Memorial Eats: The Best Restaurants in the West
By Marene Gustin
When Horace Greeley wrote, “Go West, young man and grow up with the country,” in the 1800’s, he probably meant further west than Houston. But the sentiment holds today for many Houstonians who are moving westward to Memorial Villages, the collective name for Spring Valley, Piney Point, Bunker Hill, Hedwig, Hilshire and Hunter’s Creek villages and the enclave of Memorial City.
Since the 1930’s, wealthy Houstonians have built mansions and big homes in the area, but today more and more families are moving here for the excellent schools and the green space. And now, there are multiple malls, plenty of shopping and, more and more, a burgeoning restaurant scene. And while some Inner-loopers may feel the need for a passport to head west, what actually awaits you in the Memorial area is a passport to world cuisine.
Let’s start our Memorial tour right here at home, with an American classic.
Vallone’s
valloneshouston.com
713.395.6100
This stunning steakhouse from the legendary Tony Vallone and his partner Scott Sulma is an elegant and airy delight with its dazzling light fixtures and stunning artwork. But the real works of art here are the steaks themselves and the super star is a 55-day dry-aged bone-in rib eye. It’s a monster, weighing in at 22 ounces. Delicious on its own, you might add just a dab of Vallone’s housemade steak sauce. Need more? Add a loaded twice-baked potato and then save some room for the tableside bananas foster for dessert.
Jonathan’s The Rub
jonathanstherub.com
713.465.8200
Also focusing on American fare, Jonathan Levine’s charming yet small establishment is well known by locals as a place to eat great steaks (you can buy a bottle of their secret rub for use at home). But the kitchen, where Jonathan still works the line, also turns out fresh seafood and pasta and our favorite is fried chicken and grits. Heartier appetites might go for the double 20-ounce lamb chop, cooked to perfection. Beer and wine only, but the food portions are huge and the desserts are homemade classics.
State Fare Kitchen & Bar
statefarehouston.com
832.831.0950
One last taste of Americana before we hit the road. Burgers anyone? There are plenty to find in the Memorial area but one of our all time favorites is State Fare Kitchen & Bar’s Jimmy’s “Texas Red” chili cheeseburger. Fresh ground beef, queso, crispy jalapeno chips and, of course, it’s smothered in real Texas chili. Pair with one of the many draft beers here and you’ve got a meal everyone will love.
Pho & Crab Restaurant
phoandcrab.com
There are two outposts of this excellent Vietnamese eatery in west Houston, one on Memorial Drive and one on Westheimer Road. Almost any kind f pho, the Vietnamese bowls of broth, herbs, meats and noodles, you can imagine are on the menu here. Try the pho brisket with eye-of-round beef, bean sprouts and jalapeños. Hold your spoon in your left hand, chopsticks in the right to be sure and get all the goodness out of the bowl. If you go for lunch you’ll get a free spring role with yummy peanut sauce. Oh, as for the crab, there are soft shell and Dungeness but our favorite is the snow crab: a pound and a half in roasted garlic butter. You can’t go wrong with that.
Bistro Provence
bistroprovence.us
713.827.8008
Owner Genevieve Guy, who grew up in France in Provence, calls her cozy little bistro an “ambassador for French country food.” And it is. This longtime favorite of Memorial area diners features classics such as seared foie gras, house smoked salmon, escargot drenched in garlicky butter and real French onion soup. The menu also offers a French take on pizzas, one with duck confit, garlic cloves and Swiss cheese. But one of the standouts one the entrée list is the Faux Filet de Boeuf au poivre ver — a large New York strip with a creamy green peppercorn sauce served with country style potatoes. The bistro also has a lovely wine list, mostly French labels, of course.
KUU
kuurestaurant.com
713.461.1688
How about some sushi? Yes, Memorial has that too. Check out the artsy Kuu, Japanese for the art of eating. And the plates that come to the table are as beautiful as the décor. Chef Addison Lee, who has worked at the famed Nobu restaurants in new York City and London, creates small sushi plates of the freshest fish and large hot plates such as the crispy duck breast with wasabi beet reduction. For the sushi we are always onboard with the mouth-popping ikura — salmon roe —and the sake toro — the salmon belly also topped with roe. Both nigiri and sashimi are on the menu, just don’t expect any California rolls here.
Churrascos Memorial City
churrascos.com
713.231.1352
This outpost of David Cordúa’s wildly popular South American steakhouse is known for its ceviches and the signature Churrasco, a center cut beef tenderloin, char grilled with béarnaise sauce. But here’s a tip: go for the Sunday brunch. It is an all-you-can-eat buffet like no other in town replete with pasta, carving, omelette and crêpe and waffle stations. There are also tables laden with bowls of plantain chips and sauces, peel and eat shrimp, beef and chicken empanadas and even avocado toast. And don’t forget the tres leches cake. Wash it all down with a Palomar (or two), a fresh cocktail of tequila and grapefruit soda.
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The Zune concentrates on being a Portable Media Player. Not a web browser. Not a activity machine. Possibly in the upcoming it will do even greater within those people areas, however for at this time it is really a Great path toward prepare and hear toward your tunes and motion pictures, and is with no peer in that regard. The iPod’s advantages are its net checking out and applications. If those people reliable even further compelling, potentially it is your ideal final decision.
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I am going to equipment this evaluation to Two types of folks: present-day Zune homeowners who are thinking of an improve, and people hoping in direction of decide amongst a Zune and an iPod. (There are other players great importance considering out there, together with the Sony Walkman X, nonetheless I count on this presents on your own more than enough information and facts in the direction of make an informed choice of the Zune vs players other than the iPod line as effectively.)
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The new Zune browser is amazingly Great, nonetheless not as Great as the iPod’s. It performs very well, nevertheless is not as instantaneous as Safari, and consists of a clunkier interface. If on your own occasionally plan upon applying the world-wide-web browser that is not an issue, still if you happen to be developing toward study the web alot towards your PMP then the iPod’s more substantial show and improved browser could possibly be vital.
Zune and iPod: Optimum people today compare the Zune in direction of the Contact, still when observing how slender and astonishingly low and mild it is, I acquire it in the direction of be a quite exclusive hybrid that combines attributes of each the Contact and the Nano. It can be rather colorful and gorgeous OLED show is somewhat smaller sized than the contact screen, but the participant by itself feels Incredibly a bit lesser and lighter. It weighs above 2/3 as a great deal, and is drastically smaller within width and peak, whilst being only a hair thicker.
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Apple presently consists of Rhapsody as an app, which is a exceptional start off, still it is now hampered via the lack of ability in direction of retail store regionally on your iPod, and has a dismal 64kbps bit rate. If this improvements, then it will somewhat negate this usefulness for the Zune, however the Ten new music for each thirty day period will nevertheless be a significant in addition inside Zune Pass’ choose.
The clean Zune browser is shockingly optimistic, nonetheless not as Excellent as the iPod’s. It works well, still isn’t as instantaneous as Safari, and contains a clunkier interface. If you at times plan on getting the internet browser that is not an issue, still if you’re creating to study the website alot towards your PMP then the iPod’s larger sized display and greater browser may perhaps be vital.
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If you happen to be nonetheless on the fence: seize your most loved earphones, mind down towards a Easiest Get and check with in direction of plug them into a Zune then an iPod and check out which just one sounds superior to your self, and which interface makes your self smile further. Then you can realize which is instantly for by yourself.
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