neverfull

this is my favorite french restaurant in houston, my only complaint is that it is so far away! who knew there were restaurants of this caliber in west houston? escargot, lobster bisque, fois gras terrine are all good as expected. the ribeye and seared chilean sea bass is delicious bite after bite. but the star of the menu is the beef wellington served in a morel sauce. the morels are definitely present. the puff pastry and duxelle perfectly buttery. the beef is tender and cooked to perfection. prices are reasonable. service was lacking and a bit slow, but we were a table of 7 and 20% gratuity was included on the bill which may explain the lack of the servers’ attention.

yum yum yum yum yum! there is a reason why this is consistently the top rated restaurant in houston. chef mark cox is brilliant creates one of the most unique menus in houston. this will always be one of my favorite special occasion restaurants.

pay close attention to the specials. the soft shell crab and FRESH alaskan king crab legs are always amazing when available. i also hear they are serving real kobe beef as an appetizer right now. as far as favorite menu items, i love the quail and fois gras appetizer, and the roasted maple leaf duck.

hands down the best sushi place in town. modern, trendy atmosphere with good energy. o toro and escolar sushi is some of the best i’ve ever had. don’t miss the edamame hummus, uni tempura, and hamachi carpaccio (with jalapeno, cilantro, in yuzu — like nobu makes it).

First of all, this place is much more restaurant than wine bar. Max’s offers gourmet comfort food and excellent wine prices. Loud, energetic atmosphere, great for dinner with the girls on a Tues night or Saturday. If I didn’t have to worry about calories, i would eat here twice a week.

Some of my menu favorites: fried chicken (w/honey chipotle dipping sauce, marscapone mashed potatoes and collard greens), fried oyster nachos, fried redfish, crawfish, and grits, and kobe beef burger w/brillat savarin. the fois gras pb&j is completely over the top, but a must-try at least once if you are a fois gras lover. truffle mac & cheese is a bit runny, i’ve had better but not a bad choice for a quick truffle fix.

was here a couple weeks ago for the 6th time and it’s a high price tag considering everything is a la carte, but it did not disappoint.

we ordered the sweetbreads to start. rich, succulent, and not offensive in any way. for mains: chatham cod & almonds, 28 day dry-aged sirloin & bone marrow, berkshire pork shoulder & tomatillo, and braised beef short ribs. for sides: hen of the woods mushrooms, potato puree, and corn and pancetta risotto. for dessert, don’t skip the brioche pain perdu and warm chocolate tart. then pick a few ice creams to go with them. EXCELLENT MEAL. not one disappointment. everything seems very simply prepared, but delicious, letting the high quality ingredients speak for themselves.

get the jerusalem artichokes and veal cheeks if they are available.

the strip can rival any other in houston and the wine list is award winning, but some of the best menu items do not include beef at all. hands down, best crabcakes in town served in a chive beurre blanc. maple glazed quail w/ sriracha is a no-miss. and i can never forget the always perfectly cooked haricot vert.

skip the main dining room which can be stuffy. i usually dine in the bar area, or for a more proper meal sit in the darker side room across from the kitchen.

when foodies debate over the best thai in houston, it is between this place and kanomwan (telephone thai). this is a whole in the wall mom and pop joint off long point near silber. the food here is authentic and delicious. the som tum (papaya salad) is too die for. the tom kha gai is flavorful and well-balanced. try the kee mao noodles instead of pad thai. best part is it’s BYOB!