TQLA

I've seen so much PR buzz on TQLA that I was super interested in trying this new eatery on Washington.  I was so NOT disappointed.  The atmosphere is hip and contemporary with warm tones that embrace you upon entry. High-end Tex Mex with a gazillion tequilas.  Worth your trip, for sure.  Go try it and see!

TQLA

TQLA has 170 Tequilas available -- yes 170!  With 5 tequilas on tap (yes, on tap...who knew one can even imagine tequila on tap -- my college keg days have come a long way....).

We sampled a few, including the El Jimador (spicy, vanilla, sweet) - $7.00.  And, the TQLA Original ($6.75).  I ordered the later on the rocks, and it was totally rockin'.  Super smooth and super fresh.  (Aguavales 100% Blue Agave Tequila, orange liqueur and fresh lime juice).  YUMMY!

TQLA Original Margarita



El Jimador

Oh, yes, they have food, too.  And, it was very impressive.   The Queso Blanco with Poblanos (actually made with 3 cheeses) was velvety-smooth.  I could swim in it.  So thick, yet light and happy. 

Queso Blanco with Pablanos

The Todos Santos Nachos -- chips topped with roasted corn (love corn on nachos -- how come more tex-mex eateries do not do this?!?), black beans, jalapeno queso, salsa fresca, Mexican crema and guacamole - $8.50 (added chicken to mine - $3.00 extra).  Delicious, Yum-o Nachos.  Different than the standard nacho fare.  More gourmet, but not fussy at all.  Very enjoyable.  Also, the plate served up cabbage instead of lettuce.  Loved that!

Todos Santos Nachos

The Habanero Jerked Chicken Breast was described to us as their spiciest dish.  And, it was pretty darn hot!  My dining companion, who can eat fire, said it wasn't hot.  So, clearly the hot-scale is subjective.  But, this diner found it spicy!  The chicken was very tender and the Caribbean rice on the side was marvelous! ($14.95).

Habanero Jerked Chicken Breast

Finally, the Ensenada Chicken Enchiladas.  They were my least favorite item ordered.  The enchiladas contained some dark meat -- I'm not a dark meat fan.  That's one of those subjective things again.  Also, the enchiladas were not super cheesy.  I'm pretty sure that is by design, and maybe the fact that I grew up eating Molina's food is my down fall in getting out my tex-mex comfort zone.  Great tomatillo sauce on these puppies!  And, the caramelized onions were divine.  ($11.25)

Ensenada Chicken Enchiladas

I recommend TQLA to anyone and everyone.  While they cater to a younger crowd, anyone who enjoys excellent food and tequilas will appreciate this establishment.  The ingredients are entirely and perfectly fresh.  The service was fantastic -- knowledgeable and friendly.  Oh, and the place was super clean...you know I like my eateries clean!  I look forward to going back soon!  Cheers!

TQLA

4601 Washington Avenue

Houston, Texas 77007

281-501-3237

www.tqlahouston.com

Afternoon Tea at The St. Regis

I love a nice lunch.  I love a nice dinner.  A fantastic brunch is swell.  But, give me a classy, sophisticated, upscale Afternoon Tea, and I am such a happy camper.  In Houston, our classiest Tea spot is at The St. Regis.

Today I went for Afternoon Tea.  I selected the St. Regis Blend for my tea.  I always select the St. Regis Blend.  Oh, I have tried other varieties such as the Raspberry and the new white tea offered.  But the St. Regis Blend is what I look forward to each time.  While I believe it has Earl Grey and Breakfast blends in it, this blend is so yummy, so delish....its a tea that you can really sink your teeth into.  So scrumptious!

The St. Regis Blend Tea

All the sandwiches offered at Tea are mouthwatering!  We sampled Chicken Salad on soft, thick wheat, Gruyere Cheese on white bread (excellent contrast with bold cheese and simple bread), cucumber (super fresh) with creamy herbed cream cheese, Provolone cheese with Breasola (Italian, air-dried, aged, salted beef), and the Salmon.  My favorite:  the Chicken Salad. 

Tea Sandwiches

 

THE SCONE.  Ah, the Scone.  Never will you ever find a scone that is an equal to these scones.  Most scones are dry, hard, dense, compact.  St. Regis currant scones are consistently light, airy, moist.  They are the most divine scone on the plant Earth.  I kid you not!  These delicious treats make me so happy.  Served with Devonshire Cream (foodie fact:  Devonshire cream is produced in the Southwestern part of England, in the counties of Somerset, Cornwall, and Devon).  If you are really, really nice to the servers, sometimes they'll give you an extra scone!

Currant Scone with Devonshire Cream

Dessert.  I know, you'd think the delectable scone would be enough.  But, nope, Afternoon Tea comes with a 3rd Course!  Dessert.  Today it included a fruit tart (tasty vanilla custard with fresh berries), cream puff (light), and the best of the 3, in my opinion, the key lime tart (tart and sweet at once, with a dense, rich meringue on top).

Dessert Pastries

No Afternoon Tea is complete without Champagne.  House Bubbles: Chandon ($14 a glass).

Bubbles

The St. Regis never, ever disappoints.  Always classy, elegant, sophisticated.  Excellent, excellent service.  A beautiful harpist plays in the background.  The ambiance is second to none.  I treasure my Tea Times. 

Price:  Usually $35 for Afternoon Tea.  During Christmas Time, the price changes to $40 for Holiday Tea.

Food Fact: Afternoon Tea is the correct term for dainty teas in the afternoon, not High Tea.  Many folks get confused.  Afternoon Tea is what is traditionally thought of when referring to Tea with sandwiches and scones, as described above.  Historically, Afternoon Tea was served in the afternoon to help ease hunger before dinner.  High Tea is actually more of a meal, serving heavier foods including meat, egg, fish dishes, and served later in the day at about 6:00 pm.

The St. Regis Houston
1919 Briar Oaks Lane
Houston, Texas 77027
713-403-2631
www.StRegis.com/Houston

Sprinkles Cupcakes

So thought I'd check out the special Holiday flavors at Sprinkles Cupcakes.  I'm usually a loyal Crave Cupcakes fan, but Sprinkles called my name today.

First up, Eggnog Spice.  Oh. My. Gosh.  This little cake was stupendous!  Spice cake with an eggnog cream cheese frosting.  And, you know, ordinarily I do not even like cream cheese icing.   But, this was delicious.  I truly meant to eat just a few bites, and yet, I devoured that puppy in minutes!  It was THAT good!  It was moist, too.  I super highly recommend the Eggnog Spice.  

Eggnog Spice

My other Cupcake Christmas Confection was the Vanilla Peppermint.  Usually, I am a humongo fan of anything peppermint, but this cupcake left me a little disappointed.  Although a really beautiful looking cupcake, the Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla cake was dull.  Boring.  Dry.  Not much flavor.  The icing a not-much-more-exciting vanilla peppermint.  I'd stick to Peppermint Bark or a York Peppermint Patty if you need a mint fix.  Go for the Eggnog Spice cupcake instead!  Yum-o!

Vanilla Peppermint

Both Flavors, and Chocolate Peppermint, available through December 24th.   Merry Christmas!

Sprinkles Cupcakes
4014 Westheimer
Houston, Texas 77027
http://www.sprinkles.com/

Brennan's of Houston

Ahhhhhhh....Class.  Elegance.  Fantastic Service.  Excellent Food.  Just a few words that consistently describe Brennan's of Houston.

Jazz Band

This trip to Brennan's was for Sunday Brunch.  Different brunch options and combinations are available.  I started with the Coplin Farms Honey Butternut Squash Soup with all spice, creme fraiche, and cayenne pepitas.  (What is a pepita you ask -- otherwise known as a pumpkin seed).  The soup was creamy, rich, delicious.  A bit of sweetness to it, but in the most delectable way. 

Honey Butternut Squash Soup

One of my tablemates ordered the Soup 1-1-1.  In addition to the Butternut Squash Soup, she was able to sample the Pheasant & Venison Gumbo YaYa, and their famous Turtle Soup Au Sherry.  She said each tasting complimented one other.  Excellent variety.  The winner of her taste testing:  The Honey Butternut Squash Soup.

Soup 1-1-1

For my entree, I ordered the Gulf Coast Shrimp and Grits.   The creamy goat cheese grits were a great pairing and contrast to the crispy mirlitons (part of the gourd family, used like a squash or potato).   The sweet peppers were crisp tender.  Perfectly wilted arugula on top. 

Gulf Coast Shrimp & Grits

For dessert, I couldn't step away from the comfort of the famous Bananas Foster.  A true classic.  Creamy vanilla ice cream.  Ripe, yummy, warm bananas.  Perfect warm, buttery, sugary, vanillay, rummy sauce.  Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

The making of Bananas Foster

Bananas Foster

Another friend ordered the Chocolate Texicana Mousse Cake.  White and dark chocolate layers flavored with Patron XO Cafe Liquer and spiced with chipotle sea salt.  It was a light cake.  And, those were some spicy sea salts!  All of those flavors do make me happy, but we decided this was not our favorite dessert option.  Impressive to look at though, don't you think?

Chocolate Texicana Mousse Cake

Price:  my 3 course brunch was $36, plus my mimosas ($8 each) and valet parking ($5).  Worth every penny.  Brennan's is always spot on perfect. 

Brennan's of Houston
3300 Smith Street
Houston, Texas 77008
http://www.brennanshouston.com/

Eddie V's - West Avenue

The atmosphere of the new Houston Eddie V's at West Avenue (new mixed use development at Kirby and Westheimer) is sleek and modern, yet cozy.  Big round chandeliers.  Contrasting textures and patterns.  High energy.  The place continued to be packed at 10:30 PM the Saturday night we were there. 

The Bar area is large,  yet had some nooks and crannies, so intimacy was not lost.  The bar area was also completely packed.

The restroom area was a little unusual.  First the men's and ladies' rooms are separate, but barely.  The sink is shared between both the men's and women's.  So, as you are washing your hands....be careful...you may grab an anonymous person on the other side (you can only see their hands, not faces).  A little "Ally McBeal" for my tastes, but moving onward.

Because it is a restaurant, after all...What about the food,  you ask?

The Yellowtail Sashimi with cilantro, fresh chilies, and ponzu - Equaled - AMAZING.  ($14).  Ponzu sauce a citrus based sauce commonly used Japanese cuisine.

Yellowtail Sashimi

The Colossal Shrimp, were, well, colossally disappointing.  Served with cocktail sauce, apple-melon-jicama slaw (which was off the charts spicy) and horseradish.  The shrimp were tough and chewy.  I expected more from Eddie V's.

Colossal Shrimp

The Steak ordered -- 12 ounce Center Cut Filet Mignon ($39) was very good.  Cooked perfectly to order.  Chargrilled on outside, Medium inside.  Great flavor.  Yummy. 

Two sides were delish:  The Truffled Macaroni & Cheese and The Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin (both $5 for small and $8 for large).  Could have added more cheesy-ness to the potatoes, but no points deducted. Pasta and potatoes cooked al dente.

Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin

Truffled Macaroni & Cheese

Complaints: Caesar salad was so-so.  Bread was hard.  Service was slow.  Did I mention the sink in the restroom creeped me out?

I'm not sure I'll go back to Eddie V's super soon.  But, the experience wasn't horrible either.  I'm not sure if that is a recommendation or not.

Eddie V's Houston West Avenue
2800 Kirby Drive
Houston, Texas 77098
www.eddiev.com







Araya Artisan Chocolate

Hello Heaven.  A store just for chocolate treasures.  Handmade from Venezuelan Chocolate without preservatives, additives, or artificial flavors.  The ganache is made from honey, not sugar.

Here we go with the sampling.  I tried 6 total: 2 truffles (Trufas) and 4 chocolates (from the Chocolate Collections).

Clockwise from left: Peanut Butter & Berries, Pink Salt, Hazelnut Praline, and Key Lime

First up:  the Bourbon Trufa:. Did not disappoint!  This is a serious Truffle.  Rolled in unsweetened cacoa, the rich, chewy, dense dark ganache on the inside was paired perfectly with a hint of bourbon.  Not overpowering.  This was amazing.

Second: Champagne Rose Trufa:  whereas the Bourbon truffle was serious, this trufa is light and happy.  Light milk chocolate mousse on the inside.  The truffle is dusted with pink sugar.  Subtle hint of Champagne Rose just to give the chocolate flavor.  A little crunch from the sugar dusting.  Excellent.

Now up the Chocolates:

I started with the Key Lime.  Definitely Key Lime flavor.  The Key Lime overpowered the chocolate, in my opinion.  While it did remind me of a mini-Key Lime pie, the fresh lime juice and zest was just too much for me.  I was looking for more of a chocolate pop.  Beautiful to look at, though, with the hand painted green swirls.

Next up:  Peanut Butter & Berries.  While I am normally a Peanut Butter/Chocolate Purist (don't taint their relationship), I actually really enjoyed the black berries "pate de fruit" on top of the ganache.  The berries were a subtle marriage with the peanut butter and chocolate that really, really worked.  The chocolate was gorgeous with hand painted yellow, red, pink, and orange stripes.

Third Chocolate: Pink Salt.  Strong dark ganache with a touch of pink salt from the Himalayan Mountains.  I was expecting to love this chocolate as I am a salt-aholic.  However, this combination did not work for me. 

Finally, the Hazelnut Praline.  Very creamy hazelnut praline blended with milk chocolate ganache.  Not dense.  Easy to pop a lot of these little guys.

My Take Away:
My favorite surprised me with the Peanut Butter and Berries.  My least favorite was the Pink Salt.  I also really, really, really, really enjoyed the Bourbon Truffle.  This little chocolate ball is for serious Chocolate Lovers!

Araya Artisan Chocolate
River Oaks
2013 West Gray
Houston, Texas 77019
www.arayachocolate.com
 

Cyclone Anaya's - City Centre

I loved the vibe I felt when walking in the new City Centre location of Cyclone Anaya's.  The interior design is a funky Tex-Mex feel.  Exposed brick, cement floors.  Bright, light windows.  Funky nooks, crannies, and details.  It's a fun place!

Inside Cyclone Anaya's at City Centre

We went for Sunday Brunch, which was a fun time to sample as we ordered breakfast and regular menu items.   The pancakes ($6) came with 2 strips of Applewood  smoked bacon and a bowl of fresh fruit.  The flapjacks were super delish.  Thick, dense, but still tender.  I could really sink my teeth into them.  The bacon had excellent flavor, as well.... and the perfect crispness.

Pancakes with Applewood Smoked Bacon

The Breakfast Americana came with two eggs, Applewood smoked bacon (yum!), beans, rice, roasted potatoes, and the bowl of fruit ($8).  The potatoes were roasted with rosemary.  Tender.  Not greasy. 

Breakfast Americana

Passing up breakfast, I tried the Tortilla Soup ( Cup = $6; Bowl = $9....and the bowl is huge).  The soup was packed full of savory broth, tortilla chips, shredded chicken, lots and lots of melted jack cheese, and fresh avocado slices on top.  Very satisfying soup.  An easy entree.  Great flavor.

Cup of Tortilla Soup

Finally, we tried the Quesadillas (1/2 order = $9; full order = $13).  The quesadillas (beef or chicken) come with guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo and lots of yum.  Thick, soft tortillas (with the perfect crispness on the outside as you would expect on a quesadilla).  Stuffed full of cheese and meat.  Very delicious.  Very gratifying.

Beef Quesadillas

I loved the new location of Cyclone Anaya's.  The atmosphere was fun and hip.  The prices were great for the big portions.  The staff was friendly.  I will go back -- and sit on the patio which looked perfect for a Margarita drinking afternoon. 

Cyclone Anaya's
City Centre
(I-10 at Beltway 8)
3 other Houston locations and 3 in Dallas
www.cycloneanaya.com