Restaurant Blog

“BOWL” . Healthy Eating, Houston Style - TX

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 12:24:03 -0800

Yes, I was in Houston and I’m not talk’in about the BBQ! ...rather, how about the Salad?? It’s no secret that I LOVE to eat great food and it certainly gets better when you’re eating great food that’s also healthy for you! (Just the thought makes me tingle inside...)

This weekend when I was in Houston, a fellow foodie-friend of mine introduced me to a cute little salad joint, barely outside downtown Houston. BOWL is a perfect lunch spot located at 607 Richmond in Houston, TX, where you have over 200 toppings, ingredients, and dressings to choose from! You can decorate your choice of greens with sugar snap peas, sun dried tomatoes, sweet potatoes, grilled portobello, hearts of palm, jicama, beets, black beans... the list goes on and ON. They also have a wide variety of exotic fruits, nuts, and cheeses to add to your mixture of flavors! I won’t even go into the Dressings or I’ll be here all day. You’re just going to have to try it for yourself! Also, compliment your salad with fresh homemade soup or a grilled sandwich. Express your Palatable Creativity at Bowl the next time you’re anywhere close to the Houston area!

The same owners of BOWL also run a lounge at night, located right next door. It’s called Absinthe. I haven’t been there, but my friend says it has a cool ambiance inside. So you can enjoy a little Health during the Day and a little Sin at Night! ;)

www.EatatBowl.com
www.absinthelounge.com

BLT Steak . West Hollywood, CA

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 20:35:06 -0800

This place adds new meaning to “BLT” and is certainly no bacon-lettuce-tomato... rather, BLT stands for “Bistro Laurent Tourondel,” an accomplished French chef who knows class and expresses his genius through his menu. Its website states that it “integrates traditional elements of a cozy French Bistro with those of a stylish, urbane boite.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. ;)

If you’ve never heard of this place, well you’re hearing about it here on my Blog! BLT Steak has a cozy, peaceful ambiance with an upscale touch that seems to give you that warm fuzzy feeling when entering through the doors. To me, it seems like a great place to visit on a cold day, with a cute, fitted cashmere sweater and scarf... but that’s just me.

We sat at the bar area so we could watch the Giants/Cowboys game and to our right was the most beautiful, bustling Raw seafood bar staring at us right in the face! So naturally we gave in. You have your choice from stone crab claws and alaskan king crab legs to fresh clams, scallops, oysters, mussels, lobster cocktail, and jumbo shrimp... WHOA! I can’t wait to go back to have some of what they are really known for... which is the wonderful array of meats. Don’t forget to try their signature warm popovers...trust me, it’s worth the carbs!

Check out the rest of their unbelievable menu on their website at www.bltsteak.com.

KATANA . West Hollywood, CA

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 12:03:20 -0800

MMMmmmm.... Sushiiiii....But with a twist! Katana is a part of a fantastic restaurant group called Innovative Dining Group, which also runs other popular trendy venues like BOA Steakhouse, Sushi Roku, Lucky Fish, and Robata Bar. Katana is one of my favorites because it’s the well-rounded package. Great food, great crowd, great location, great atmosphere!

As I had said in a previous blog entry, the tasting menu has to be the way to go at places like these... so that’s what we ordered! They have a couple (maybe 3) different kitchens - The ones that I know of are The Robata Bar and The Sushi Bar. The Robata serves a variety of meats and seafood with sauces that can satisfy any tongue. I’d recommend the Filet Mignon wrapped around Foie Gras and Asparagus. Very tasty for a meat lover. From the Seafood menu, I was extremely impressed with the delectable creativity the menu had to offer. I can see why the chef selected for our tasting, Spicy Tuna on Grilled Rice Cakes! One word - Orgasmic! I dare you to try it. From the Sushi Bar, the Creamy Baked Crab wrapped in Soy Paper had a unique taste, but I liked it! It was a nice change from a saltier palate to neutral soft one.

Katana is located right in the heart of where it all happens on Sunset Blvd. Not too far from ONE Sunset, Katana sits right on the second level of Plaza del Sol at 8439 W Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood. Popular reality shows have been filmed here such as Real Housewives of Orange County. With the wealth, notoriety, and glam in this part of town, you’re bound to run into a celebrity or two. I really enjoyed the the outdoor seating that overlooks a bustling Sunset Strip. Don’t worry if it’s cold out. The heating lamps are strong enough to keep you warm if your date isn’t already! Fella’s, impress a girl and show her you know what’s up by taking her here!

http://www.katanala.com

ONE Sunset . West Hollywood, CA

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:21:07 -0800

ONE Sunset is located at 8730 Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood, prime location on the Strip... an ideal location for rubbing shoulders with high profile celebrities. The second I walked inside, I was instantly impressed by its modern decor... a trendy, yet relaxed environment that emits an intimate loungy feel. Apparently, I learned that it’s a sister restaurant to ONE Manhattan, bringing a small taste of New York to Hollywood.

I loved the concept of the menu, in which each dish is of smaller portions to encourage a tasting of sorts... So naturally, we decided to order the chef’s tasting menu. I highly recommend this when you go here, as it’s worth every penny of its fairly moderate price! I also loved the idea of sitting back and allowing the chef to select his favorites on the menu... leave the work to the boss! My absolute favorite was the Tuna Tartare w/spicy sauce draped over a Tempura Eggplant... Phenomenal! It’s like a party in your mouth! The soft texture of the tuna blended just right with the crisp eggplant and a kick of spice! Very Creative. Extremely worth every Calorie! ;) I also enjoyed the Steak Frits that came with thin sweet potato fries. When the fries are made with Sweet potatoes, it’s usually a good sign of a great kitchen!

As I had mentioned earlier, ONE Sunset is a prime location for celebrity sightings...you just never know who you’ll run into in this part of town! That night, they hosted an episode from Girls Next Door. I actually didn’t believe them until Hugh Hefner himself walked passed us with an entourage of big boobs and bleached blonde hair following closely behind. What a stud! ;)

http://www.onelittlewest12.com/sunset

Bad-Ass Bears at The Cheesecake Factory

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:59:42 -0800

Tonight after a testing round of 33 holes at Red Hill, a friend and I went to catch the hyped-up Saints/Bears game at The Cheesecake Factory (I love Thursday Night Football...keeps the action going throughout the week!). I have to say that I’m not a big fan of chain restaurants and would never encourage such boring dining habits, but Cheesecake is different. I’d have to say that it’s one of the only chains I would recommend for these reasons:

It’s a safe bet. When in doubt and you’re starving, your blood sugar is low and you’re to the point of crankiness... go for a place that you know is reliable and consistent.
Clean and fun atmosphere. So far, I’ve only had friendly smiles at our service and the decor is modern and crucially clean!
Nice Menu Variety. One of their motto’s is “Something for Everyone!” As many times as I’ve been here, I still don’t think I’ve read through the entire text book menu! ...I may have lost my bookmark... maybe it’s in the salad section...

Tonight, my friend special ordered a very unique pizza that I thought was worth sinking my teeth into... We named it K-Lo’s Special Pizza. Ya’ll have to try it next time you visit Cheesecake Factory... It’s just a pizza with sausage, shrimp, artichoke, cheese, pesta sauce, and basil... specify NO RED TOMATO SAUCE. When I tried it... mMMMmmm. Oven-baked to perfection with a warm crisp bottom... What a great way to watch an exciting last 4 minutes of the game and see the Bears come back to win by a field goal in OT! Let me know if anyone orders it because I’d like to hear your thoughts! Did you know they also offer Delivery and Curbside To-Go?? Heck yea! :)

A couple of my favorite menu items are the Sweet Corn Tamales and the Chopped Salad or Cobb Salad with balsamic on the side...