Local May_Final.qxp_002houston 4/23/15 12:19 PM Page 26
GOOD EATS
NORTH ITALIA
CHEF BOARDS
$$$ Italian ,Pizza, Wine Bar | 1700 Post Oak
281.605.4030 | www.northitaliarestaurant.com
North Italia recently opened in BLVD Place on Post Oak, behind the new Whole Foods that opened a few months ago. The chic space
serves traditional Italian fare led by Executive Chef Taylor Domet, including made from scratch pizzas and pastas with an emphasis on
fresh, locally sourced ingredients along with a nice selection of seafood dishes. Don’t miss the Bolognese pasta or the Patata Pizza with
Italian bacon, potatoes and a farm egg along with fantastic craft cocktails and a great wine list.
–Jodie Eisenhardt
ARCODORO
$$$ Italian | 5000 Westheimer | 713.621.6888
www.arcodoro.com
The restaurant – co-owned by Efisio Farris 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
wood-burning oven and filleted tableside. The same oven puts out
some great pizza.
–Jodie Eisenhardt
ARTURO BOADA CUISINE
$$$ Spanish Italian | 6510 Del Monte | 713.568.9196
www.boadacuisine.com
Chef/Owner Arturo Boada’s neighborhood outpost on Del Monte is
turning out delectable cuisine from a spotless kitchen, reflecting the
chef’s devotion to the freshest ingredients and high standards of
preparing them. Menu options include Spanish tapas like the “pappas
bravas” with spicy red potatoes and Spanish chorizo, super-fresh
seafood, pizzas from a wood-burning oven and melt-in-your-mouth
house-made pastas like “Mama Sonia’s ravioli” stuffed with chicken
and porcini mushrooms in a white wine cream sauce topped with
jumbo lump crab.
–Jodie Eisenhardt
BCN TASTE AND TRADITION
$$$$ European, Spanish | 4210 Roseland St. | 832.834.3411
www.bcnhouston.com
The vibe is traditional meets modern. Many of the ingredients and even
some equipment have been sourced directly from Spain, including the
mouthwatering Iberico Ham which is served with slices of bread rubbed
26
L O C A L
| may 15
with raw tomato for a rustic and satisfying dish. Other appetizer
highlights include a lovely watermelon and burrata salad with baby
greens, basil leaves and vinegar reduction.
–Jodie Eisenhardt
BIG EYED FISH
$$ Southern American Comfort | 908 Henderson | 713.714.8367
www.bigeyedfishhouston.com
Everything is made fresh in-house. Yummy crab beignets sit atop a bed
of dressed greens and a tangy/sweet tomato jam that’s so good they
sell jars of it at the bar. Other hits include the fried green tomatoes,
bacon-filled deviled eggs, and the shrimp and grits. The meatloaf has a
spicy kick, and we loved the pan-roasted quail with its fantastic mushroom bread pudding. The bar has a solid beer and wine selection (and
retail), and the express lunch offers downtowners a tasty new option.
–Jodie Eisenhardt
CARACOL
$$$$ Mexican Coastal Seafood | 220 Post Oak Blvd.
713.622.9996 | www.caracol.net
I ordered the Gran Especial margarita, Gusanos and Tostado de Atun
Crudo. The Gran Especial margarita had a nice “bite” from the tamarind
and the roasted spiced simple syrup, quite the choice for the chilly
Houston night that I visited. The Gusanos, which may shock some, are
sautéed, dried maguey worms. Once you get over the intial shock
factor that you’re eating worms, you’ll really enjoy this dish. Served
taco style, I found this dish to be best when drizzled with the lime and
topped with salsa. The Tostada de Atun Crudo was very fresh and
topped with a sour orange mayonnaise.
–Dominique McGhee
COOK & COLLINS
$$$ American | 2416 Brazos St. Suite C | 832.701.1973
www.cookandcollins.com
From the kitchen, Chef Josh Shobe’s American menu offers a large
selection of appetizers to share – gourmet flatbreads, loaded potato
smashers, buffalo chili fries, oysters rockefeller fondue and more –
along with a selection of burgers, entrées, salads, sides and desserts. I
had the steak frites (ribeye steak and fries served with truffle mayo)
– a favorite, along with a free-range fried chicken served with garlic
mashed potatoes, braised greens and honey jar. For dessert, the
butterscotch pudding, served in a canning jar with oatmeal cookies,
was sweet, but definitely worth the calorie splurge.
–Mai Pham
DAVIS ST. AT HERMANN PARK
$$$ Fusion, International, Modern | 5925 Alme H