Passing the Word on Arcodoro

My friend Sonia recently ate at Arcodoro. I don't care where she puts her glass... there's NEVER a reason to treat a patron this way. Not matter how elite or shi-shi a joint is. In fact, the more you pay, the more tolerant waiters should be. If I hear about the response she receives, I'll post that as well.

Sonia wrote to Arcodoro:
I don't know the name of the main waiter for our party in the wine room but he was the only one wearing a vest. In the middle of our meeting, said waiter told me in a condescending tone, "Put your wine glass to the right of your plate". My wine glass was to the right of center and his pointing out to the entire room that it was 2 inches from the proper alignment was utterly distasteful. The entire room fell silent after his comment and when he left the room, it was commented that it was such a rude comment to make.

UPDATE: La Fendee

Matt really wanted to try La Fendee again, hoping that maybe, it deserved a second chance. He's a die-hard hopeful. I am not, but since he offered to pay, I said, "I am all about second chances."

What is wrong with that hummus? It tastes rotten. And the flavor worsens when you swollow. It's inedible.

I had the kafta sandwich, which was actually good. Nicely flavored meat logs. They look like turds, so don't be surprised. Yet they are good and have an excellent yogurt sauce. I would recommend it, should you insist on eating there.

You get two sides, and with the hummus scratched off the list as potential... good luck finding two. The seared eggplant was agreeable to my palate, however Matt found that to be as distasteful as the hummus. He ate his gyros and left the rest.

In short, when it comes to food, second changes aren't worth it.

What's on the Menu of Menus?

A few years back, my friend Wendy and I sampled all the wares at the Houston Press's Menu of Menus. While at Jones Hall or the Wortham Center, (or whichever that joint is where the Opera performs), we sampled, snacked, and sipped our way through the tables until we were stuff to the gills.

Both of us fondly remember eating several new treats that included bubble tea, green tea ice cream, and Ethiopian fare. Before we knew it, we'd filled ourselves on soups, steak, shrimp, souffle, and a variety of other foods that did not begin with the letter "s". In short, there were more vendors there any a person could physically sample. The layout allowed lines to form without pushing, and for sitting on the floor to sample the plates.

About 7:30, the initial crowd thinned out and Wendy and I felt as though we had our run of the place. We could walk up, talk to the vendors, nibble, and move on with having another over-eater breathing down our necks. One person even joked that they has so much left over that we should have brought our Tupperware.

When I went to this year's Menu of Menus, I assure you, my expectations were high. Very high. Which is probably why the event was fairly disappointing.

First, we went a little after 7:30 to avoid the big rush. Big mistake. Obviously, the vendors learned that they would have extras and made less food. Many restaurants were already out of food, some 2.5 hours before the event ended. And the rush wasn't over-- there were still tons of people around, which is a good thing, but just disappointing if you're going to eat and food is running out.

Second, the venue was a challenge. I like the idea of having it a the museum, however it's just not practical. The spaces are small and bend around T-rexes and stuffed gazelles. That makes for tight lines and cramped spaces. Sometimes it was hard to tell which line I was in and I was really tired of pushy people.

Another change was the clientele. Many of those in attendance were there for a date, not for food. Which is fine, but if that's the case, get out of line. Strapless black dresses have not, I assure you, gone out of style this season. Please, wear them with stilettos as well.

But the biggest disappointment was the selection of food. There wasn't much to choose from. There were 40 vendors this year, which seems remarkably less than in the past, particularly because at least 15 of those were wine and/or coffee vendors. Of the reamining 25 places, there wasn't the impressive array I remember. Murphy's Deli, while good, isn't something unusual that I would want to try at a tasting gala. I already know what I am going to get. The same goes for Sweet Tomatoes. One of my favorite places to get a salad, but not at a gig like this. Frankly, the lack of array made me feel a little jipped and like, perhaps, the planners were lazy.

But let's talk about what was good. There were some very good victuals.

Coffee Grounz, which is opening soon in Midtown had a phenomenal frozen vanilla latte. Get it, it's worth the calories.

Mi Pueblito had some good salsa and beans, which makes it hard to judge whether it's good or not.

The Shrimp House provided a very yummy shrimp with jalapeno, a new twist on something very tasty. The menu consists of fried food baskets mostly, which isn't a problem for those gunning for a heart attack.

Sushi at a place like this has the potential to go funny in no time. Tokyohana is no exception. I tried a spicy roll and was a little grossed out. In mid chew, I looked at my sister, shook my head, and swollowed almost whole. It's not Tokyohana's fault, just circumstances. I might try it again. Then again, I might not. Another thing that didn't translate well was Cascadas's seafood enchiladas. It might be a great place to eat, but cream and seafood don't hold well.

Perhaps Asian food is made for a tasting like this. The Red Basil shumai were amazing with an excellent soy/teriyaki sauce. Definitely a favorite. As were the rolls and fetuccini alfredo from Italiano's Restaurant. I don't know how often I'll get to far Westheimer (Red Basil) or Humble (Italiano's), but it's good to know that if I am in the area, I might try it.

The best of the best was the Golden Samovar. They had chicken kebabs with rice flavored with nuts and dried fruit. It was delectible. There were also pita strips that were fried and melted on your tongue. Unfortunately, it's far out on Westheimer, which makes it impractical for regular dining.

The Menu of Menus is a great concept, however this year's was a bit of a disappointment. I got plenty to eat, but mostly from places that are a far drive. This is, afterall, held in downtown Houston, and most who would attend are from inside the loop. I'm not against going out of the loop, but it just takes some actual planning to get to most of the restaurants. It might be better idea to have places that are a little more accessible to those in attendance.

I am not scratching the Menu of Menus off my list of annual events, I am just putting it on hiatus until the venue changes and the vendor list is expanded.

Eggactly What I Wanted

When Easter nears, I always start craving egg salad. I get nostalgic for Mom’s post-holiday salad would have a pinkish hue thanks to my fantastic creations with PAAS tablets and white crayons. Over the years, however, I’ve realized egg salad is stigmatized thanks to its reliance on mayonnaise (an ingredient many chefs turn their noses up at) and the cholesterol-ridden yolks. While working in a deli one summer, I realized that this lowly concoction’s only saving grace is that it wasn’t olive loaf, another much-pitied and under-appreciated delicacy. Given my hankering for the salad of the egg, I decided to see what Houston offers.

While Katz’ Deli and Empire Café both have honorable mentions, the best egg salad I have found is at Brazil. They have taken the Easter leftover and given it a place of honor on their menu.

First, they don’t use a ton of mayo, which allows you to really taste the egg. There’s no covering up of the yolky flavor. The consistency is chunky, not pureed or over-processed, as many tend to be.

The salad is filled with carrots and a little bit of red onion. Neither of which is over powering, yet the carrot adds a certain sweetness and crunchy texture, while the onion adds just a hint of zip. Neither is plentiful, which ensures that the focus stays on the egg. Many chefs rely on celery to bulk up the mixture, however, at Brazil, they don’t fall back on false fillers. (Besides, celery is disgusting and total throw back to 1950’s cooking.) There’s not a lot of bulk to Brazil’s salad, but I don’t eat egg salad for volume. I eat it because it’s good.

At Brazil, you’re offered the choice of either focaccia or ciabatta bread. Go for the ciabatta. I promise the selection elevates the sandwich to a whole new level. While there is nothing wrong with the focaccia, in fact it’s very good at Brazil, the right pairing for such a salad is an un-herbed, crusty bread. The warm, hard-to-chew bread compliments the cold, soft egg salad perfectly.

I grinded just a bit of sea salt and black pepper on the top and voila, I had a delectable egg salad sandwich. Since my days of egg dyeing are over, hence leaving my mom with no pink eggs, it’s a good thing Brazil is there to pick up the slack when I get a craving.