LOCAL Houston | The City Guide FEBRUARY 2015 | Page 27

Local February 2015 final.qxp_002houston 1/26/15 1:57 PM Page 27 SAL Y PIMIENTA $$$ South American | 818 Town & Country Blvd. Ste. 105 | 832.849.0097 | www.salypimientakitchen.com For starters, good bets are the empanadas or the traditional iron skillet proveleto cheese. If you’re like me, something lighter, like delicious mango salad drizzled with a tango mango vinaigrette, will surely please. Plan to devote the bulk of your meal to the beautiful meat selections, because this is where Sal y Pimienta shines. en, two pounded pieces of moist chicken covered in a crispy buttermilk batter, then topped in a country sausage gravy and served over dirty rice. Um, yum! I love, love, loved the Grilled Kobe Dog, the very definition of gourmet comfort food. –Mai Pham KENNY & ZIGGY’S $$$ Delicatessen | 2327 Post Oak Blvd. | 713.871.8883 www.kennyandziggys.com I need to rave about the triple-decker wonder of corned beef and pastrami (cured right there for 45 days) on artisan rye. And the chicken soup. And the sinfully sumptuous slab of cheesecake. For four. The menu is huge! Do yourself a favor. Enjoy this authentic food. But bring –Jeff Lane friends. It’s just too much for one appetite. KUU $$$ Modern Sushi | 947 Gessner Rd. #A180 | 713.446.1688 www.kuurestaurant.com Plan to start dinner with a crafted cocktail featuring seasonal ingredients like freshly squeezed beet juice or lychee puree. Then, sit back and enjoy the show as you indulge in delicately plated sashimi starters, like the Truffle Japanese Sea Bream or the Kanpaccio, in which thin slices of kanpachi are laid against wedges of Texas orange and finished off with a drizzle of yuzu-soy vinaigrette. If the chef is offering a nightly special, don’t hesitate, because he can whip up sumptuous dishes on the fly, like the seared hamachi belly with citrus and plums that we –Mai Pham ordered one night (total foodgasm!). LILLO & ELLA $$$ Pan-Asian Street Food 2307 Ella Blvd. | 281.888.5335 | www.lilloandella.com The large dinner menu has a nice assortment of bar bites like the sweet with a kick chipotle and honey edamame and shared bites like the addictive five-spice spare ribs with summer melon slaw or the super-delish Thai muu noodles – ground pork and chili tossed with thin noodles, long beans, bean sprouts and herbs. Good bets for mains include yogurt and curry shrimp skewers and soft-shell crab served with cucumber –Jodie Eisenhardt salad and Korean chili. MASCALZONE $$$ Italian 1550 Shepherd | 713.862.9700 | www.ilmascalzone.com Preparing all of their ingredients in-house for sauces, pizzas and pastas with mostly organic ingredients, there is a strong commitment to quality. Utilizing a state-of-the-art wood-fired Marana Forni pizza oven, the pies come out fast with a crispy, flavorful crust and fantastic yeast pockets. –Jodie Eisenhardt –Mai Pham MR. PEEPLES $$$$ Steakhouse 1911 Bagby | 713.652.0711 | www.mrpeeples.com Steaks and seafood are the specialties, but the menu is packed with delicious descriptions and creative titles. There are banquet and meeting facilities on the second floor with state-of-the-art audio and visual systems for business conferences, receptions, private parties, et al. So there are plenty of reasons to return. SONGKRAN THAI KITCHEN $$$ Modern Thai | 1101-08 Uptown Park Blvd. | 713.993.9096 | www.songkranthaikitchen.com The Nam Tok, a cold beef salad with red onions, peanuts and a limefish sauce vinaigrette transported me to the streets of Bangkok (this will definitely become one of my go-to dishes). The Khai Luk Koei sonin-law eggs, deep fried for a lightly caramelized outer shell and served in a tamarind sauce on an iron skillet, is also a thing of beauty, with these amazing textures, and again, that deep tasty flavor intrinsic to –Mai Pham Thai food. –Jeff Lane MUSEUM PARK CAFE $$ New American 1801 Binz | 713.520.0109 | www.museumparkcafe.com For dinner, housemade pastas are a must, like the exquisite gnocchi with roasted mushrooms and a hit of acidic heat from pickled chiles balanced by wild arugula. Protein options do not disappoint, either – consider the Black Hills Ranch pork roast, served with creamy polenta, roasted winter veggies and toasted walnuts. Pastry Chef wiz Chris Leung is the icing on the cake (so to speak) with his innovative, scrumptious desserts. I’m currently obsessed with mascarpone semi–Jodie Eisenhardt freddo. Mmm. NARA $$$$ Sushi & Korean Kitchen 2800 Kirby Dr. | 281.249.5944 | www.narahouston.com Nara brings with it its Japanese strength in the art of sushi and sashimi. Only the freshest fish make the cut here, and it’s undeniable in the taste. Think delicious steamed soft buns full of delicious fillings. From prime boneless short-rib, prime rib-eye and pork belly to market veggies or peppercorn tuna – the options are endless and divine. –Jeff Lane ()A`