Meyer - Houston chefs table: extraordinary recipes from the Bayou Citys iconic restaurants

Houston is the dining-out capital of Texas, with a food scene that reflects the city itselftalented, entrepreneurial, diverse, and quite modern. Barbeque and Tex-Mex are certainly present, but they do not define the dining experience. Modern American cuisine brought into focus by Mark Cox of Marks American Cuisine and fine-dining Italian-style served by award-winning Tonys both set the stage for a dining experience independent of Texas reputation for big steaks and enchiladas. And numerous establishments court the palate for Thai, Indian, Caribbean, Brazilian, and Turkish foods.

Houston Chefs Table is the first cookbook to gather Houstons best chefs and restaurants under one cover. Including a signature at home recipe from forty-nine iconic dining establishments, the book is a celebration of the citys diverse cultural influences. Full-color photos throughout highlight fabulous dishes, famous chefs, and Houston landmarks.

Copyright 2012 Morris Book Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.

Lyons Press is an imprint of Globe Pequot Press.

Photos by Terry Vine; author photo courtesy of Arthur L. Meyer
Spot art on pp. 31, 57, 60, 78, 127, 147 licensed by Shutterstock.com
Map by John Wilson

Editor: Katie Benoit
Project editor: Julie Marsh
Text design: Libby Kingsbury
Layout: Nancy Freeborn

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

ISBN 978-0-7627-7830-0

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Restaurants and chefs often come and go, and menus are ever-changing.
We recommend you call ahead to obtain current information before visiting any of the establishments in this book.

This book is dedicated to
all who work in the Houston food service industry.

Acknowledgments

A project with a scope as vast as this could not have been done without the cooperation of so many kind and generous people. Id like to thank the following and apologize for leaving anyone out.

Greg Morago, of the Houston Chronicle, who led me in the right direction at the beginning of the project.

The following agents and communications specialists who arranged for meetings, tastings, and coordinated retrieval of recipes: Mark Sullivan of On the Mark Communications, Geralyn Delaney Graham of Resources Communications, Stuart Rosenberg of Studio Communications, Paula Murphy of Patterson & Murphy Public Relations, Kimberly Park of Kimberly Park Communications, Mark Hanna of Customer First, and Michelle LeBlanc of Blue Sky Marketing.

And their assistants: Katherine Orellana, Lauren Levicki, Katy Mayell, Irena Hixxon, and Cristina Terrill.

The following owners and restaurateurs for taking time out of their hectic schedules to talk with me: Tony Vallone of Tonys and Ciao Bello, Tony and Phyllis Mandola of Tony Mandolas, Steve Zimmerman of CINQ and Zimms Little Deck, Vincent Mandola of Ninos/Vincents/Grappino Nino, Joseph Bubba Butera of Damians, Elouise Adams Jones of Ouisies Table, Estella Erdmann of Samba Grille, and Tracy Vaught of Hugos and Backstreet Cafe.

The following chef/owners who made time to sit and chat about the business: Robert Del Grande of RDG and Bar Annie, Mark Cox of Marks American Cuisine, Monica Pope of Sparrow Cookshop & Bar, Philippe Schmit of Philippe Restaurant and Lounge, Genevieve Philippe of Bistro Provence, Charles Clark of Ibiza and Brasserie 19, Carlos Ramos of Latin Bites Cafe, Randy Evans of Haven, Anita Jaisinghani of Pondicheri and Indika, David Grossman of Mockingbird Bistro, Claire Smith of Canopy and Shade, Jason Chaney of the Barbed Rose, Vanessa ODonnell of Ooh La La, Anna Pham and Mai Nguyen of Mais, Philip Speer of Uchi, and Van Bui and daughter Anny of Huynh.

The managers of the restaurants who went out of their way to make my visits seem effortless: Chris Fannin of Philippe Restaurant and Lounge, David Dworski of Marks American Cuisine, Kathryne Castellanos of Haven, JoAnn DeNicola of Damians Cucina Italiana, Haydar Kustu of Hubbell and Hudson Bistro, Gabe Canales of Tonys, Angela Moore of Quattro/Four Seasons Hotel, Scott Sulma of Caio Bello, Naomi Lofton of Ouisies Table, Tim Taylor of Pizzatolas BBQ, and Jonathan Horowitz of Maxs Wine Dive.

Lindsey Brown of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau who helped with where chefs eat.

Terry Vine, for his fabulous photography.

John Wilson, for his charming and useful map.

Mick Vann, for hanging in through the food crawls of burgers, Asian food, pizza, and barbecue.

Rachel Dove, my assistant.

And to all of the chefs, cooks, dishwashers, servers, and hosts who work in the Houston food scene.

Houston is not just the food capital of Texas but also one of the best food cities in America. Key to the quality that Houstonians expect of their restaurants is the food purveyor. So close to the Gulf of Mexico, Houston enjoys some of the freshest seafood available. Small, specialty ranches supply Texas Wagyu beef, heritage pork, and specialty cuts of lamb and goat. Local farmers raise organic vegetables and deliver daily the freshest produce possible. Chefs enjoy wandering through farmers markets to select something special at the peak of ripeness, flavor, and availability for their menu. Ethnic markets abound and offer specialized produce, herbs, and spices. And what cannot be found locally can be ordered over the Internet and shipped overnight.

Great restaurants start with great ingredients, and the chef is responsible for seeking out consistently superior supplies. With a global market aided by the Internet and overnight shipping worldwide, knowing what is in season and special to every region of the world is an essential skill of a top restaurants chef when providing the best possible dining experience. As an example, Burgundy truffles are harvested in Italy in a very narrow window of about one month, between the harvest of black truffles and the start of white truffles, usually in September. Featuring them shaved over pasta, with their inimitable aroma released by the warmth of the dish, offers a unique dining experience that cannot be duplicated at home, and it would not be experienced in a restaurant without this knowledge from the master chef.

When it comes to going out for a great meal in Houston, the only problem is deciding which great restaurant to patronize. While the numbers vary depending on whom you ask, there are at least 5,000 traditional restaurants, with some estimates as high as 8,000, in and around the city of Houston.