Texas Monthly: This month, Texas Monthly shines the light on Coltivare, the new restaurant from Ryan Pera and Morgan Weber of Revival Market. Patricia Sharpe writes about the delightful focaccia bread, describing it as "a miracle of springy texture and crunchy crust, luxuriantly brushed with Spanish olive oil and flecked with rosemary and sea salt." She also says the spaghetti in olive oil decorated with black pepper and Parmesan cheese "defined Italian soul."
Zagat Houston: Got a hankering for a sandwich? Check out Zagat Houston's list of the top eight sandwiches in Houston. Rather than using a pretzel bun, 13 Celsius serves its Mortadella sandwich on a real pretzel with ooey-gooey provolone cheese and a fried egg yolk. BB's Cafe has a breakfast sandwich, The Morning Glory, with sausage, scrambled eggs, BB's special sauce and queso all stuffed in a crusty French bread baguette.
Gastronaut: Houstonia's food blog, Gastronaut, revisits Melange Creperie as it turns four this year. Buffalo Sean, owner and chef of Melange Creperie, is still doling out delicious crepes from the stand at Westheimer and Taft. He creates a variety of crepes stuffed with sweet ingredients like banana and Nutella, and strawberries with crème fraîche and granola, as well as savory ingredients like the classic ham, egg and cheese, and queso fresco with a roasted corn salsa.
Adventures in a New(ish) City: Kim celebrates her one-year anniversary of being back in Houston by listing her ten favorite dishes from Houston restaurants she has enjoyed over the past year, beginning with her No. 10, the butternut squash ravioli at Mr. Peeples. She says it was so good that she had to resist licking the plate clean. Other favorite dishes include the Tots 'N Shots at Beaver's, Bangkok Fries at Boheme Cafe & Wine Bar and the Churrasco Steak at Américas.
The Pioneer Woman: One of my favorite parts of The Pioneer Woman's blog posts is her photos -- they are so beautiful and bright and perfectly illustrate her recipes. I honestly think you could follow her recipes with just the photos, no words. This week Ree Drummond makes tortellini primavera, a twist on the classic pasta dish; she uses cheese tortellini instead of penne pasta, and she finely chops her vegetables. The photos alone will make you want to make this dish...right now.
The Atlantic: The last time you sat next to a stranger during a meal was probably back in high school in your cafeteria, right? Or maybe it was at a picnic outside or in a beer hall. It's likely that it wasn't inside a restaurant. But the next time you sit at a communal table might be inside a restaurant. This article from The Atlantic explains how more restaurants will add communal tables as a means to promote a more social dining experience.
