La Ciudad Chicago Style

Sometimes you just need a quick getaway amidst the craziness of life, so luckily for me I have friends I can go visit. This visit took me to the beautiful city of Chicago. It was fun getting to see all the sights and catching up...which we of course had to do over food. The thing about Texans is that no matter where they go, they seem to gravitate to some kind of Tex-Mex. Of course, that was one of the first stops, dinner at La Ciudad. (The first one was an AMAZING two-story Target!) I was feeling adventurous and decided to try something brand new. I opted for chile rellenos because anything with cheese is usually pretty delicious. However, I was totally surprised when I tasted it and was literally overwhelmed with spiciness. It made it really difficult to enjoy, which was kind of disappointing. After topping it with a healthy dollop of sour cream, I was finally able to really taste the flavor and found it to be really yummy. I am not sure if it is usually that super duper spicy, but maybe I will give it another try in the future. At least now I can say I have tried it.

As my friends are pretty big fans of their Tex-Mex, they have been to La Ciudad a few times and are almost on the verge of being regulars, which does have its perks. As a bonus, we got to try the mocha tres leches. It was heavenly. The cake has a silk texture, but wasn't overly sweet or soggy. The hint of chocolately coffee flavor added depth to the dessert and was a nice twist on the a classic. One of the interesting things about Chicago is that in addition to the random soda tax they have, most restaurants are "bring your own alcohol". Plus, they don't usually charge a corkage fee and you can take the leftovers home with you. It's kind of a pretty sweet deal. Overall, La Ciudad was a great first meal in Chicago!

Rolling to Cadillac Bar

 

Next stop on the Houston Restaurant Weeks Tour - Cadillac Bar. The Mexican gem on Shepherd was definitely worth the trip. It started off with a frozen sangria swirl margarita that was full of fruit that balanced well with the zip of the lime in the margarita. For the first course, I chose a shrimp and scallop ceviche. I have tried ceviches, but have never ordered one so this was a first time for me. This one had onions, pico de gallo, and avocado. The cool avocado and the fresh tomato cut through some of the acidic of the seafood marinade. The dish had great flavor, but I am not sure if I would order it again...Mainly because it's a weird texture and sometimes that really bothers me. It came with chips, but I had a few of those before the ceviche came so I tried not to eat too many more.

 

I do like faijitas, but usually they are too big for one. This time I decided to go for it. It was a combination of chicked, bacon wrapped shrimp, and ribs. You are probably thinking ribs at a Mexican restaurant? I know it was a bit surprising, but they turned out to be very good. The chicken had a great smokey flavor to it and the bacon wrapped shrimp (which turned out to also have a little bit of cheese with it) were amazing! Not the epitome of a healthy meal, but hey there were only two of them and I am not eating them every day. This was served with rice, beans, corn tortillas, sour cream, and my favorite...guacamole.

 

What Mexican meal would be complete without a nice piece of Tres Leches? However, I have noticed that throughout Houston Restaurant Weeks, that it has been a popular option. This was a bit fancier than some of the other ones I have had, but honestly it wasn't the best. It had a nice texture and the cake held together very nicely. The topping was a bit heavy and tasted a little too much like a whipped topping. I am more of a whipped cream girl to begin with. The cookie banner was really good though and provided a little bit of crunch for an otherwise untextured dish.

If you haven't tried out Cadillac Bar, then you should stop by. Plus I heard that they have a great brunch. Don't forget that Houston Restaurant Weeks supports the Houston Food Bank. So for all you foodies out there, keep eating for a cause!

 

 

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!