dining out

the last hurrah…

My friends and I finally got together for a belated Christmas dinner last Tuesday to celebrate the end of 2012 and exchange a few presents with one another. Tuesdays & Thursdays are steak nights at MKT Bar downtown, so we took advantage of that and most of us enjoyed some delicious 12 ounce chops with chimichurri sauce and frites. And even though I’ve never been a huge pita fan, I have to say the pita chips here are pretty damn good. I’ll have to come back and check out the Phoenician market that’s located inside the same building next time. I hear the olive bar is top notch!

dining out, Houston

Local Foods

I’ve been dining out with my brother and sister lately and one of our new favorite spots in town is Local Foods down in the Rice Village. This gourmet sandwich shop uses fresh and, wait for it, local ingredients. Each sandwich order, as if it wasn’t already enough, comes with two sides ranging from quinoa, or homemade cous cous to delicious cabbage slaw. The vibe here is chill with locals coming in and out, hanging about reading the papers, grabbing a quick lunch to go. I’m slowing trying to wean myself off my college diet of fast food, so places like these have been a great alternative. That, and a lot of home cooked meals for sure.

P.S. I got my cat dress!

dining out, weekends

fine dining…

I think one of the best things about this last Austin trip was finally dining at Uchi. Between the three of us, we had a twelve course meal that we all agreed was probably one of the best dining experiences we’ve had. The food was so delicious and fresh and the service was timely enough for us to enjoy and savor all the beautiful flavors of each dish. My top favorite, if I had to narrow it down, was definitely the pork belly dish and the peanut butter semifreddo. I’m so happy Uchi has opened another location in Houston. Definitely planning on another visit in the near future.

zero sen yellowtail٠avocado٠shallot٠cilantro٠tobiko٠ yuzu

bacon steakie pork belly٠watermelon radish٠
citrus٠thai basil

machi cure smoked baby yellowtail٠ yucca crisp٠
asian pear٠marcona almond٠garlic brittle

jizake crème caramel brown butter sorbet٠ginger

peanut butter semifreddo٠ apple-miso sorbet

dining out, weekends

Austin: day 3

day 3: Sunday was spent eating Japanese food all day. A quick brunch at Zen where the rice dishes are just as good as it looks and the details in all the light fixtures are oh so charming. I was a bit disappointed that some of the stores I really wanted to visit were closed so early on Sundays, but I did manage to stop by Waterloo Records where Shearwater was having an in-store performance. Sadly, though, no actual vinyls to sift through. The rest of the night was spent having one of the most delicious meals I’ve ever had at Uchi. See next post for mouth watering details.

… I’m a sloucher at heart …

dining out, weekends

lunch break

day 2: We met up with Benjamin and Trang for lunch at South Congress cafe before going on our shopping spree. (They have a cute lifestyle blog here) What was intended to be quick bite ended up being a three hour lunch, but it wasn’t too bad considering they make such delicious bloody mary’s and spending time with friends and good food is always something I enjoy.