grande's new Ava Kitchen ... More >>

Top 5 Houston Restaurants Featured on the Food Network

Photo by Robb WalshThelma's previous incarnation.​Houston may feel a little like Rodney Dangerfield when it comes to being recognized as a top culinary city -- we get no respect. But the Food Network has always shown Houston a little love. As early as 2003, shows on the Food Network were featu ... More >>

Tequila Don Julio Launches Don Julio 70, The World's First Añejo Claro

Photos by Mai PhamIn the glasses from left to right: Don Julio 70, Don Julio Anejo, Don Julio Blanco​When I think of tequila, I think of the distinctive aroma that I have come to associate with it. Anyone who's taken a shot of tequila or had one too many margaritas can identify with me, I'm su ... More >>

A Tale of Two Dinners: Ava Kitchen & Whiskey Bar vs. The Modular

This lobster risotto and accompanying lobster came from your friendly local dive bar.​One is a highbrow full-fledged restaurant -- a "brick-and-mortar" place, to use the parlance of the day -- owned and operated by heavyweight restaurateurs. The other is a cobbled-together food truck, ephemera ... More >>

Southern Living's Paula Disbrowe on Houston as One of the South's Tastiest Cities

Houston is the only Texas city recognized by the magazine in its top 10 list.​Southern Living's senior travel editor Paula Disbrowe knows Texas. The chef and food writer will be celebrating her 10th year of living in the Lone Star State this coming January, and was happy to report that a Texa ... More >>