This Week in Houston Food Blogs: Find a New Chinatown Favorite

Looking for a new way to get your day started off right? Ellie Sharp, writing for Zagat, has a run-down of everything you need to know about Montrose's hottest new breakfast joint, Snooze, which is located at 3217 Montrose. It's open early seven days a week with an extensive, hearty menu that includes seven kinds of eggs benedict, pancake flights and egg-loaded sandwiches. You should also check out the drinks; aside from classic coffee and early morning cocktails, Snooze has combinations of the two, such as the "Dirty Drunken Chai" with rum and the "Mayan Mocha" with Ancho Reyes ancho chile liqueur.

Who knew that oats would be a good addition to risotto? We never would've thought of it ourselves, but we believe Bev of "Bev Cooks" when she says that this mushroom, sausage and chicken risotto wouldn't be the same without some steel-cut oats thrown in. She says that they add a nice nutty flavor, and the texture is just right– not too crunchy or too soggy. It's also got cherry tomatoes and kale (because you know Bev can't resist kale), which add a nice pop of color to the dish. 

Kim of "Adventures in a New(ish) City" took Chinatown by storm last week when she and some of her foodie friends went on a Chinatown restaurant crawl that hit seven restaurants in just one day. Their first stop was Six Ping, 9834 Bellaire, and the bakery's sweet rolls knocked it out of the park, especially the red bean and mochi-filled roll and the bread filled with egg custard. Another standout dish was the salt and pepper tofu at Hai Cang, 11768 Bellaire, which is served with sticky rice and plenty of flavorful spices on top. If you're looking for restaurant recommendations in Chinatown, Kim's post has something for you!

Ali Miller, R.D., always shares healthy recipes on her blog that will help you get the most health benefits out of your food. This week, she posted a recipe for Greek yogurt panna cotta with blueberry compote that will help regulate your gut bacteria, as well as provide lots of protein to help you get through the day. It's a fairly easy recipe, too, but make sure you plan ahead if you want to make it, because it needs at least three hours in the fridge to set.

Roostar Vietnamese Grill, 1411 Gessner, received a glowing review this week from Nancy of "Tag Sale Tastes," who recently visited the restaurant for the first time.  Roostar is know for its banh mi, which won the People's Choice Award during last year's Great Banh Mi Cook-Off, and Nancy was also impressed with the sandwiches. The quality of the pork on her grilled pork banh mi was just right, and the house-made aioli was a big plus. She also enjoyed the build-your-own vermicelli box, but her favorite dish is the beef alphabet soup, which she described as "umami-loaded" and totally addictive. Don't skip the house-made chile oil it comes with, either!

Hot chocolate is definitely a fall and winter treat, but we can't deny that we've been missing it. Thankfully, Ashley of Sugar & Cloth shared a recipe this week for boozy, frozen hot chocolate that's just the thing to get you through these long summer days. It doesn't use any of that powdery mix, either; this is the real deal, with melted dark and semi-sweet chocolate, milk, cream and plenty of bourbon. Of course, no hot chocolate would be complete without whipped cream and marshmallows, so top off these frozen treats with whipped cream and throw some marshmallows onto a skewer for a festive garnish.

Speaking of booze, we've got another bonus mention this week from Urban Swank. In honor of National Scotch Day, which is July 27, the so-called Urban Swank Girls have posted a recipe for a "Brooklyn Bridge," which uses Glenfiddich 14, Drambuie, dry vermouth, fig bitters and a maraschino cherry for garnish. Now there's a holiday we can get behind!

That's it for this week's food blog revue. Did we miss one of your favorite blogs? Leave us a comment or send us an email to let us know all about it.