LOCAL Houston | The City Guide APRIL 2015 | Page 29

Local April.qxp_002houston 3/23/15 2:15 PM Page 29

LIBERTY KITCHEN OYSTERETTE
$$$ American, Italian, Seafood | 4224 San Felipe | 713.622.1010
www.libertykitchenoysterette.com
The menu is loaded. I wish I were three people. Sushi, caviar and soups
that sound amazing. The steaks will await my return, as will several
seafood selections and the King Crab, and Mac & Cheese. Oh yeah.
–Jeff Lane
MASCALZONE
$$$ Italian | 1550 Shepherd | 713.862.9700
www.ilmascalzone.com
Preparing all of their ingredients in-house for sauces, pizzas and pastas
with mostly organic ingredients, there is a strong commitment to quality. Utilizing a state-of-the-art wood-fired Marana Forni pizza oven, the
pies come out fast with a crispy, flavorful crust and fantastic yeast pockets.
–Jodie Eisenhardt

MR. PEEPLES
$$$$ Steakhouse | 1911 Bagby | 713.652.0711
www.mrpeeples.com
Steaks and seafood are the specialties, but the menu is packed with
delicious descriptions and creative titles. There are banquet and meeting facilities on the second floor with state-of-the-art audio and visual
systems for business conferences, receptions, private parties et al. So
there are plenty of reasons to return.
–Jeff Lane
PONDICHERI -- BAKE LAB + SHOP
$ Bakery, Indian | 2800 Kirby Ste. B240 | 713.522.2012
www.pondichericafe.com
Pondicheri Cafe, the West Ave Indian institution, has a bakery, juice
factory, coffee shop, spice shop and so much more sitting right on top
of the cafe, and it’s stylishly known as the Bake Lab + Shop. The Bake
Lab puts out an often changing selection of pastries, cakes, prepared
foods like salads and yogurt, soups, sandwiches and a whole host of
other surprises. The Shop portion puts out some great drinks, juices, an
extensive selection of serve-yourself spices and even some copper
tableware. Full of bright natural light, the rest of the area is the huge
kitchen and an eclectic seating area where you should spend some of
your time. You won’t regret it.
– Michael Cook

PAUL’S KITCHEN
$$$$ Global | 2502 Algerian Way | 713.360.2002
www.paulskitchenhouston.com
If you love lamb, the Moroccan lamb tangia (a type of stew), beautifully presented in a clay pot, is hearty and great to share. Also great –
in fact, my favorite of all the items we tried – was the fish ’n chips. I
can’t remember when I’ve had a better version. Three large pieces of
moist, deep fried white fish (we had cod) laid criss-cross atop each
other next to a small mound of fries and green pea mash. It’s served
with tartar sauce and malt vinegar just like you’d find in the UK. The
batter is amazingly crisp, not oily in the least. Order it with a glass of
ale or stout, or a local craft beer, and you’ll go home happy.
–Mai Pham

THE EL CANTINA SUPERIOR
$$ Tex-Mex | 602 Studewood | 832.203.5180
www.theelcantina.com
Lance Fegen and his executive chef team, along with operator Lee Ellis,
have created a vast menu – a Tex-Mex wish list with everything from
burritos to chicken fried steak and beyond. I’m crazy about the “street
jicama” – inspired by Fegen’s surfing road trips to Mexico: marinated
jicama, cucumber, pina, lime juice, chiles and smoked salt are served
in a little sandwich bag. The “J&B” tacos are instant classics – deepfried crispy tacos with white American cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo and
packet-style taco sauce. An insanely delicious salute to those drive-thru
tacos you hate to admit that you love.
–Jodie Eisenhardt

RUGGLES BLACK
$$$ French-American-Indian Fushion | 3939 Kirby Dr.
832.530.4493 | www.rugglesblack.com
A joint venture between restaurateur Neera Patidar and chef Bruce
Molzan of Ruggles fame, the idea of Ruggles Black, on paper, can be
a little hard to grasp: French-American-Indian food with a focus on
Paleo dishes. The reality, however, is an innovative, spiced up, flavorful
menu filled with healthful options set in a modern bistro environment
that is at once as sexy as it is inviting.
–Mai Pham

URBAN KITCHEN
$$ Modern American | 14008 Memorial Dr. | 281.531.7440
|www.urbankitchenhouston.com
Open just a few months, the large menu is diverse. A fun starter is the
lobster mac and cheese, made with wide rigatoni noodles and a nottoo-thick, creamy cheese sauce studded with lobster meat. There are a
variety of flatbreads. We chose the very delicious “Wildwood” featuring house-smoked pulled pork, a drizzling of BBQ sauce