Fabulous (and cheap!) Fare at Flemings ...

Flemings has really stepped up to the plate with relief from our economic woes with their 5 for $6 ’til 7 menu. 5 cocktails, 5 wines by the glass and 5 appetizers for only $6 each, from 5 until until 7 (7 days a week!). I've been telling people about it but hadn't had a chance to experience it for myself until yesterday evening and all I have to say is, "hell yeah". This is just what the doctor ordered!

I started with a fantastic cocktail - the "Basil Lemon Drop" cocktail made with Ciroc vodka and served in a martini glass, it was perfectly balanced and refreshing with its floating basil leaf providing a wonderful scent. I'm not much of a drinker but I fell in love with this one and can't wait to enjoy another.

My burger was sublime - perfectly medium rare as ordered with lucious, rich beef flavor (thanks to the freshly ground Prime beef - the same quality as Fleming's steaks) along with sharp cheddar and especially excellent bacon,
thick sliced and brown-sugar glazed. The burger is served lettuce and tomato on the plate along with a chiptle mayo on the side - just a touch of it provided a spicy kick that a wonderful compliment to the sweet bacon. The soft challah bun is toasted on the grill for additional texture is an especially nice touch for this brilliantly conceived and bargain-priced burger. There is a bonus on the plate in the form of two huge onion rings that are crunchy, sweet and delicious. Following my rule of "being full is not an excuse", I persevered to sample the seared Ahi Tuna which was absolutely impeccable and served with a spicy mustard sauce.

Flemings has even bigger burger plans with the launch of the "Burger Bar" on September 1st which will include four new burgers along with the wildly successful Prime Beef burger - and will be available not just in the bar but also in the dining room. The clever combinations will include:
- Sliced Filet Mignon Burger with sautéed mushrooms and béarnaise sauce
- Jumbo Lump Crab Cake Burger with creamy mustard sauce
- Ahi Tuna Burger with soy ginger sauce
- Portobello Mushroom Burger with sautéed spinach and creamy goat cheese

I feel a delimna coming on ... how not to order the Prime Beef burger and allow myself to try every one of these ... they all sound incredible.

September 1st also their marks the launch of the new Fleming's 100 award-winning list of 100 wines by the glass. What makes this year so special is that Fleming's will feature 30 wines by the glass that are priced at $10 or less.

There are some other specials as well, including the "$89 Memorable Meal" for two, throughout the month of September. Sure, the economy sucks but thankfully Flemings is easing the burden with these timely (and delicious) deals.
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C'Mon Haven!

This was our second dinner prepared by celebrated chef (and all-around great guy) Randy Evans at our home. We could not resist the opportunity for one more magical evening while Randy is still doing these private dinners as construction on Haven is completed. I've elaborated previously on Randy's story and of his cuisine so I won't repeat but feel free to check out that post from June. For those interesed in the mouth-watering details of our meal with Randy over the weekend, read on!
The menu was as follows:
Passed Hors d'oeuvres:
Gulf Shrimp, Pastor marinade, salsa verde
Purple Hull Pea Puree, truffle, crusty baguette
Free range deviled eggs
Soup Course:
Squash Blossom Vichyssoise
Salad Course:
Arugula, cucumber green goddess, Blue Heron feta, apple wood bacon
Meat Course:
Angus Short Ribs - butter braised baby leeks, stone ground slow cooked Anson Mills grits, texas mushroom ragout, parsley & shallot salad
Dessert:
Whopper Layer Cake - malted white cake, chocolate butter cream, whopper brittle

As usual, Randy's careful sourcing of ingredients provided for fresh, beautiful and blissfully recognizable Texas cuisine. He told us how he expects the menu at Haven to change every 2 weeks in order to take full advantage of the "farm to table" philosophy and provide for tremendous creativity. Randy is so excited to get into his kitchen at Haven!

The "wild-caught" shrimp were delectable with the gorgeous pastor marinade (you could really smell the fresh pineapple, lime, chipotle and other ingredients, not to mention the screaming-fresh salsa verde). Randy spoke about the even-more special shrimp that he'll be serving at the restaurant from the same folks ... a deeper-water different variety that he's excited about using.

The "purple hull pea puree" struck a sweet chord with me ... my Daddy loves purple hull peas. He used to eat them often when he was growing up on a rice farm in southern Louisiana so we also ate them whenever we could as I was growing up, and they always made my Dad really happy. Randy's version, pureed with a bit of stock and seasoning induced a lucious texture, accented so perfectly with a few drops of truffle oil, lemon zest and a shard of parmigiano on the crunchy baguette slice - it was simple and perfect.

The deviled eggs were what you wish all deviled eggs could be. Due to the freshness of the free-range eggs and their deep-colored, rich yolks, these were a special treat. We readily demolished the platter in record time.

The chilled Squash-Blossom soup was more than we ever could have imagined, in terms of both flavor and texture. It was sweet and creamy (without being overly sweet or creamy) but with tiny bursts of heat from finely-minced poblanos and then even more balance with the addition of minced fresh vegetables (corn, zucchini, squash blossoms) that were added at the end along with the bit of cream. It was utterly refreshing and something Randy had just conceived of recently. This is a great example of why we're so excited about Haven. Upon discovering the late-season squash blossoms, his imagination went to work and produced such a modern yet comforting seasonal masterpiece.

The salad was so beautiful, with arugula leaves the likes of which I've never seen, gorgeous beefstake tomatoes and goat feta from Blue Heron farms that was unlike any feta we've ever enjoyyed. Not packed in brine, it was creamier than most fetas - not at all crumbly and with a depth of tangy, rich flavor - just fantastic. Especially with the cucumber green goddess dressing (why haven't we always had strained, pureed cucumber involved in green goddess?!). It lightened and livened everything up and brought out the fresh flavors of every component in the salad.

Now for the main ... the most amazing short ribs (ever!). You would expect them to be tender and flavorful but the brilliance came from the mushroom ragout - deep, rich flavors including insanely wonderful Texas crimini mushrooms but my favorite element was the grits ... oh, those grits!! Have mercy! I'm sure it was the combination of the quality grits themselves, long and slow cooking and then the magic at the end when Randy slowly "butter-braised" the baby leeks (who knew there was such a thing) and combined those along with a bit of stock and cream ... these weren't your everyday grits (no offense, Mom). The ragout and the grits were meant to be friends on the plate ... mmmm.

Finally, the show-stopping Whopper Layer Cake (which Randy brought in his tupper-ware cake caddy - God love him). The white cake, subtly flavored with malt, had a crumb like no cake I've experienced and the frosting (made with both dark and milk chocolate from El Rey) had a light, creamy texture due to the use of corn syrup vs. confectioner's sugar and quality butter (of course). The "whopper brittle" was a revelation with its deep butterscotch-y toffee flavor and crushed whoppers ... truly my kind of candy. Randy says there will be a different layer cake each day at Haven. Somehow I'll have to get my hands on the cake plans, otherwise I'll be popping in every other day just to see if it might be Whopper Cake day (though I'm sure each and every cake would fulfill my most decadent cake fantasies). That's another endearing thing about Randy - he enjoys baking, though most chefs don't (we decided this must be because of the need to follow a recipe!).

We had the pleasure of meeting Randy's soux-chef, Kevin and the two of them make a great team, of course. Listening to Randy talk about the restaurant and all of the detail that has gone into every element of the planning makes you know with every word how much he takes all of it to heart and how Haven will truly be an expression of all that embodies both his personality and his cuisine. We're so lucky to have Randy and his vision here in Houston!
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Burgers on the Brain

Yeah-yeah ... what's new ... I'm always up for a (good) burger. It is just one of life's simple pleasures and oh-so-satisfying (again, when it's good)! With all the hubbub surrounding the current Texas Monthly "50 Best Burgers in Texas" article, I'm even more distracted than usual by my burger cravings and so I've indulged a bit lately. Without bothering to debate about the article as far as Houston's best burgers - I agree with some and disagree with others but respect their scoring system which was a really involved worksheet of legit detail and deep thought on the subject - I was inspired by the process that went into the work regardless of some questionable outcomes.
Notably missing IMO was Hubcap Grill, 1111 Prairie downtown - who I have thoroughly dissed previously but now love (see pic!). My first visit soon after they opened was frustrating in that "well done" just doesn't do it for me for this particular genre of burger and their ignoring my pleas to have it cooked medium instead providing the promise that it would be the juiciest burger I've ever had ... it wasn't (because it was overcooked) and I was grumpy because I knew it could have been really good.

Recently a foodie-friend who I greatly respect encouraged me to meet her for a re-match, promising that really and truly they are generally juicy as hell even when cooked well-done. Imagine my glee when we discovered you can now order your burger cooked to order so I had no doubt it would be awesome - and it totally was. From the housemade grilled bun to the hand-formed patty, the quality bacon and melting cheddar, not to mention the absolutely stellar hand-cut fries (best in Houston if you ask me), I was just really happy I had returned. If you have not had a burger from Hubcap (including several new very interesting options), just go ... you'll be glad you did!

When I saw Beck's Prime in the Texas Monthly article it sort of reminded me that Beck's exists ... I'm not above a chain if its good (and its more of a mini-chain I think). Plus I have great memories from when Beck's first came into the marketplace and how amazing the burger was back then when "gourmet" burgers didn't really exist so in honor of all that, I drove through the other day and realized it was actually still a good burger. No trouble having it cooked to order so it was beautifully pink and flavorful from the mesquite grilling. The egg-bun might be a little eggy and the fries weren't quite as crisp as I would have liked (but they were very close and I do appreciate that they are hand-cut). Easy-breezy and no drama. I'll return.

Feeling like I was on a roll, I decided to try Five Guys Burgers & Fries off I-10 near Bunker Hill. This chain now has 3 locations in Houston and I'd heard mixed reviews but figured it was something I needed to experience for myself. It was packed and bright (like really bad fluorescent bright) with uber-happy employees and I felt hopeful. Unfortunately the forcibly well-done burger was dry and nothing special though the hand-cut fries were outstanding (not worth returning just for the fries, though).

Today I made my way to the Little Bitty Burger Barn and felt my momentum picking up once again. Great service and a juicy, wonderful burger (without my even remembering to order a particular way - a very good sign). Fresh beef, fantastic hand-cut fries and a total bargain ($4.70 for the cheeseburger and only $1 extra for the fries). Hell yeah ... can't wait to return!

As I've mentioned before, I also love Smashburger and am happy they have several new locations including the one on Buffalo Speedway that is probably a little too close to me. I enjoyed one there recently and this is not a burger you have to order cooked a certain way. I love how hot and fresh the burger arrives and it is really a juicy, multi-napkin-required mess (yes, I mean that in a good way). The hot and crsipy fries are great, too even though they're not of the fresh/hand-cut variety; they totally work.

There ... I feel purged of my burger gossip for now ... :)

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