Phaedra Cook is eating her way through Houston and counting down her 100 favorite dishes of 2015. It’s a collection of personal favorites that is also indicative of Houston dining. It’s a scene where a vast range of dishes coexist: highbrow and lowbrow; local and international; cheap and expensive; modern cuisine and beloved tenets — and everything in between.
How can anyone possibly improve upon milk chocolate ice cream made with Convict Hill Oatmeal Stout beer? Add malt powder, blend it and serve it in a tall, cold glass with whipped cream and a cherry on top.
My go-to shake at Fat Cat Creamery is just two steps shy of the shop’s own original creation, The Dude Malted. It’s also made with the Milk Chocolate Stout ice cream, but peanut butter is added to the mix. It’s a great concoction, and garnishing with a pretzel stick is a stroke of brilliance.
When it comes to ice cream, I lean toward simplicity, but to each his own. I don’t want to shroud the subtle beer flavor in the Milk Chocolate Stout too much, and adding malt actually seems to amplify it a bit. Fat Cat uses only milk from Texas producer Mill King in its products, which is part of why they are so good. A drizzle of chocolate syrup on top adds a final touch.
Fat Cat Creamery’s malts and shakes evoke the drugstore counters of yesteryear but with a modern twist on flavors.
The List of Top 100 Dishes of 2015 So Far:
No. 72, Pork Ribs at Roegels Barbecue Co.
No. 73, Carrot Pizza at Weights + Measures
No. 74, Jalisco Wings at El Big Bad
No. 75, Mussels at Cafe Brussels
No. 76, Cresta di Gallo at The Pass & Provisions
No. 77, Beef Fajitas at El Real Tex-Mex
No. 78, Chicken Tikka Masala from the Tandoori Nite truck
No. 79, Chocolates at Cacao & Cardamom
No, 80, Hummus Supreme at Al’s Quick Stop
No. 81, Red Oil Dumplings at Mala Sichuan
No. 82, Tex-Cajun Fries at BB’s Café
No. 83, Mac & Cheese at The Oceanaire Seafood Room
No. 84, The Principal Burger at Bernie’s Burger Bus
No. 85, Hunter’s Honey-Roasted Duck at Brennan’s Of Houston
No. 86, Fish & Chips at Good Dog Houston
No. 87, Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit at Blacksmith
No. 88, “Saucy Balls” At Brooklyn Meatball Company
No. 89, Perry’s Steakhouse/Perry & Sons Pork Chop
No. 90, General Tso’s Chicken from The Rice Box
No. 91, Eggs, Refried Beans, Hash Browns and Hugo’s Sauce at 59 Diner
No. 92, Shipley Do-Nuts Plain Glazed
No. 93, Housemade Bologney at Public Services Wine & Whisky
No. 94, Bo Luc Lac at Cheno’s (formerly Chino’s) Fast Food
No. 95, Combo #5 at Soto’s Cantina
No. 96, Carnitas Salad At Chipotle
No. 97, Pickled Shrimp At Punk’s Simple Southern Food
No. 98, Lobster Roll At Maine-Ly Sandwiches
No. 99, Chili-Cheese Coneys At JCI Grill
No. 100, Corned Beef Hash And Eggs At House Of Pies
This article appears in Aug 6-12, 2015.