Dinner at RDG

Tonight we ate at Robert Del Grande's new restaurant named (guess from where?) RDG. It is in a brand new, purpose built space on Post Oak Blvd, right close up to Las Americas, beside the Hermes boutique.

The valet was prompt in attending to the car, but if it was not a Rolls, a Bentley, an AMG Mercedes, an Aston Martin, or a Ferrari, don't expect to see you car parked out front.

The space is fantastic - you enter downstairs where there are several tables where you can wait to be seated while you have a drink. Or you can ascend the very wide staircase to get into the Bar Annie space at the top - which has a large communal table, several bar tables, and an outside seating area as well.

Now THIS is the scene to be seen in Houston. I mean, there were more Prada bags and Manolo Blaniks than you will see anywhere on this side of the Mississippi before you reach California. The "Blond" hair was flowing and the perfume was overwhelming. As this is an expensive place, there was also a ton of what we might call "recreational" relationships.

But we were lead directly to out table (Not such a good one, but we were there to eat, not to be seen) and the service was truly impeccable.

We had a bottle on 2002 Alexe Corton Burgundy at a reasonable price, and all the food (from fried oysters to octopus with sausage, to quail and guinea hen.) was just tremendous (I will do a real food posting later. Sorry about that!)

But the best part was really the people watching. A table behind us started off with two couples and grew throughout the evening as additional chairs and women were added.

The bar, by the time we left was overflowing and looked like quite the place to be.

I recommend the place heartily.

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Swine and Wine

Last night we went to Feast for one of their wine dinners. This one was called "Swine and Wine". It was a five course + dessert (I guess that would make it 6 course) dinner.

I would call it a "Tasting Menu" except that tasting menus usually have small portions. In this case, the portions and the pours were quite generous. I am not very good at taking photos of food, but I have integrated some photos, and my comments, into the menu below:

‘Swine and Wine’ Dinner

Tuesday February 3 6.30pm

1^st Course

Pork Rillettes

Borgo Magredo Prosecco, Italy

The pork was braised and just as tender as it could be. Combined with the little conrichons made the tart/fat/unami flavors just pop out. I could have eaten this all night long. The Prosecco when great with this dish. But I think that Prosecco goes with just about everything.

2^nd Course

Roast Pork Belly with Radish and Orange Salad

Mustiguillo Mestizaje, Valencia, Spain

This was the highlight of the evening for me. There is nothing like the melting softness of pork fat married to the crispness of the crackling. The little orange slices and radishes helped tart up this extremely flavorful meal. One bite of fat, one bite of crisp, one bite of sweet, one bite of tart. The wine was very unusual - a grape I had not hear of before (a bobol) but it marched to the same drummer as this course. Good match

3^rd Course

Nose, Tail and Trotter

Montepeloso Eneo Toscano, Super Tuscan, Italy

This is, of course, a nod to the "Nose to Tail" dining made famous by Fergus Henderson at the St John Bar in London. James Silk, one of the Chefs and Owners of Feast worked with Fergus in his youth. (In reality, James is not too old now). The tail was breaded and fried, the trotter was braised and (mercifully) removed from the bone, and the nose was, well, cooked. I loved the tail. You had to pick it up and eat it with your fingers. The trotter was good, and the nose was - - interesting. I did not like the texture. It was sort of like eating a nose. The flavor was good, but I could not really get over the texture. I ate about 1/2 of mine. Doreen had to cover hers up on her plate. It looked just like a pig nose. The wine was an excellent super Tuscan. I like super Tuscans. Think of them as Chiantis that don't make the legal cut to be called Chianti. And almost always for the better.

4^th Course

Pork Confit Tart, Duchess Potatoes, Braised Celery with Ham

Conreria D’Scala Les Brugueres Blanc, Priorat, Spain

Now we are onto the main course. The Confit was made about 2 months ago, and left to age under a layer of fat. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it again. It was made into a tart, and the crust was also especially delicious. The duchess potatoes we might call "twice baked". Baked, mashed, baked again until a bit brown and crispy on top. Wonderful. The celery didn't really do anything for me. I am not a huge celery fan - cooked or raw. I had a bit, and let it sit. The wine was very strange, but oddly enjoyable. A white Priorat! Yes, indeed. Refresing and a nice counterpoint to the richness of the confit and spuds.

5^th Course

Roasted Pork Loin with Crackling, Roasted Potatoes, Garlic Rutabaga, Brussel Sprouts and Apple Sauce

Calvet Thunevin Constance, Langedoc Roussillon, France

By this time we were all getting a little full. The roast pork was described as a typical English Sunday roast. The potatoes we nicely browned on the outside and soft in the middle. The rutabaga (sometimes called Swede) was earthy and garlicy. The brussel sprouts we crispy on the outside, and not at all overdone. Apple sauce was apple sauce. Can't complain about that. The wine was a good Langedoc which complemented the whole lot put together. Now I was really full.

Dessert

Plum Duff

Château Tirecul La Gravière Les Pins, France

Finally the dessert! Oh. It was good. The crust was flaky due to the use of pork fat and beef tallow. The filling was plum. Plum Duff. The wine was a "poor man's Sauternes" Sweet and nice. A great way to end the meal. I am still full now, almost 24 hours later.


Here we are about midway through the meal:

Davis and Lisa at the end of the meal. Lisa is falling over from eating so much:
It was really good.

Sliders at Little Bigs

We went to one of Doreen's park's events this evening for "Young People" (I don't think we would qualify as members) at a great restaurant in town called Reef.

It just so happens that the owner of Reef also own a "slider" restaurant that opened recently by our house, We stopped there after the event to get a trio of sliders for supper.

And I got to tell you - there were unbeleivably good! I am glad we can walk there as the parking lot is crowded.

Little Bigs is worth a trip for anyone who lives in Houston.

Bittman on a new start to the new year

The Minimalist - The Latest Must-Haves for the Pantry - NYTimes.com

The Omnivore's 100

This is sort of cute. It comes from a UK website, with all that means. I only stuck off one item (roadkill) but I would not be a bit surprised if I have eaten it in China, Indonesia, South America, or maybe somewhere in Louisiana.

Here's the game:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten. (I also italicized the things I have not eaten for clarity)
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile (but I have eaten alligator)
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10.Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12.Pho
13. PB&Jsandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47.Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Christmas Dinner

We had a very nice Christmas dinner with family and friends.

See photos here.

Following is the menu:

Christmas Dinner with Doreen and Dan.

December 25, 2008

Opening Treats:

Artisanal bleu cheese and hand made olive spread.

Bleu cheese from heirloom sheep discovered on the north island of New Zealand. Aged in caves used by the Maoris after their battles with Captain Cook.

Olives harvested from 400 year old olive trees from the Perugia region of Italy. Brined in salt from salt mines originally opened by the Roman Emperor Titus.

Dinner:

Holiday Scalloped Potatoes

Potatoes, cream, butter, cheese, and onions. Potatoes are a recovered species from the high Andes found by Hiram Bingham while searching for Machu Picchu. Dairy products are cruelty free from free range Holsteins, but only the first 10 minutes of milk is used from the milk run as that is the most flavorful part. Onions come from European “Stone Soup” kitchens specializing in onions for baking

Sister Shubert Rolls

Baked by the Monasterios de las Descalzas Reales in Madrid. Flour is hand ground on ancient stone mill wheels, powered by the barefoot nuns themselves.

Roast Goose

Free range “Lavender Sebastopol” goose from the Holderread Waterfowl Farm in Covallis Oregon. Holderread is located in the picturesque foothills of the Pacific Coast mountains in Oregon. We have enjoyed raising and studying domestic geese and ducks continuously since 1961. We specialize in purebred waterfowl that possess a unique blend of superb production and exhibition qualities. Birds bred by us are exceptional layers, fast growing and have won top honors at the largest poultry shows in North America and Europe, including Supreme Show Champions at the American Poultry Association's annual National Shows. Our breeding program encompasses more than 20 heritage goose varieties and 40 heritage duck varieties, including some of the world's rarest and most unique breeds.

Apricot Stuffing

Windblown apricots from California’s central valley flavor this delicious and almost calorie free stuffing designed to complement the natural juiciness of the roast goose.

Horseradish Beets

Beets from the famous Beets Me farm in Coeur du Lane, ID. Natural red flavenoids add to the nutritional value of these root vegetables. The horseradish is imported from Japan and is hand ground by Buddhist Monks on their yearly sabbaticals from the Temple of the Sleeping Buddha.

Red Cabbage

An old world family recipe that combines the healthy effects of both bacon drippings and cruciferous vegetables. The cabbage is hand harvested by peasants in the foothills of the Ural mountains.

Green Beans

Blanched, blistered, and browned, these green beans have been individually selected by Haricots Verts experts in the Provence region of France. Hungarian Smoked Paprika and pine nuts from Friuli finish off the flavor explosions.

Dessert:

(it’s a secret)

(wine selection will include champagne, pinot noir, and a dessert sauterne)

meat pie detritus

meat pie

Beets on Burgers: Who Knew?

A Beet Paradox - Freakonomics Blog - NYTimes.com

a Toasty

This is a Toasty from the Peal at the Peak, a restaurant at the Peak in Hong Kong.

It is a poached egginside a toasted yeast roll that is then covered with a garlic mayonaisse and topped with salmon roe.

It was accompanied by seared Japonese scallops and a dry New Zealand SB

Delicious!

(I took this photo of a neighboring table's toasty. They were expats from the UK, Oz, and the US. more on them later)