By Carlos Brandon
OPEN
OUI EATS : INSIDE THE GALLERIA
CUISINE : VIETNAMESE 5085 Westheimer Rd . # K125 , Houston , TX 77056 832.940.2163 | www . ouieats . com
You may not know Linh Ly by name , but if you know anything about good Vietnamese food in Houston , you probably know her first restaurant , Les Givral ’ s . The extremely popular , cash-only , Midtown banh mi shop and cafe has been serving Vietnamese sandwiches and coffee since before hanging out in Midtown was anything to be proud of . Her culinary empire has been steadily growing since , with a second Les Givral ’ s location on Washington , and a Oui
Beef Sandwich
Photography by Matthew Rood
THE TIPPING POINT : HOTEL ZAZA MEMORIAL CITY
CUISINE : SOUTHERN 9787 Katy Freeway , Houston , TX 77024 | 713.986.9800 | www . hotelzaza . com / memorial-city / dining
Memorial City is making a solid argument as one of Houston ’ s most appealing and exciting neighborhoods . Last year I wrote about the reopening of Ciro ’ s Italian Grill , part of MetroNational ’ s massive development plans for the area . Ciro ’ s , which happens to be one of Houston ’ s best Italian kitchens , sits comfortably in the shadow of what has long been the crux of those plans . The second Houston location of the fascinating boutique hotel , ZaZa . The new Hotel ZaZa is bigger , bolder and shinier than its Museum District older sibling . As such , its lobby restaurant was designed to match its bold personality . The Tipping Point is part speakeasy , part culinary experience , all style .
Chef Jonathan Wicks designed his French and Southern-inspired menu to be hyper local , sourcing everything from his beef to his grits as close to home as possible . As a starter I would strongly advise one to order the Third Coast Campechana , Wick ’ s modern take on the classic Mexican seafood cocktail . This dish is a mountain of lump blue crab , Gulf shrimp ,
shaved radishes , cilantro and sliced serrano peppers , plated beautifully alongside a streak of avocado mousse . For a heartier entrée , consider the 8oz filet , atop of a bed of creamy Central Texas grits , and served beside one of the more creative uses of vegetables I have ever seen in a dish , a blood red beet molasses sauce that is both sweet and tangy .
One of the hotel ’ s proudest new additions is the bar at the Tipping Point . Sommelier Christopher Fleischman brings not only his love and
THE MIDDLE SPOON
CUISINE : DESSERT / BAR 15911 City Walk , Sugar Land , TX 77478 281.491.0053 www . themiddlespoon . com / houston-tx
Dessert and booze ; the perfect pair . It ’ s a wonder why more bars don ’ t serve peach cobbler . And why won ’ t the corner bakery in my neighborhood mix me a mojito ? Bad business if you ask me . At the Middle Spoon in Sugar Land Town Square , these kinds of requests are not met with weird looks nor refusals . It ’ s all part of the business model at the newly reopened desserterie and bar . The Sugar Land location is the first south of the border venture for this popular Cana-
28 LOCAL | 3 . 2018