This Week in Houston Food Blogs: A Real Good Tex-Mex Option in Montrose

This week's food blogger revue consists mostly of reviews, including a round-up of favorite brunch spots, plus a springtime soup recipe.

First up, Shanna Jones of Urban Swank put together a list of three top brunch spots that deserve to be part of the blog's new series, Brunch Famous. One of them gets top marks for a fabulous patio and fluffy monkey bread (and no, it isn't Urban Eats, although you know we've got a soft spot for that restaurant, too), while another made the list for its huevos rotos, a broken egg atop thick-cut, fried potatoes and Spanish chorizo. The last restaurant recently upgraded its brunch menu to include a mammoth-size lobster Benedict with bacon hollandaise, as well as crawfish Benedict with crawfish-and-grits cakes.

Piada Italian Street Food, 5801 Memorial, received a glowing review from Kim of Adventures in a New(ish) City this week, who adored not only the colorful and creative farmers' market salad but also the restaurant's namesake "piadas," which she describes as a cross between a crepe and a wrap. She was especially impressed because she ate an entire piada that left her satisfied but without the stomach-bursting feeling that accompanies most burritos. She recommends the eatery for a fast and fresh lunch, as well as more hearty meals, in part because of the menu's diversity.

One of Bev's favorite recipes on her blog, Bev Cooks, is her kale, white bean and Italian sausage soup. She decided to make a springtime version of it that uses baby arugula instead of kale and arborio rice instead of white beans for a lighter take on the popular (and, we can testify, delicious) recipe. She also recommends throwing in some basil and parsley — preferably from your garden, if you have one — as well as lemon, olive oil and parmesan for extra flavor. Don't forget to pick up some bread to help you clean the soup remainders from your bowl, too!

Hank on Food ducked into El Real Tex-Mex, 1201 Westheimer, to see if the restaurant could stand up to other classic Tex-Mex restaurants in Houston. He was excited that the menu offers some true Tex-Mex dishes, and he started with an icy margarita. He chose the True Blue with Blue Curacao, and said that it really hit the spot, as did the green chile posole, a pork-filled stew with green chiles, radishes and cilantro. He was also happy that he selected the crab and avocado enchiladas, which were filled with large and satisfying chunks of both ingredients, then topped with queso blanco and shredded cheddar cheese. Overall, El Real earned a solid "A" grade from Hank during his Cinco de Mayo visit.

Wokker TX Ranger tempted Lindy of the "Patty and David Said" blog this week with brisket egg rolls, as well as tamarind ribs that she says are so tender that they may have been sous vide, not to mention the delectable tamarind marinade. The biggest temptation of all, however, was the brisket-loaded curly fries, which contain not only enormous chunks of meat but also lots of cheese and sesame mayo. To take advantage of all that cheesy, potato-y goodness, Lindy says that you should probably fast all day before you find the food truck. From the looks of it, we think she's probably right.

Finally, Gristle & Gossip visited Grub Burger Bar, 799 Town and Country in CityCentre, to check out the family-friendly gourmet burger joint that also boasts a full bar and adults-only milkshakes. While she isn't a huge fan of étouffée, she did enjoy the crawfish pistolettes, which are pieces of French bread stuffed with the classic creole stew and served with a creamy dipping sauce. Her favorite cocktail was the Grub's signature infused margarita, which uses Sauza Silver tequila that's been infused with pineapple, watermelon, berries and jalapeños and is served with chunks of orange and watermelon in the glass. She adored the juicy beef burgers, too, especially the VooDoo mushroom burger with absinthe-sautéed mushrooms, Swiss cheese and Tabasco mayo.

That's it for this week's featured food blog posts! Do you have a blog, or do you know of one that you'd like to see on our weekly round-up? Leave us a comment or send us an email, and we'll check it out!