There’s nothing like a business trip where the folks are as fabulous as the food. On our recent jaunt to Houston last week, my pal Allen and I tore right into the terrific Texas dining scene mere moments after we arrived. We Ubered it from downtown to Candente, a Tex-Mex institution in the Montrose section of town to grab an early dinner on their outdoor patio. It was a warm January day and we were thrilled to dine al fresco since our morning began with sub-freezing temps back in good ‘ole NYC.
Allen kicked off his meal with a margarita on the rocks and I went all in with a frozen strawberry number. The attentive waitstaff piled a huge basket of homemade super thin and salty chips before us with two salsa dips before we even perused the menu. Yum!
After a three second negotiation of what to order, we opted into a sharable portion of the Prime Niman Ranch Skirt Steak Fajitas. They were served on a bed of tender cooked onions but no peppers– they must have known I was coming! The accompaniments were crazy– rice, beans, cheese, guac, sour cream, pico de gallo, lettuce, and homemade tortillas for rolling. The juicy strips of steak were perfectly cooked, super tender, and sizzling right off the skillet. Candente was exactly the warm Texas greeting we were hoping for.
The next fabulous meal on our agenda was an invite only dinner that we co-hosted at Guard and Grace in One Allen Center. (Amazing suggestion, Kyle!) We were totally unprepared for such deliciousness. Oak Fired Carrots in an herb yogurt surrounded by a pistachio crumble? Yes please! A delectable Warm Spinach & Artichoke Dip with goat cheese, crispy prosciutto, and cherry peppers? Bring it on. Hand Made Gnocchi with truffle and chive? Ok, if you insist. Maryland Crab Cakes with crispy capers and a stone-ground mustard beurre blanc? At this point, why not?!
The Wedge Salad could have been the best I’ve ever had with Iceberg lettuce, tomato halves, grilled scallions, Vande Rose bacon, and a one-of-a-kind gorgonzola dressing. It was just the right amount of fresh lettuce crunch, not drowning in dressing (although I was seriously temped to do a shot of it on the side), and the toppings were insane!
We didn’t stop there. Our crew indulged with a Seafood Tower intermezzo before we dove into Wagu Fillets, Whipped Potatoes with chive butter and parmesan and a crispy cheddar crust, Crispy Brussel Sprouts with lemon and Grana Padano, and Foraged Mushrooms with garlic confit and sherry. Can you say best meal ever??
We closed out our feast by sharing Sticky Toffee Pudding a la mode with a warm caramel sauce pour, and a Deconstructed Strawberry Shortcake featuring mini biscuits, strawberry mousse, and a generous pink fruit drizzle.
Thinking we would not have been able to score another outstanding meal after two such phenomenal finds, we were delighted to join The Grove right off Discovery Green for lunch the following day. We started with the house specialty– the Blue Crab Corn Fritters with sweet corn aioli, Tabasco honey, green onions, and lemon. They were five lightly fried morsels of absolute heaven! The crab insides were nothing short of wow. And that Tabasco honey– oh, honey. How you doin?! They should bottle that sweet heat immediately and sell it nationwide. (HINT!)
We all had great salads as our mains– two opted into a Texas Wedge with Deep Ellum blue cheese, fried shallots, tomatoes, onions, avocado, and creamy buttermilk dressing, and two went for the Seared Sesame Ahi Tuna Salad with baby bok choy, sugar snaps, cukes, avocado, cashews, and sesame ginger miso vinaigrette. The meal was light, fresh, and truly spectacular.
In between all the silverware shuffling and outfit changes it’s amazing that we were able to squeeze 10 (TEN!) new business meetings into our whirlwind of a trip… but in fact we did. Houston is a truly wonderful city with an incredible dining scene and some very friendly folks. And we can’t wait to go back and try more of their treats!
jenslittleblackbook.com 