Feeling flush lately? Cars, watches and fancy shoes are so passé. Flaunt that wealth on something truly, fleetingly enjoyable: Food.
Houston was founded as an oil town, so we have no shortage of affluence in our city. In spite of the fact that it's less oil-centric than it used to be, Houston has held on to some of the wealth that made it a place to see and be seen back in the day. And with that money comes the need for something to spend it on.
Enter foie gras, truffles, steak and seafood. Our restaurants have no shortage of over-the-top dishes that will set you back a pretty penny while simultaneously making you yearn for more. Here's where to find some of the most expensive meals in town.
Da Marco Each year during truffle season, Da Marco offers a special pasta dish topped with white Alba truffles shaved on top right before your eyes once the dish is brought to the table. Depending upon whether you order the dish for lunch or dinner and what kind of season truffles experienced, the dish will set you back anywhere from $95 to $125. It's a simple preparation--handmade pasta in a light cream sauce. And that's it. Aside from the truffles, of course, which invade your nose with such an aroma that halfway through the shaving and inhaling process, you'll need to sit back and recover your senses. And then dig in.
Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse Wagyu beef is renowned for its intense marbled fat that makes it all the more delicious and rich. At Del Frisco's, you can get a positively gargantuan cut of beef for $89. The 32-ounce longbone could feed two people, but it's listed as a normal dinner entree. If that's not enough food for you and a date, though, try the Shellfish Plateau, featuring Alaskan king crab legs, jumbo shrimp, fresh oysters on the half shell and crab claws. A tower for two is $78.50, and a tower for four is $151.50.
Fung's Kitchen Alaskan king crab is expensive and tasty, and nowhere does the dish embody those two adjectives more than at Fung's Kitchen, where live king crab sells for $50 per pound. That doesn't sound too bad until you realize that each crab is at least seven pounds, so you're not getting out of there for less than $400. Of course, if you're on a budget, you can always order the bird's nest soup with minced chicken for a modest $150 per bowl.
Killen's Steakhouse Though Killen's BBQ has been getting all the publicity lately, the steakhouse is still serving up some of the meanest meat in town, including a dry-aged long bone-in Kobe beef rib eye priced at $95. The giant tomahawk steak weighs 32 to 36 ounces, which sounds like a shareable size. But take note: It's almost, almost too sweet and tender to share.
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