Chef Steve Haug’s Shanghai calamari ($13) at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse (5061 Westheimer, 713-355-2600) is an insider’s secret for now, since it is an off-the-menu special appetizer. But it’s been so well received by Houston guests, it will soon appear on the menu of Del Frisco’s nationwide. And for good reason: The dish is fabulous. The calamari are exquisitely tender — they’re marinated in buttermilk before being dousing in seasoned flour and flash-fried — and the chile sauce, spicy and sweet. It’s adorned with white and black sesame seeds, along with bean sprouts, green onions, banana peppers and peanuts.
This article appears in Jul 24-30, 2008.