Tila's

I hope you have heard, but if not August 1-31 is Houston Restaurant Weeks. This started off as a one week event where restaurants created special lunch and dinner menus where a portion of the proceeds were donated to the Houston Food Bank. However, it became so popular that it turned into a month long event. The meals come with two to three courses for lunch and three to four courses for dinner and is affordably priced at $20 for lunch and $35 for dinner. A friend and I decided to try out Tila's for some Mexican cuisine. We were started off with tortilla and plantain chips with green tomatillo salsa and a red sauce. The green tomatillo salsa was fresh and mild and the red sauce was spicy, but not one of those that kills you with spice.

Next I had guacamole, but I was surprised to find that it was not what I usually got when I ordered guacamole. It was more of a deconstructed guacamole. It was actually chunks of avocado, tomato, chopped jalapeno, onion, and lime. It was delicious nonetheless and perfect for a hot summer's day. I decided to try one of there signature cocktails called the Paloma. This was mainly tequila and pink grapefruit juice. It was tart, but subtly sweet from the grapefruit. It was not a drink for people who like super sweet drinks, but it was very refreshing.

Time for the main dish. I opted for chilaquiles, served with black beans and grilled vegetables. Chilaquiles is a Mexican casserole with chicken, green tomatillo sauce, corn tortillas and is topped with sour cream and mozzarella cheese. It's basically like a Mexican lasagna. It was spicy, but the sour cream cut the heat and created a balance. The layers melted into each other and created a symphony of flavor in every bite. The black beans were served in a refried fashion and topped with a pinch of queso fresco. The grilled vegetables were carrot, squash, and zucchini. They had a nice crunch to them were definitely representative of seasonal summer veggies.

Fortunately, Tila's was offering a three course lunch so we also go to try dessert. I chose a Mexican key lime pie. Most of the time when I think of key lime pie, an image of a graham cracker crust filled with a bright green filling with whipped topping pops into my head. This was definitely not the case. There were layers of cookie in it that were covered in the filling. The lime was refreshing and the strawberries were fresh and sweet. I also got to try the cheesecake which had a light glaze on it and was also served with strawberries. These were both really delicious. 

There are more participating restaurants than you can imagine, so check out the whole list at houstonrestaurantweeks.com. You need to make a reservation and the instructions are listed on the website. Mention that you would like the HRW menu and you are all set! It couldn't be easier to eat for a cause, so be sure to take advantage of this offer as many times as you can. Come back and post where you tried and go eat and help support the Houston Food Bank!