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!

Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar

There's no better way to kick off the weekend and relax after a busy day of sightseeing than with some yummy cocktails and delicious appetizers. I think that one of the travel lessons that I learned on this trip is to talk to locals about where to go. They know the hidden gems and the new hot spots, so you can be sure that you are getting an authentic experience. Per someone's suggestion, we headed over to Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar. It was somewhat early in the evening, but the place was already fairly full so we grabbed a seat at the bar...which happened to be quite interesting as it was right by the chef shucking oysters. I ordered a "Flying the Coupe" drink, which was made with pear vodka, acai & pomegranate, lemon, Prosecco, and mint. It was a refreshing beverage that had a nice fruit flavor, but wasn't overly sweet. There was a lovely balance between the sweetness and tartness of the fruit.

Since this was a fish and raw bar, I figured that this was an appropriate place to try out the local seafood fare. With many delicious options, I finally settled on baked local oysters which were their version of Oysters Rockefeller. The oysters were topped with spinach, Tasso (a special type of ham), mousseline, and parmesan. Mousseline is a Hollandaise sauce that has whipped cream or beaten egg whites added to it. The cheese had a nice golden brown finish and the oyster seemed to soak up the flavors. It was a delicate dish that didn't overwhelm the palate and the mousseline gave it a fun frothy mouth feel. Though it wasn't apparent what each individual flavor was, everything melded together to create a yummy bite.

I rarely order dessert though I am not sure why because it is one of my favorite things. This time however, we did order a dessert to split - a chocolate terrine. This dense chocolate cake was something that you don't mess around with. It had an intense, but not overwhelmingly sweet chocolate flavor. It was topped with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream. It was served on a lemon sauce and drizzled with a raspberry coulis. I mean what better combination is there than chocolate, raspberry, and lemon. What was great about this dessert was how natural the sweetness was. It didn't taste like you were eating a bowl of sugar. If you are looking for a fun place to relax and enjoy the local cuisine or just grab a drink, Amen Street is a great place to visit.