Review: House of Blues in Houston

The Rundown:
The City: Houston
The Place: The House of Blues Houston
The Day: Saturday
The Time: 5:00 P.M. - 6:30 P.M.

The Review:
Planning to take in my first American soccer game and enjoy some Houston Dynamos, my friends and I thought it might first be appropriate to try and find a decent place to eat, somewhere fun and without too much fuss. This led us to the House of Blues, earlier than when their music gets going and at a lull in the day. Located in downtown Houston, getting cheap parking isn't the easiest thing if the parking meters are filled up, and that provided an initial obstacle. Still, it's not the House of Blues' fault that the city doesn't know how to zone their properties. We arrived in a small party of six, and were quickly seated, given the lack of diners at this hour.

Pictured: Empty.

I understand it gets much more lively during the evening, once the music is going, but I did not mind the laid back nature of the afternoon, allowing for a quick dining experience. Let me first go on the record discussing their drinks: A Jack and Coke I ordered. Mind you, I only had one, preferring to keep the bulk of my alcoholic indulgence for beer at the Dynamo Stadium. However, my drink was not too pricey. In a city that serves these for anywhere from six to ten dollars, I felt eight dollars was fair, and though the drink was not incredibly strong, I did not feel cheated on the alcohol served in mine.

Alcohol. The source of, and solution to, all our problems.

The House of Blues is a large venue, with more than enough space for a raucous evening filled with multiple diners. A huge screen at the front allows diners a chance to catch the game if there are no bands up, and an assortment of booths, tables and bar seating allows for multiple options suited to anyone's style. The lighthearted portraits and wall paintings give the House a lighthearted feel, while the open seating arrangements allow for a real sense of openness. Paired with the perfect lighting and wide open windows that allow for the natural light of the outdoors, and you have all the makings of a wonderful dining ambience. It feels fun and lively, and I can only imagine that gets better when the House is in full swing.

Really, it makes me want to come back for dinner service.

But let's talk about that all important, critical component: The food. Those of you that follow my reviews know my standards for excellence. I love a good meal, because, truly, who doesn't? I ordered a traditional ham and cheese BLT with a side of fries, nothing too complicated but perfect for a sunny afternoon just hours before the start of a soccer game. First up? Presentation. Although serving fries in a cup borders on pretentious, House of Blues makes the tray work. The side serving of cucumbers may seem extraneous, but it helps balance out and divide the dish against the large portions that are the BLT itself.  Overall it's about as interesting a presentation as you'll see on a traditional dish, and it looked appetizing. The fries didn't look like they were strewn about in a greasy lump and, thankfully, they weren't. The fries were golden, slightly browned, with just enough crispness. The flavor was perfect, with just enough seasoning and no sense of burn from too much application. But what are the sides if the main dish isn't any good? It's difficult to mess up a BLT, so let's tackle how House of Blues composed this dish.

The bread was toasted perfectly, always a good start. No sense of running juices that would have made it go limp or soggy, and the sandwiches held together perfectly. The bacon was cooked just crispy enough, not burnt, while the layers of cheese and meats are done perfectly. There's no sense of mess, of your sandwich falling apart. The sandwich is served in two towers, so initially it's hard to see that you pull them apart to make four separate servings. Initially I was perplexed about how to actually fit the damned thing in my mouth, but using my Sherlock like intuition I figured out the meal came apart into four portions. Perfectly sized, perfectly held together, great crispness where there should be and excellent layering of cheeses and meats. My only disappointment, where House of Blues fell short in their meal, was in the chipotle sauce. The BLT is such a simple dish in so many ways that the addition of a chipotle flavoring really intrigued me and would have brought the entire meal together with the right application. Unfortunately, it was so lightly applied that I got almost no taste of it. Remember, these are rather thick servings, so you want to apply enough that the sauce enhances the flavors without overwhelming them. Sadly I almost missed the flavor of it entirely during the first half of my sandwich. It was almost as if it had been applied only to one half of the sandwich. When dealing with thick, hearty portions, it is advisable to apply sauce just slightly more liberally. If I walk away unable to taste it on half the sandwich, that definitely indicates uneven application.

Houston baseball. We know how this will go.

 Still, for overall ambiance, pleasant service, fantastic fries, a good drink and an almost great sandwich, I can certainly recommend the House of Blues. I keep going back to those fries, but they were surprisingly excellent, and the sandwich missed the mark by just inches. What a shame. Still, a very good meal in a great setting with great staff. Here's to next time, House of Blues.


The Final Call:
Facilities: 5/5
Staff: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Drinks: 3/5
Food: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

Review: Amazon Grill on Kirby

The Rundown:
The City: Houston
The Place: The Black Walnut Cafe at Rice Village
The Day: Sunday
The Time: 2:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.

The Review:
Sunday once again found me out and about in the great city of Houston, looking for a meal on a warm summer day that was too hot by ten degrees. It can be easy to miss Amazon Grill when driving by, a result of a small sign and an unremarkable location in an area of town where there are many, many restaurants. I'll be up front, though. Missing out on Amazon Grill is missing out on a treat.

Honestly, it could almost be a Popeye's.

Something that stands out about Amazon Grill is the color. From its exterior to its interior, the emphasis is on bright, warm, fresh. I'm not too partial to yellow in general, but the overall vibe is vibrant, with large open windows allowing the sun in, providing a relaxing feel for patrons. A small seating and waiting area at the front sits just next to the order counter, removing any confusion as to where you need to go, and menus are in plain sight from the entry.

It's not much space, but hopefully you won't be waiting long anyway.

The seating provides a nice variety for all manner of customers. The interior is filled with booths and tables, as per any normal restaurant. There is an enclosed patio area outside, as well as a fully open area patio, which given the heat was being avoided by the patrons on this day. What's good about Amazon's approach is that they've provided something for everyone, a comfortable seat for every tye of customer. Ordering was simple enough, the counter clerks courteous and friendly, explaining the small details of the restaurant, and food delivery was incredibly speedy. There could be some slight more care at the front of house, and I never saw anyone that remotely looked like a greeter or a manager, which are all trifling issues unless you actually feel lost or in need to talk to someone in charge.

Have any seat in the house.

Let's get down to the food though, shall we? Provide as pleasant an experience as you want, it all collapses if the food is no good. First, house chips provided at the front sit under a warming light. This is one of my minor quibbles with the restaurant. After all, if you're paying for food, you'd rather not feel as if your chips or stale, having been warming on a platter for hours. From what I tasted, though, they were crisp, and the hot sauce provided was warm enough to tingle the tongue without burning.

Suspicious at a glance, but the taste was satisfactory.

My order today was a classic dish of southern flare, a three beef taco order with a side of blackbeans. Too often, puffy tacos are served soggy, bloated by grease and oil, dripping, the taco shell barely containing its contents. Not at Amazon Grill, my friends. This dish was a beauty.

Oh Happy Day.

The side dish, a take on simple black beans, is served over rice with a garnish of peppers and corn, with a morsel of plantains. Taken as a whole side, it is wonderful. The flavor from the beans and various sides blend together quite well. Salt, which I am obsessed with, was hardly needed. However, they nailed not only the flavor, but the presentation. When you think of black beans, you think dark, unappealing. However, served on a tray with many other colorful sides, the overall blend created a delightful image to accompany the delightful flavor.

A smashing start.

And as for the tacos? My tongue, be still. A side of garnish, sour cream and guacamole accompany the meal to the side, allowing you to choose what you would like to add to the tacos. The meat itself has a wonderful season to it, really enhancing the flavor of the beef. And the taco shell? Good gods, what a delight. Breaking crisply in one's mouth, flavored, not greasy, not crunchy like a chip, it broke apart with just the right give. Rather than spill its contents all onto the plate, the shell held just firm enough while crisply breaking, and with the mix of garnishes on top of the seasoned meat, provided an explosion of flavor. I was praising its wonders at the table.

What a wonder.

There are some slight issues on presentation in which the tacos nearly seemed to be overwhelmed by the sides, but that's a nitpick best reserved for other occasions. What matters today is this: Great tasting food, good presentation, speedy service, lovely atmosphere. That's the best you can ask for from a restaurant. One of my other minor quibbles would be on the delay between the time our party finished lunch and service came by to pick up the dishes, but again, really? If you avoid Amazon Grill because they took long to pick up your plates, you're avoiding it for the wrong reason.

This location receives one of my highest recommendations, easily.

The Final Call:
Facilities: 5/5
Staff: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Drinks: N/A
Food: 4.5/5

Overall: 4/5

Review: Black Walnut Cafe at Rice Village

The Rundown:
The City: Houston
The Place: The Black Walnut Cafe at Rice Village
The Day: Sunday
The Time: 1:00 - 2:00 P.M.

The Review:
Once again on my blogging adventures, and again on the often times Quixotic adventure of trying to find a good church to attend, I recently found myself being invited by a local church group to The Black Walnut Cafe in the Rice Village area. Rice Village, one of the nicer, charming areas of the city, is home to a number of restaurants, bars and stores. Of course any store catering to the British is immediately an area of town I'll be visiting.

The Black Walnut itself doesn't sit on Rice Boulevard but is instead just a street back, where yet another impressive array of stores, bars and restaurants all sit cozied up to one another. I'm not sure I can level this as a criticism at the restaurant, but the parking situation in Rice is atrocious. Despite all it has to offer, it's difficult to find a place to saddle your car so that you can actually enjoy the area. Then again, this is Houston, and the lawmakers of this city don't seem to actually care whether anyone shops around here.




To get this out of the way, The Black Walnut is, undoubtedly, a pleasant place to gather and sit. Though slightly crowded on this Sunday afternoon, the owners have done a wonderful job of making sure the area is well lit with natural light instead of fuzzy interior lights. Windows empty out on the streets and fill the restaurant with just enough sun. A long stretch of seating lines the back wall while bar stools and tables sit along the main dining area, and tables can be brought together quite easily for larger parties. The Black Walnut has a good problem in this respect. So many people want to eat there, that they struggle slightly to accommodate the numbers given a simple problem of size. The rich wood, so beautiful, and the slightly antique styled chairs provide a quirk and charm to the restaurant that makes it a lovely gathering place on a sunny afternoon.



From the point of entry there's nobody to greet you but the front of store is easily located directly ahead of the entry, with a number of menus just off to the side and some popular dishes and drinks chalked on the boards above the order area.




There are a delicious number of pastries presented up front as well, there to delight the eyes and tempt the tongue. However the first point of confusion emerged at this point, since it becomes confusing to order if you've never been to the Black Walnut. There are two signs that say "Order Here". However, you're actually only supposed to order at the first, while the second is for pick up. This had to be explained as my companion and I struggled to find a place to actually get a lunch requested. Not a massive stumble, but at least a hiccup.



A rather minor one of course, but then, we haven't actually discussed the food. I ordered what it labeled on the menu as the "Thirteen Coins". Oh dear, what could that possibly mean? A quick examination quickly presented it as a sandwhich, almost a club, though with a greater variety of meets and an interesting bread to top it off. To quote, from their online menu, it is a composition of "Cajun Turkey, honey ham, hard salami, provolone, red onions, tomatoes, lettuce, pesto La-chac-la bread, tomato savory dressing, served warm".

That last bit is good for a chuckle in retrospect. Here's what my meal looked like as it was served.





Keep a close eye on that bread. As far as sides go, the fries were well seasoned, though perhaps slightly overly so. When I eat a fry, the aftertaste of the seasoning shouldn't be so strong that I need to take a drink of water to cool my throat. However, better a well seasoned fry than a bland one, and even despite the over-seasoning it wasn't offensively done so. The crime on those fries, though, had nothing to do with the seasoning and everything to do with the taste. Slightly cold, not mushy but not crisp, almost limp. It felt as if they'd been sitting on the plate for a few minutes before the sandwhich was brought to the window for plating. Unfortunate.

Still, not extraordinarily bad, just not as good as I was expecting. Here's the real kicker. Remember that bread? This is what it quickly became:



What a soggy mess. Kudos to the restaurant deciding to use so many different ingredients, but the choice of bread creates a disaster as the diner tries to actually eat the damned thing. At times I wondered if I shouldn't grab a fork and go at it like a salad. The chefs at Black Walnut Cafe need to decide to go with either a different bread for this sandwich, or a different method of presentation is less bulky portions, because this simply won't do. Mind you, La-chac-la is merely their fancy way of saying flatbread. I noticed my neighbors sandwich in normal toasted bread was staying together quite nicely.

So my review of Black Walnut Cafe? Mixed, honestly. I understand they were busy on a Sunday afternoon, and the price at 12 dollars is reasonable, but you're still asking for some basics from your meal. Warm fries. Not oily and limp. And bread that doesn't fall apart because it's too tin and soggy. It's a damned shame considering the appeal of the restaurant, and in the end the food defines what you are as a restaurant. Much like the crowded interior of the cafe, the food is just sort of a confused mess.

The Final Call:
Facilities: 4/5
Staff: 5/5
Service: 4/5
Drinks: N/A
Food: 2/5

Overall: 3/5

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Houston, TX

Review: Salentos @ Rice Village

The Rundown:
The City: Houston
The Place: Salentos
The  Day: Monday
The Time: 2:30 - 3:30
The Review:

It was Labor Day weekend which meant, of course, that yours truly would not be found in doors all day. Wanting to get out and about a bit and see a little more of Houston, I decided to treat myself to some lunch and coffee. I thought this would make for an easy review of a meal but, as with all things worth consideration, even lunch does not come easy.

Salento's wine and coffee certainly thinks highly of itself. For such a small location nestled amongst a mostly college crowd, it is certainly aiming for the skies. Decorated with a semi European vibe and with jazz music wafting from the rooftop, they certainly had a clutch on the near classy aesthetic. It is a nice place, nicely decorated, with a view of a wine wall at the back end. Slightly outdated, but it has that coffee shop look nailed down. I'm still unsure if it's look matches the clientele.

 However, I went at lunch, and dinner service may bring in a different sort of client. So, how was lunch? I had what was essentially a chicken sandwich on ciabatta bread, at a total cost of ten dollars. Mind you, this is only two dollars short of a large meal at a mid scale restaurant, with far larger portions. The ciabatta bread itself was nicely toasted, not overdone. There was little inside to justify the cost, however. Most of the flavor came from the slab of cream cheese on the interior. Besides that, there were two slices of tomato, some spinach leaves, and some limp grilled chicken.

The chicken was disappointing. Even if being served on a cold sandwich, there should have at least been some flavor or texture to the meat. To illustrate just how limp and texture-less the chicken was, I initially, on visual and touch inspection, had difficulty discerning between the chicken and the cheese. Coupling this to the crime of small portions to high prices, and the chicken sandwich simply turned out underwhelming.

It's a coffee shop too, though, and I had to have something to top off the day. A chocolate mocha was my dessert of choice, hard to mess up, and at four dollars a good price.  Rich, creamy and with enough caffeine to offer a kick, the mocha sent me off smiling.

Still, the entire experience was slightly underwhelming. I wasn't sure what to expect coming in, but given the decor and overall vibe, perhaps I should have expected high prices on the food. However, high prices always demand high quality, and there just wasn't enough of that in the sandwich. Think of it this way. Would you pay ten dollars for ciabatta bread and a small grilled chicken breast at any other locale? Likely not.

Some minor details for the inquiring student. It has wifi, assuring you access to online research (and more likely, Facebook). Though the wifi was not working when I arrived, the staff worked to resolve that. The main attendant didn't look too happy to be there and could barely smile. I understand you're aiming or the somewhat uppity Euro vibe, but a smile never hurt anyone, yeah? At least the attendants waiting the tables were prompt and courteous. Let's remember, restaurants sell an experience, and service is a large part of that. However, even if they weren't always happy, the servers were at least prompt in bringing food out and removing plates to the kitchen.                                                                   
And odd mix of stuffy black shirted servers in a semi Euro aesthetic coupled with obviously uncaring collegiate clientele made for an odd lunch aesthetic. Salentos may be better off modernizing and putting a bit more energy into its appeal, rather than sticking to its current, stodgy outlook. At the very least, make a better sandwich, for Heaven's sake.

The Final Call:
Facilities: 4/5
Staff: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Drinks: 3/5
Food: 2/5

Overall: 3/5

Review: P.F. Chang's @ The Quarry

The Rundown:
The City: San Antonio
The Place: P.F. Chang's
The  Day: Friday
The Time: 8:00 - 9:30
The Review:

Following the rather disastrous first journey to P.F. Chang's last week, I was generously extended an invitation to return, this time armed with a gift card. I assure you that the following review is based entirely on the merits of the restaurant, and not on the fact that a portion of the meal was already paid for.

I'll begin by saying that, rather than attend the P.F. Chang's at La Cantera, I this time traveled to the location in the Quarry. This makes me unable to comment on whether the previous location has improved, but does allow me to assess P.F. Chang's other restaurant. To be quite honest, it was a massive improvement.I was greeted quickly by the hostesses upon my arrival, who identified my reservation and handed me one of those small buzzers they use to alert you when your seating is ready. Nervous that this might be quite a wait, I sat around chatting with my date for the evening, one I was hoping to leave a good impression with. Fortunately, our reservations were met quickly, within minutes of my arrival. No long waits, and we were taken to a lovely booth in the corner, away from too much of the crowd. Exactly the sort of treatment those who reserve in advance should receive.

 Our server was excellent, not only friendly but attentive. His tableside manner was top notch, and he served out our sauces, mixed and ready for use on our food orders. A step skipped at the last P.F. Chang's I attended, this small gesture added to the overall ambiance and upscale feel of the place. The combination of tableside manner, overall attentiveness and friendliness went a long way.

I had the crispy honey chicken this time around, along with an agave margarita and a jack and coke. The drinks themselves, not too strong, were at least tasty. For the price, just within the realm of reason. Meanwhile, the chicken, at 13.99, was prepared quite nicely. In contrast to the dry chicken I encountered at the last P.F. Chang's, the chicken at this location was, mostly, moist and fresh. Some of it, which I assumed sat toward the bottom of the pan, was definitely cooked just a tad too long. A little more stirring and a little less sitting would have most likely helped. Still, the taste and tenderness was, overall, quite right. The rice arrived alongside our meal, as it should, and in a manageable bowl as opposed to the large monstrosity I received at the last location. Thankfully, it was not overly dry, an improvement over the last location as well.

A few quibbles. Toward the back end of service it became apparent our server was a tad overwhelmed, and his attentiveness wavered. A shame, given his strong showing for the majority of dinner service. Still, I give him high marks for a fantastic dinner experience overall. Second, the decor. While the overall presentation was nice, warmly lit and nicely colored, there were parts of the wall coming apart. To really strive to be the best, that is unacceptable. Especially considering the large, stone horse that sits outside, the large tv that is anchored over the full bar and the lovely tables and settings, such details do stand out. Yet these are minor comments, and overall presentation and service were quite nice. Best of all, the food was, mostly, quite good.

I use the term 'mostly' a good deal in this review, and P.F. Chang's at the Quarry gets things mostly right. With just a few minor tweaks, they could have the perfect dinner service. As of now, it's still a fantastic restaurant, and one I'd recommend taking any date to before a jaunt off to the theater nearby, or to one of the many bars that lie just down the street on Basse and Broadway.

The Final Call:
Facilities: 4/5
Staff: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Drinks: 3/5
Food: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

Review: P.F. Changs

The Rundown:

The City: San Antonio
The Place: P.F. Chang's
The  Day: Friday
The Time: 9:00-11:30
The Review:

I haven't been back to P.F. Chang's in some time. This location, at the mid upscale, outdoor shopping venue of La Cantera, presents itself as trendy and somewhat upscale as well. I only wish that more had gone right with the evening.

Attending as part of a birthday party, there were, perhaps, fifteen of us at the most. A large party to be sure, but it shouldn't matter whether you're there as an individual or as part of a fifteen top, certain elements need to be gotten right. The first misstep was the confusion over our reservations. Originally made for 9:00 that evening, our reservations were, instead, pushed to 10:00 without prior notification to the birthday girl. A bad first step to be sure, and a problem for anyone that had not eaten, or who had other places to be that evening.

Still, we lingered about in the lounge, taking drinks and chatting. Finally, 10:00 P.M. rolled about, and we were notified that room still was not available. Good restaurants have to be greedy, but not too greedy. Overbooking your dining room and making guests wait is not an appropriate way to conduct a business. We were seated, perhaps, at 10:20. In honesty, it was closer to 10:30, an hour and a half after our intended reservation time.

Following the wait, our orders were placed. Given the large number of people in the party, I won't make much of a deal that it took longer than thirty minutes to prepare our food. I can live with that, considering our numbers. What I can't accept is the condition of the food on arrival. I have an inkling that the cooks in the back left certain items on the stove too long while waiting on other items to be finished. I say this because both the fish that was served to my friend and the chicken I had were both dry.

Talking of my order, I had the Chang's Spicy Chicken, a dish that headlined their menus. Our waitress spoke highly of it, and so I wish it had been prepared with just a slight bit more care. The chicken arrived first, without the white rice that was supposed to accompany it. The dish, properly, should be enjoyed along with the rice simultaneously. Otherwise, you simply have a platter of lightly fried chicken in front of you. That was exactly what I had, and as the minutes rolled by and my chicken grew slightly colder, I waited for rice. It was finally brought out from the back, and I wonder what sort of care they used to rush it out. Not burnt, it might have been heated too quickly, as some of the moisture was no longer there. The chicken itself was slightly too dry, with portions of it actually somewhat rubbery. The sauce was tasty, but no amount of sauce will make up for dry chicken and dry food.

Don't get me wrong, there was quite a bit on my plate to eat, but at 14.00 dollars it's obvious that P.F. Chang's prices were set for quantity, instead of quality. Perhaps most insulting was the included gratuity for our party size. While not an issue under normal circumstances, there could have at least been some consideration paid to the fact that we waited so long. The gall. 

All said, it was rather a disappointment, considering the overall care invested in its look and esthetic.

Like many urban modern Chinese restaurants, Chang's attempts to blend slightly upscale sensibilities with Chinese imagery, or at least as close to China as most Americans can imagine. Overall the look of the restaurant is quite nice, especially for evening dining. Muted colors give it a warm feeling and good impression, and the dark tables present a nice color to pair with the lighting. The bar is friendly, and dual televisions gave patrons a chance to watch one of two NFL games on that night.

Our server herself was quite friendly, and the staff was obviously trying to get us seated as quickly as possible, once the faux pas concerning our reservations came to light.  The only knock I might have against the service was, really, that they needed two people to attend to our table. In the entire time I sat, I never had my drink refilled, and it was obvious that our waitress had entirely forgotten about the rice until reminded. A shame really, given her friendly nature. However, service is the name of the game, first and foremost. I would only hope that, next time, she pay more attention to every customer down the line of her table.

The greatest knock against the restaurant, though, isn't the wait, or the occasional lack of attention, though both need consideration. The greatest knock is that the food just wasn't good enough, not for the price and definitely not following the wait. Customers will wait, to an extent, for good food. So, would I go back? Indeed I am, to conduct a follow up review of the place, in the near future. I can only hope that, next time, it doesn't take two and a half hours to complete a dinner service. Heaven help us.

The Final Call:

Facilities: 4/5
Staff: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Drinks: N/A
Food: 2/5

Overall: 3/5