Houston Restaurant Weeks - Eleven XI

I can say that the month of August is kind of like an eat-athon for me because I try to visit as many restaurants as possible (because my list is never ending) and I get to do something good at the same time. This trip took me to the hot spot Eleven XI. Now I have to admit that this was a hyped up place for me so I went in with really high expectations.... and I was not disappointed! I started off with grilled oysters and heirloom tomatoes, pecan pesto, bacon and mozzarella. This was a one bite dish that had everything you could want. There was crunch from the pecans and bacon (also a bit of salt), a subtle sweetness from the heirloom tomatoes, and creaminess from the mozzarella. You would think that the oyster would get lost, but it didn't. It after you made it through the initial flavors, oyster came and pulled everything together. The plating of this dish was actually quite creative and they were served on top of in a personal cast iron skillet - really playful and fun.

Next was the XI salad which was a fun play on the wedge salad. This had heirloom tomatoes and grilled vegetables with a cranberry vinaigrette. The lettuce was a nice change from the usual iceberg and though I am not entirely sure what the grilled veggies were (they looked like beets and purple carrots), they were yummy. I have never had a cranberry dressing, but it had the tiniest bit of sweetness to it, but the tartness also can through. It was a nice compliment to the rich flavors of the vegetables.

I decided to go out of my normal meat ordering box and chose a baby back rib sandwich with horseradish cheddar and broccoli slaw on a jalapeno challah bun and potato stick french fries. There are two very odd things about this sandwich for me - I don't usually order meat (and when I do it is usually chicken) and I don't really like horseradish. I was feeling fiesty and wanted something with a kick and this sandwich packed a punch of flavor. I have never had a challah bun. I have only had it served as french toast (and it makes a killer french toast), but this bun was light and the jalapenos in the bread added a little something extra. The slaw added lots of crunch and the horseradish didn't overpower the ribs. The meat was tender and juicy held together by the yumminess of the the melted cheese.

One of the things that was recommended for me to try were the blue corn grits. I was interested to see how these would turn out. What I found was that they didn't really taste like grits at all. They were a bit reminiscent of potatoes au gratin. I don't know why they reminded me of that but they were very interesting and super yummy. They just made you feel at home when you tasted them. Plus I really liked that they used real shredded cheese because it definitely makes a world of difference. Eleven XI has a great patio that I will need to go back and take advantage of. Also, the mussels and short rib were highly recommended so I guess that means that I will be making a return visit very, very soon. Eleven XI needs to be the next place you visit, so be sure to make your reservation today. Thank you Eleven XI and Houston Restaurant Weeks for a fabulous meal!