The Skinny: Dine in a pseudo scenic mountain lodge in the middle of the Houston Heights.
The Fat: So, if you’re anything like me, you look up a restaurant on Google maps and try to find the coordinates in hopes of getting to your dining destination without a hitch, but even Google “street view” can’t prepare you for how beautiful the Rainbow Lodge is when you finally arrive. We turned the corner, noticed the valet sign and turned toward it, into the sweetest little driveway ever.
I felt like I was pulling into a cozy lodge in the mountains. There were wooden accents and darling hanging lamps to light our path to the front door. A gracious hostess, seeming to be awaiting our particular arrival, came to open the front door. We all thanked her as she held the door open for us to walk in toward the hostess stand. Then I felt the first ping; all that glitters isn’t gold.
Now, you’re probably thinking I’m about to slam this place, but I’m not...not entirely. I have a lot of nice things to tell you about Rainbow Lodge, but before I do, I just want to express that I hold fine dining establishments to a higher standard than I would of their more casual contemporaries…and rightfully so. So if you’re ready to hear the truth, the good and the bad, you’ll get that right here.
Come “rich” or come “people like me who can afford a great night out, now and again”, when you spend close to $100 per person (yummy wine included) to dine anywhere, near flawlessness is the goal. Remember when you had those instructors in college who, on the first day of class, told you that you started with an A+ at the beginning of the semester and it was up to you to keep it? Well, that’s my policy, so I walk in with the best in mind and I just expect a place to keep their grades up!
So the head hostess, I’m guessing, was chatting away on the phone. Maybe she was helping a potential customer; nonetheless, if there are two hostesses on duty, I would expect that either should be prepared to deal with new arrivals. That was not the case, so we stood patiently. It wasn’t a long wait, but it was an unnecessary one. After she finished her call, we were escorted through the lovely lodge-like labyrinth.
I called ahead to request a nice table. When I go out of my way to request a special table, I do so because I want to avoid the possibility of being placed next to kitchen doors and in odd corners, especially on a first visit. Oddly enough, we were lead to the smallest, coldest and most remote table of all.
At Rainbow Lodge, they assumed that my request meant that we wanted to avoid the adorable room with the fireplace, steer clear of the other spacious dining areas and be placed in the corner of the most narrow room ever. We had to endure the chill of a dripping AC unit and the traffic of patrons repeatedly walking by us to get to the patio door – both a mere six inches from our table - not what I would have selected if a customer made a point to ask for a great table. It almost seemed intentional. Even our neighbors asked to move to another table. To top it all off, there was a fire alarm right behind me and a faint, but unmistakable smell of…I hate to say it, ok, I won't say it...it just smelled funny.
Getting past the immediate distaste for our table, my friends and I thought we'd just begin with a bottle of wine while we perused the menu. We were one menu short for about five minutes, another annoyance.
As a courtesy to the people dining with me, I typically look over the menu ahead of time because it tends to take me AGES to decide what I want to eat. This problem occurs everywhere from taco stands to steak houses. This day happened to be my birthday, however, so I said “to hell with it, we’ll drink wine until I figure out what to order.” A great idea! They had a wonderful selection of wines and there were some fine ones that hovered in the $30-$50 range. We chose a nice South African red and waited for our water and bread.
So we talked and waited, laughed and waited, drank and waited and still no bread and water. We had been there for over thirty minutes without bread and water. Jesus could have performed a miracle in less time. We felt deprived and a little irked….but we continued to enjoy ourselves.
We decided on a couple of appetizers to share while we enjoyed our wine. We chose the spicy Hawaiian tuna tartare with the BBQ sauce consommé, English cucumber and heirloom radish and then the marinated lobster with ruby red grapefruit, avocado and orange blossom vinegar. Both sounded so fantastic, we were all thrilled with our selections.
When the appetizers arrived we started in immediately. Considering we were still waiting for bread and water, we dove in - without hesitation - for a taste. Even though I was a bit put off by the look of the tuna dish we'd been served, I stretched my fork toward it. What we assumed to be the tartare consisted of six small slices of albacore slathered in white foam. For the record, I hate foam. While the culinary garnish has made confident strides into mainstream preparation, I hate it. It looks like spit. I just don’t get it.
I realized, a moment later, that this simply could not have been what we ordered. Visions of chopped red tuna covered in deep maroon barbecue consommé kept haunting me. Had this tuna appetizer not been salty and tough, I may have graciously overlooked the mistake, but since it was, I felt fine pointing out the fact that we had been served the wrong dish.
When the waiter finally came by to check on us, far too long a wait in my opinion, he then proceeded to try and figure out -table side- how the mistake might have happened and then, after an exceedingly long dialogue, decided that the kitchen must have been at fault. I’m not a snob, I’m not a horrible customer, but if the plate is wrong…take the damn thing back. It was your fault or someone else’s fault, it wasn’t our fault so spare me the play by play.
The lobster appetizer was true to form. Pieces of the shellfish had been tossed about in chunks of fresh red grapefruit and avocado, just as described. Before we were finished our waiter brought out the tartare we’d actually ordered and another complimentary dish for the mistake. We hadn’t made a scene, we were all quite good-humored about the error and so his extra effort seemed genuine and unforced. Both were delicious.
Our waiter then offered to take us on a little tour of the lodge. I think he may have originally suggested the tour as peace offering for the appetizer blunder, but when we accepted, he realized how little time he was actually able to spend with us. Step by -rapid- step he conducted the tour at warp speed. My stilettos became liabilities, mere millimeters away from gapes in the old wooden floors during our fast paced walk-about. Again, we tried to enjoy it and forgave our waiter’s speed as he quickly and clumsily spilled us onto the patio, next to our table.
For the entrée, I was stumped. Hoping for inspiration, I asked the waiter to describe the specials a second time. The second time, however, major ingredients had seemingly changed. My friends and I agreed that they had initially been described differently. As if my own ordering issues weren't enough, this was tragic. I had no idea what I was going to choose. Nothing was jumping out at me on the menu, but I had to make a decision.
I let the boys order first. “I’ll have the Bryan Farm chicken wrapped in pancetta with the house made chicken sausage, baby vegetable fricassee, tender greens, and natural jus” I heard from one side. That sounded wonderful. Then I heard from the other side, “I’ll have the grilled rib eye of beef with the heirloom potatoes, cauliflower-brown butter puree and bordelaise sauce”. Gosh, that sounded fantastic too.
My turn...Ok, um, ok! “I’ll have that fish special you mentioned.” It sounded alright…I think. It was fish with some other stuff. Yep, pretty forgettable. When it arrived, the fish was delicate and flaky, but altogether flavorless, not special at all. Oh, so maybe you’re thinking I have GRASS IS GREENER syndrome? No, I just have a tongue…and it was bored with the fish “special”.
Oh, but the rib eye. Each bite (and I had a few) was delicious, perfectly cooked to the - ever illusive- medium rare that my dining companion had requested. It was bursting with flavor and I hardly remember the side dishes, for none were needed.
Then I pinched my first bite of my other friend’s dish. I have never in my life had a bit of chicken so fresh and tender. I almost lost my mind uttering its praise. Each chew reinforced its deliciousness. I think I may have even made my friend feel a little uncomfortable with my accolades, leading him to believe he had inappropriately ordered the dish that should have clearly been reserved for a Birthday Girl.
Apparently, Bryan Farm is a local poultry source that raises their chickens “with fresh air, sunshine, green grass, and wholesome feed” and the chicken is completely fresh…if you get my drift. I have never been so impressed by chicken. It was so moist and flavorful that it made me sorry for all the Chick-kin that have lost their lives for anything less.
After I'd happily helped my friends finish their entrees, we completed our meal with the most delectable chocolate crème brulee ever. Its crusty top layer was the perfect introduction to the creamy custard within. Talk about finishing on a high note! I could barely keep myself from licking the ramekin.
We took our time, walked the property with wine, chit-chatted and made the most of our evening at the Rainbow Lodge. I enjoyed the experience because I was with two of my best friends, the restaurant could not make or break that for me. I would hesitate to visit again, however.
The waiter mentioned that the chef was not there that night and I hope that had a lot to do with the sub par experience. Nonetheless, I expect that a responsible chef would either leave his restaurant in suitable hands or not leave at all.
Understandably, every place has a bad day. I’ve worked in enough great restaurants for enough years to know that every place has an “off” day. Sadly, it’s not about their “off” day, it’s about the patron's good experience and I expected a better result.
While I think it’s imperative to maintain a good attitude when things go awry, that doesn’t change my expectation of such a highly regarded establishment. I’ll forgive a thing or two, but not three or more...not all in one visit. I expected the food and the service to be superb. Overall, they dropped the ball.
Showing posts with label The Heights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Heights. Show all posts
Star Pizza - Give it a Try
The Skinny: They make "whole wheat crust" taste more heavenly than healthy.
The Fat: I’ll let you in on a little secret, I’m a creature of habit. When visiting a new restaurant, my goal is to find a gem on the menu that drives me wild and order it every time thereafter. On the other hand, if I happen to get something mediocre, I keep trying, now and again, until I’m floored or disgusted. It’s pretty simple, I’m all or nothing. Luckily I found my gem on the first go-a-round. Five years running, I love Star Pizza every time.
Joe’s Pizza’s (insert angelic song here)! On a hand tossed crust this pizza is the bomb. It’s topped with sauteed spinach, roasted garlic and a ridiculous amount of gooey mozzarella. It’s not something you want to eat on a date, unless you just don’t care who you’re kissing. Order this pie with a Greek salad (any salad is enough to share) and it’s pretty much all you need to get fat and happy.
You can get any of their pies on white or whole wheat crust (chose whole wheat.) And yes, I tend to be a veggie lover when it comes to pizza; Star Pizza’s got the corner on that! But fear not - this is not a tree hugger pizza shack. They have many a meatier option and will gladly make a "half & half" pizza for those of us who rub elbows with the carnivorous type.
As it is with every decent pizzeria, Star Pizza offers some meaty, fail safe toppings like pepperoni, bacon, sausage and ham in practically any combination a meat lover can think of. But, everyone knows that "Pizza + Thinking = What’s the Point?" The thing is, this gourmet joint designed such creative combinations that one needn’t even think too hard. Just check out their menu, it’s perfectly planned to accommodate the lot of us.
If you want to dine in, there are two great locations. The original location is close to 59 and Shepard. It’s based in a quaint, two story house that’s been slinging out pies since 1976. The newer location is just on the edge of The Heights, right on Washington.
The restaurant service is just what you’d expect. They’re kind, they say hello, they get your order and they serve you up some fine food. It’s pizza, ya’ll. Just go and get it.
P.S. If you can’t make it in, the delivery service is friendly and fast. So, if you’re lucky enough to live anywhere near their delivery range, having pizza delivered from any other place is a shame.
Locations: #1 2111 Norfolk (near Shepard and 59)
#2 3600 Washington (The Heights)
The Fat: I’ll let you in on a little secret, I’m a creature of habit. When visiting a new restaurant, my goal is to find a gem on the menu that drives me wild and order it every time thereafter. On the other hand, if I happen to get something mediocre, I keep trying, now and again, until I’m floored or disgusted. It’s pretty simple, I’m all or nothing. Luckily I found my gem on the first go-a-round. Five years running, I love Star Pizza every time.
Joe’s Pizza’s (insert angelic song here)! On a hand tossed crust this pizza is the bomb. It’s topped with sauteed spinach, roasted garlic and a ridiculous amount of gooey mozzarella. It’s not something you want to eat on a date, unless you just don’t care who you’re kissing. Order this pie with a Greek salad (any salad is enough to share) and it’s pretty much all you need to get fat and happy.
You can get any of their pies on white or whole wheat crust (chose whole wheat.) And yes, I tend to be a veggie lover when it comes to pizza; Star Pizza’s got the corner on that! But fear not - this is not a tree hugger pizza shack. They have many a meatier option and will gladly make a "half & half" pizza for those of us who rub elbows with the carnivorous type.
As it is with every decent pizzeria, Star Pizza offers some meaty, fail safe toppings like pepperoni, bacon, sausage and ham in practically any combination a meat lover can think of. But, everyone knows that "Pizza + Thinking = What’s the Point?" The thing is, this gourmet joint designed such creative combinations that one needn’t even think too hard. Just check out their menu, it’s perfectly planned to accommodate the lot of us.
If you want to dine in, there are two great locations. The original location is close to 59 and Shepard. It’s based in a quaint, two story house that’s been slinging out pies since 1976. The newer location is just on the edge of The Heights, right on Washington.
The restaurant service is just what you’d expect. They’re kind, they say hello, they get your order and they serve you up some fine food. It’s pizza, ya’ll. Just go and get it.
P.S. If you can’t make it in, the delivery service is friendly and fast. So, if you’re lucky enough to live anywhere near their delivery range, having pizza delivered from any other place is a shame.
Locations: #1 2111 Norfolk (near Shepard and 59)
#2 3600 Washington (The Heights)
Onion Creek - Give it a Try
The Skinny: The beer selection is top notch, the atmosphere is cozy and Austinesque and the burgers are great* (do read below for my beef with their burgers.)
The Fat: I’ve been a lover of Onion Creek for quite some time. I can head there midday for a cup of coffee or go there late night for a couple of beers. The enormous multi level patio deck offers plenty of seating with outdoor tables, chairs and picnic benches. Inside, you’ll find more tables closer to the bar and a little lounge section off to the side filled with mismatched couches and a Packman machine.
Overall the menu is pretty expansive for this little Heights patio bar. They offer an assortment of individual pizzas, hot dogs, sandwiches, salads and a decent number of vegetarian selections. I am, however, a loyal fan of their burgers - the OC burger to be exact. It’s layered with white cheddar, avocado, bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion and chipotle mayo.
Burgers and sandwiches are served with your choice of chips or potato salad. Now, listen to me when I say this...DO NOT LEAVE without trying the potato salad! This creamy concoction tastes like a stuffed potato that’s been mixed, mashed, chilled and scooped out for your side dish pleasure.
So back to the burgers*. Here’s the catch. Every once in a while, they’re simply out of burgers. I have to say that, in all the years I’ve ever been to Onion Creek, this only happened once. The rub is that it happened on the one night I took seven friends there specifically for their burgers. On the way there I’m like "The burgers are so great...You have to try the burgers...I’m getting a burger...Burgers this and burgers that"...only to find out that there was not a burger to be had. What? Who runs out of burgers at 8pm on a Friday? Apparently Onion Creek does from time to time. Yep, sort of felt like an ass.
From what I was told when I asked the guy at the bar, Onion Creek has a pretty small kitchen, so they get their burgers cooked down the street at their sister restaurant, Dry Creek (great burgers too, go figure). When the place gets busy, sometimes they just can’t keep up with the burger demand and they fall a bit short.
After a couple of beers and some SERIOUS whining, I settled for a pathetic variation of a Panini. Panini, as we’ve come to know and love them, have one deliciously distinguishing quality - those babies are grilled to have a nice, hearty crunch. Some places may grill them more than others, but any way you toss it, Panini get some grillin’.
Now, I’m not sure if it was a busy night, but my "Pathetinini" - as I like to call it - was made of two pieces of soft round bread, whose tops had been sliced off to resemble Panini bread. Ok, so I’m into working things out on the fly, but can I get some grill action? Uh, none? It was so sad. I think my friends and I actually laughed, (out loud) pointing and criticising, my soft, white sandwich when it got to the table. Sure we behaved like cruel children on a playground poking fun at the one kid wearing faux converse tennis shoes, but I asked for a Panini God dammit, not some sandwich with a star drawn on the side of it.
I won't even get into the Asian Wrap my friend ordered...Ok, I will get into it. This wrap was filled with little more than lettuce and dry Ramen Noodels. Literally! You know those mechanically bent, white noodles that (once water is added) suddenly take on the form of nutritional and totally acceptable meals you used to eat during your first few years of college? While some of us love the taste of $.15 noodles, (myself included) I can't think of anyone who can figure out how $.15 noodles plus lettuce = $7.25. I don't care how bad you are at math!
I love this place overall. And after all is said and done, I'll continue to go back because, if you know what to order, the food is great. The people are friendly and the place is alive with a certain spirit the makes you feel like you're at a backyard party. While the pizzas and appetizers aren't bad either, I say order a burger for your main dish. Give me a burger, a beer and some awesome weather and I’m all about Onion Creek.
P.S. You may want to call ahead and make sure they're stocked up on beef before you get there because if you're anything like me, once you crave a burger...nothing else will do.
Location :3106 White Oak Blvd.
The Fat: I’ve been a lover of Onion Creek for quite some time. I can head there midday for a cup of coffee or go there late night for a couple of beers. The enormous multi level patio deck offers plenty of seating with outdoor tables, chairs and picnic benches. Inside, you’ll find more tables closer to the bar and a little lounge section off to the side filled with mismatched couches and a Packman machine.
Overall the menu is pretty expansive for this little Heights patio bar. They offer an assortment of individual pizzas, hot dogs, sandwiches, salads and a decent number of vegetarian selections. I am, however, a loyal fan of their burgers - the OC burger to be exact. It’s layered with white cheddar, avocado, bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion and chipotle mayo.
Burgers and sandwiches are served with your choice of chips or potato salad. Now, listen to me when I say this...DO NOT LEAVE without trying the potato salad! This creamy concoction tastes like a stuffed potato that’s been mixed, mashed, chilled and scooped out for your side dish pleasure.
So back to the burgers*. Here’s the catch. Every once in a while, they’re simply out of burgers. I have to say that, in all the years I’ve ever been to Onion Creek, this only happened once. The rub is that it happened on the one night I took seven friends there specifically for their burgers. On the way there I’m like "The burgers are so great...You have to try the burgers...I’m getting a burger...Burgers this and burgers that"...only to find out that there was not a burger to be had. What? Who runs out of burgers at 8pm on a Friday? Apparently Onion Creek does from time to time. Yep, sort of felt like an ass.
From what I was told when I asked the guy at the bar, Onion Creek has a pretty small kitchen, so they get their burgers cooked down the street at their sister restaurant, Dry Creek (great burgers too, go figure). When the place gets busy, sometimes they just can’t keep up with the burger demand and they fall a bit short.
After a couple of beers and some SERIOUS whining, I settled for a pathetic variation of a Panini. Panini, as we’ve come to know and love them, have one deliciously distinguishing quality - those babies are grilled to have a nice, hearty crunch. Some places may grill them more than others, but any way you toss it, Panini get some grillin’.
Now, I’m not sure if it was a busy night, but my "Pathetinini" - as I like to call it - was made of two pieces of soft round bread, whose tops had been sliced off to resemble Panini bread. Ok, so I’m into working things out on the fly, but can I get some grill action? Uh, none? It was so sad. I think my friends and I actually laughed, (out loud) pointing and criticising, my soft, white sandwich when it got to the table. Sure we behaved like cruel children on a playground poking fun at the one kid wearing faux converse tennis shoes, but I asked for a Panini God dammit, not some sandwich with a star drawn on the side of it.
I won't even get into the Asian Wrap my friend ordered...Ok, I will get into it. This wrap was filled with little more than lettuce and dry Ramen Noodels. Literally! You know those mechanically bent, white noodles that (once water is added) suddenly take on the form of nutritional and totally acceptable meals you used to eat during your first few years of college? While some of us love the taste of $.15 noodles, (myself included) I can't think of anyone who can figure out how $.15 noodles plus lettuce = $7.25. I don't care how bad you are at math!
I love this place overall. And after all is said and done, I'll continue to go back because, if you know what to order, the food is great. The people are friendly and the place is alive with a certain spirit the makes you feel like you're at a backyard party. While the pizzas and appetizers aren't bad either, I say order a burger for your main dish. Give me a burger, a beer and some awesome weather and I’m all about Onion Creek.
P.S. You may want to call ahead and make sure they're stocked up on beef before you get there because if you're anything like me, once you crave a burger...nothing else will do.
Location :3106 White Oak Blvd.
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