LOCAL Houston | The City Guide FEBRUARY 2015 | Page 26

Local February 2015 final.qxp_002houston 1/26/15 1:57 PM Page 26 GOOD EATS CORNER TABLE Stuffed Petite Eggplant $$ New American | 2736 Virginia St. | 713.568.9196 www.cornertablehouston.com Chef Ja’Nel Witt won Gordon Ramsay’s “Hell’s Kitchen” in 2013 and took the reins after Bruce Molzan’s departure last year. Witt has built upon the paleo-centric menu with more global flavors, including additional gluten-free and vegetarian options plus a new kid’s menu. –Jodi Eisenhardt ARCODORO $$$ Italian | 5000 Westheimer @ Post Oak | 713.621.6888 www.arcodoro.com The restaurant – co-owned by Efifio Faris with wife, Lori – has become a fixture in the Galleria area since opening in 1996. Highlights include the seafood options, particularly the whole fish (branzino, gulf red snapper or sea bream) encrusted in rock salt and cooked in the woodburning oven and filleted tableside. The same oven puts out some great –Jodie Eisenhardt pizza. “pappas bravas” with spicy red potatoes and Spanish chorizo, superfresh seafood, pizzas from a wood-burning oven and melt-in-yourmouth house-made pastas like “Mama Sonia’s ravioli” stuffed with chicken and porcini mushrooms in a white wine cream sauce topped –Jodie Eisenhardt with jumbo lump crab. BCN TASTE AND TRADITION $$$$ European, Spanish | 4210 Roseland St. | 832.834.3411 www.bcnhouston.com The vibe is traditional meets modern. Many of the ingredients and even some equipment have been sourced directly from Spain, including the mouth-watering Iberico Ham which is served with slices of bread rubbed with raw tomato for a rustic and satisfying dish. Other appetizer highlights include a lovely watermelon and burrata salad with baby greens, basil leaves and vinegar reduction. –Jodi Eisenhardt ARTURO BOADA CUISINE $$$ Spanish Italian | 6510 Del Monte | 713.568.9196 www.boadacuisine.com Chef/Owner Arturo Boada’s neighborhood outpost on Del Monte is turning out delectable cuisine from a spotless kitchen, reflecting the chef’s devotion to the freshest ingredients and high standards of preparing them. Menu options include flavorful Spanish tapas like the 26 L O C A L | february 15 BRADLEY’S FINE DINER $$$ Modern American | 191 Heights Blvd. | 832.831.5939 |www.bradleysfinediner.com Get the bone marrow toast or the chicken fried frog’s legs to start. Or better yet, splurge on the “Eggs and Toast” – essentially caviar and quail egg sliders, an excellent example of what the “fine” in fine diner means. I would also highly recommend the seared scallops, a totally all-American dish pan-seared until golden brown, and served in a bacon-y cream sauce with lemon gnocchi and maitake mushroom. I didn’t order the yankee pot roast, but from what I could see during my tour of the kitchen, the braised meat and potato dish looked exactly like what I’ll be wanting on my next visit. –Mai Pham COMMON BOND $ Café & Bakery | 1706 Westheimer | 713.529.3535 | www.wearecommonbond.com Designed by award-winning Italian firm Costa Group, which also designed NYC’s “Eataly,” the contemporary space is full of natural light from the many windows and is abuzz with throngs of customers, winding through the long line to place their orders or cozied up at two-tops, the coffee/juice bar, the long community table or on the patio tables outside. And the goal of “world-class pastries” has definitely been attained. The menu features more than 50 pastry, bread and baked items rotating according to season and ingredients. –Jodi Eisenhardt DOSI $$$ Modern Korean | 2802 S. Shepherd Dr. | 713.521.3674 www.dosirestaurant.com Soju, a type of Korean vodka made of rice, wheat and barley, is the drink of choice in Korea. At Dosi, soju is infused with different fruits – you’ll see a wall filled with glass canning jars when you step into the restaurant – which can b